I'm having a double celebration this week for the above reason. The page views thing is a pleasant surprise but I've been buzzing since Monday night over finishing the sixth draft of my book. Since the fourth draft I've edited out over 12,200 words (approx 14.5%) and I'm as happy with it as I can be with anything I've written (which is never 100%). So, I've handed it over to my trusty 'proofers' to check for typos and ambiguities. I hope they don't suggest too many changes!
It was only June last year that I finished the first draft. In early January I finished the third. Then I sent it to a couple of agents and a competition. The MS had started in the third person, was converted to first and then changed back to the third again on the advice of one of the agents - hence so many drafts!
Unfortunately I finished the MS too late in the day to call or text anyone so had to be content with email and FB and waking up B instead. He told me to calm down and go to sleep (which was fair as it was late) but I was buzzing so much that I had to do a chill-out yoga session and then read (a lot) until I eventually dropped off. I was still buzzing the next day - even my daughter waking me up at 5.30am did nothing to dampen my enthusiasm.
It's been pretty hard getting to this point though as our family have had to face a series of 'challenges' not including the fact I can only work when R is asleep - so that's VERY early in the morning or late in the evening. I've found that mornings work best for me (pre-7am) but it's always a struggle to tear myself from my MS to get ready for work and get R up and out too. And the last couple of days have seemed weird as I've been 'having a break' from writing/editing, something which I rarely do. And now I'm concerned that I better start working on something else soon or I might never start again.
Question: What obstacles have you faced when writing your MS? When do you like to write or, like me, is it dictated to you by circumstance? Do you think writing in short bursts is best or do you prefer to take it at a more leisurely pace? How long did it take you to complete the final draft of your MS?. How much of a break did you have after finishing your MS? Please tell, I'd love to know!
That's great news, well done. My writing time is dictated by circumstance really but if I have a choice and like mornings when things are quiet.
ReplyDeleteThanks Suzanne. So we're in the same boat then! :) I hope you're finding enough time to write atm x
ReplyDeleteYou are invited to follow my Christian blog
ReplyDeleteThanks Steve but I'm really looking for blogs about reading / writing fiction.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant news. Really proud of you. Let's hope that we'll have a full house at the next CWG meeting. Px
ReplyDeleteThanks P! It's taken quite an effort but whatever happens it was worth it :) Yes, fingers crossed we'll have a better turn out next time. x
DeleteGreat blog! I just discovered it. To answer some of your questions, I've pretty much done it all. I've written in 15-minute sessions for two weeks, and I've also shut myself away and typed for hours and hours in one day. The least amount of time I ever took to finish a first draft was 3 weeks, which felt really quick! But I also took two years to finish a first draft, and I've got a few sitting around now that could go much longer because I've taken a break from writing them. When I finish a book, I usually start a new one right away but I've taken lengthy breaks between books as well.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jade! And thanks for sharing your techniques for writing a book - I can't believe you did a first draft in 3 weeks - did you eat or sleep in that time?? Two years is closer to my pace as I squeeze my writing in around work and childcare commitments. It's fascinating to read about someone else's writing methods - thanks for following too! :)
Delete