I finished my first draft and-oh my- it's really really bad. On paper, it sounds so different to what I was envisaging in my head but at least domething is on paper I suppose. It is 60,000 at the moment but will go much higher when I add more description and play around with it. It really is an empty shell that needs a lot of decoration
I cringed at any many times 'she rolled her eyes', 'she sighed" and so on. Editing will take much, much longer than my first draft.
I'm in the process of editing of my manuscript, and it's taking much longer than I thought. I've been through several drafts thus far, but I'm still finding parts I don't like. Urgh, will I ever be finished
I'm in the process of editing of my manuscript, and it's taking much longer than I thought. I've been through several drafts thus far, but I'm still finding parts I don't like. Urgh, will I ever be finished
This might be of some use to you - How many hours does it take to write a novel?
He is sort of self published and I would say that if he had been 'conventionally' published he would have spent even more time on a rewrite, but I do like his diagrams of the time spent
I'm in the process of editing of my manuscript, and it's taking much longer than I thought. I've been through several drafts thus far, but I'm still finding parts I don't like. Urgh, will I ever be finished
I thought I'd finished both my novels. I shelved them for a few months and re-read them both during the last month. I am still finding paragraphs which need rewriting or expanding. If it makes you feel any better, I started my first novel some time in 2011/12, and I'm still working on it - and it's not even that long! (Just under 100,000 words at the moment) On Saturday I've got a meeting with a mentor to help get it ready for publication. I'm really hoping she doesn't want me to do anything major to the structure. I don't mind tinkering with the dialogue or writing more descriptions, but if I
have to start altering the structure it turns into a game of jenga.
I don't think you ever reach a stage where you are completely happy with the finished product. I was listening to an interview with a musician who says he hates listening to his band's albums because he starts thinking about all the ways he could have improved the song. You never finish - you just reach a stage where your work is good enough to go out into the world.
I am writing my dissertation...joy! I actually like the research, but I am sick of it now. Two weeks to go, 10,000 words down...
(And another 6,000 project, of which I have written about 2,500).
I am in need of some creative writing! I just want to write something for fun now.
I know the feeling! I'm busy revising my novel in light of feedback. (More emotion! More sexual tension! Fewer adjectives!) It should be fun, especiall the sexual tension bit. But I can't 'lose' myself in the story. It's a paragraph here, a paragraph there.
I've recently started reading fan fiction. Most of it is toe-curlingly bad porn or teenage wish-fullfillment; but I'm amazed at how much effort some people go to create their own websites and write whole books of the stuff! Occasionally I've stumbled across a well-written piece and I can (almost) forgive the dreadful hyperbole and sloppy plotting. If I had the time to write something for fun, I'd be sorely tempted to give fan fiction a go. But I know I couldn't write something where the action was just a vehicle to the next smutty sex scene. I'd have to do it properly, with characterisation and realism... and as usual I'd take it way too seriously and turn it into a proper novel. And then it wouldn't be fun any more.
I've recently started reading fan fiction. Most of it is toe-curlingly bad porn or teenage wish-fullfillment; but I'm amazed at how much effort some people go to create their own websites and write whole books of the stuff! Occasionally I've stumbled across a well-written piece and I can (almost) forgive the dreadful hyperbole and sloppy plotting. If I had the time to write something for fun, I'd be sorely tempted to give fan fiction a go. But I know I couldn't write something where the action was just a vehicle to the next smutty sex scene. I'd have to do it properly, with characterisation and realism... and as usual I'd take it way too seriously and turn it into a proper novel. And then it wouldn't be fun any more.
I write fanfiction. It is exceedingly fun and all-encompassing if you let it become so.
Thought I'd resurrect this thread as the second book in my trilogy is finally with my publisher. That was a long old road! I've also made a start on the third, although I'm being distracted by the possibility of a prequel...
I don't think I'll ever be skilful enough to write a book worth publishing but I enjoy it so I write fanfiction. Got about 7 or 8 stories in varying processes. (most early because I have the attention span of... OOH butterflies!) None particularly great but hey I enjoy writing it and if anyone else enjoys it that's cool too. I despise Fanfiction writers who hold stories to ransom for reviews.
At the moment the ones I'm pottering away on most involves a drabble series based on a number of fandoms. A One Piece (anime) story told in letter form and an experimental piece in a dystopian future based around the characters of G1/IDW Transformers. Only AU of course. So really mostly just scattered parts then an actual singular plot.
My biggest problem is I have grand scope of ideas for stories but not the impetus or skill to flesh them out.
Comments
I cringed at any many times 'she rolled her eyes', 'she sighed" and so on. Editing will take much, much longer than my first draft.
This might be of some use to you - How many hours does it take to write a novel?
He is sort of self published and I would say that if he had been 'conventionally' published he would have spent even more time on a rewrite, but I do like his diagrams of the time spent
https://www.writersandartists.co.uk/writers/advice/846/a-writers-toolkit/essential-information/
I thought I'd finished both my novels. I shelved them for a few months and re-read them both during the last month. I am still finding paragraphs which need rewriting or expanding. If it makes you feel any better, I started my first novel some time in 2011/12, and I'm still working on it - and it's not even that long! (Just under 100,000 words at the moment) On Saturday I've got a meeting with a mentor to help get it ready for publication. I'm really hoping she doesn't want me to do anything major to the structure. I don't mind tinkering with the dialogue or writing more descriptions, but if I
have to start altering the structure it turns into a game of jenga.
I don't think you ever reach a stage where you are completely happy with the finished product. I was listening to an interview with a musician who says he hates listening to his band's albums because he starts thinking about all the ways he could have improved the song. You never finish - you just reach a stage where your work is good enough to go out into the world.
(And another 6,000 project, of which I have written about 2,500).
I am in need of some creative writing! I just want to write something for fun now.
What are you writing? You can't leave a teaser and not say what this immensely fun thing is!
I know the feeling! I'm busy revising my novel in light of feedback. (More emotion! More sexual tension! Fewer adjectives!) It should be fun, especiall the sexual tension bit. But I can't 'lose' myself in the story. It's a paragraph here, a paragraph there.
I've recently started reading fan fiction. Most of it is toe-curlingly bad porn or teenage wish-fullfillment; but I'm amazed at how much effort some people go to create their own websites and write whole books of the stuff! Occasionally I've stumbled across a well-written piece and I can (almost) forgive the dreadful hyperbole and sloppy plotting. If I had the time to write something for fun, I'd be sorely tempted to give fan fiction a go. But I know I couldn't write something where the action was just a vehicle to the next smutty sex scene. I'd have to do it properly, with characterisation and realism... and as usual I'd take it way too seriously and turn it into a proper novel. And then it wouldn't be fun any more.
I write fanfiction. It is exceedingly fun and all-encompassing if you let it become so.
I hate the smutty ones though.
I think I've read some of yours last time you posted a link.
Ha ha probably! Mine are slow and involve lots of long angsty conversations. At heart I'm a soap writer!
At the moment the ones I'm pottering away on most involves a drabble series based on a number of fandoms. A One Piece (anime) story told in letter form and an experimental piece in a dystopian future based around the characters of G1/IDW Transformers. Only AU of course. So really mostly just scattered parts then an actual singular plot.
My biggest problem is I have grand scope of ideas for stories but not the impetus or skill to flesh them out.