tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190412120537448720.post894839049157873982..comments2024-02-12T15:15:51.364+02:00Comments on The Five Year Project: Others have said: Don't sweat it. You can fix it later.Misha Gerrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06364173848456424521noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190412120537448720.post-88831928074396707942012-01-25T16:33:45.050+02:002012-01-25T16:33:45.050+02:00I'd never seen the Cormier quote before and I ...I'd never seen the Cormier quote before and I love it. I can totally relate to what you are saying here. When I started my current MS, I couldn't get anywhere because I kept editing obsessively. Finally I forced myself to just keep writing and worry about the editing later, and now I'm almost done with the first draft. I know I have tons of editing to do, but it really feels like this was the right course of action for me. Great post!Julie Flandershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05003737491313673214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190412120537448720.post-42031191587572126572012-01-25T01:31:44.163+02:002012-01-25T01:31:44.163+02:00I definitely edit as I write. It's my way of ...I definitely edit as I write. It's my way of staying on track—if I'm reading over what I just got down and tweaking the things I didn't like, then continuing on, I know my head's in the same place as it was when I was writing initially. It helps me keep flow, and I'll notice faster if I'm veering in a weird direction that isn't going to help the story. =)-https://www.blogger.com/profile/10117900591201766114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190412120537448720.post-20221286872273804332012-01-24T18:38:35.759+02:002012-01-24T18:38:35.759+02:00I'm a perfectionist, so until I have each chap...I'm a perfectionist, so until I have each chapter in some semblance of order, I don't move on. However, I don't get stuck thinking I can't move on if every i isn't dotted or every t crossed. Takes the fun out of things if I stay too long on one chapter anyway.J.L. Campbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05666634455836834179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190412120537448720.post-38083266434186175982012-01-24T16:11:52.875+02:002012-01-24T16:11:52.875+02:00I edit later. Misha, its very important that you c...I edit later. Misha, its very important that you complete a MS ( writing the several drafts, revising and editing). Make it your goal for 2012.Rachna Chhabriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16900999965919504282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190412120537448720.post-31436819180428034782012-01-24T14:28:50.138+02:002012-01-24T14:28:50.138+02:00Great blog!! I do it two-fold I guess you could sa...Great blog!! I do it two-fold I guess you could say. I read over and change a bit here and there daily, but I save the BIG changes for when the first draft is done. Now, if I realize a scene isn't working, I'll examine and do my best to make it right, but sometimes after I finish the story the scene clicks and my "aha!" moment comes along. Oh, and after betas, I often find myself re-writing chunks of story to smooth scenes or murder them all together with somethign new. So, yeah, it's a process for me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190412120537448720.post-42340324854625287312012-01-24T11:20:21.206+02:002012-01-24T11:20:21.206+02:00Fast first drafts all the way for me. Head down, k...Fast first drafts all the way for me. Head down, keep going, no reading back of anything I've written until it's finished.Sarah Tokeleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13273148070092101085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190412120537448720.post-68431341210249795292012-01-24T08:33:39.666+02:002012-01-24T08:33:39.666+02:00Ugh, I can totally relate to this. Whenever NaNoWr...Ugh, I can totally relate to this. Whenever NaNoWriMo is going I'm usually able to put aside my inner editor, but when I don't have the deadline looming ahead of me, I get so picky about everything I write. I'm trying to train myself to be in the mindset of NaNo whenever I work on a first draft, not just in November. :)amber colleenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05874229679458717329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190412120537448720.post-81250276227366602342012-01-24T07:19:41.141+02:002012-01-24T07:19:41.141+02:00A little bit of retrospection is good. Glad you m...A little bit of retrospection is good. Glad you made it to Doorways.<br /><br />Me and my Inner Editor, Inner Critic, Inner really-itchy-perfectionist have a hate/hate relationship. I hate her enough to kick her out. She hates me enough to stay. She makes it hard to just do a first draft...that is until NaNoWriMo. That was the first time I can recall writing 20k+ thousand words w/o my Inner Enemy attacking me.<br /><br />Right now, it attacks on the regular, but since NaNoWriMo, out hate/hate relationship isn't so deplorable. :-)Angela Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03324366495151363782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190412120537448720.post-8250645982447291922012-01-24T04:19:45.583+02:002012-01-24T04:19:45.583+02:00I am getting better about editing as I go along. I...I am getting better about editing as I go along. I used to be notorious for that. Now I tend to cruise through with only a few edits along the way.Susan Oloierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07311938400999953443noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190412120537448720.post-25669668297919025232012-01-24T02:47:37.268+02:002012-01-24T02:47:37.268+02:00Misha, I did the very same exact thing when I was ...Misha, I did the very same exact thing when I was younger writing. I have tons of notebooks of half written things that I just got frustrated with because it wasn't immediately awesome and quit. It's a very blessed lesson to learn that it doesn't have to be perfect.Colene Murphyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06086195075690893194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190412120537448720.post-76313571095080989732012-01-24T02:06:15.465+02:002012-01-24T02:06:15.465+02:00I used to edit as I went along--but now I just plo...I used to edit as I went along--but now I just plow through first drafts, much as I want to go back and fix things.Golden Eaglehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08721520451194318436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190412120537448720.post-16706006782635305792012-01-24T01:10:28.458+02:002012-01-24T01:10:28.458+02:00I think the perfectionist streak runs in a lot of ...I think the perfectionist streak runs in a lot of us. :) I know I had the same problem-- I HAD to get it perfect right away. Luckily, I figured out that it didn't have to be immediately perfect (and that it wasn't anyway), and changed my ways, like you. I still do a bit of editing as I go, but now I at least have two finished books behind me!Shalleehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09907680428735740943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190412120537448720.post-52253068019711336552012-01-23T23:24:19.452+02:002012-01-23T23:24:19.452+02:00I edit a little bit as I write, but I'll only ...I edit a little bit as I write, but I'll only go over the scene once or twice as I'm writing and I never obsess. There's a lot of times that I say "I know this isn't completely right and x needs to be added or fixed or taken away, but I'll just file that into memory and fix it later." I find this helps also, because then as I'm writing I might add things to my story that I can then remember to connect back when I start editing the problems from the beginning. ...if that makes sense.<br /><br />Mega kudos for writing a whole first draft by hand. That takes commitment, man. Good for you. :-)<br /><br /><3 Gina BlechmanG Blechmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16707186693109337726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190412120537448720.post-1273438019039490722012-01-23T21:23:03.876+02:002012-01-23T21:23:03.876+02:00I used to plow through it more than I'd edit--...I used to plow through it more than I'd edit--I might tweak things here and there. Now, I write chunks and then reread and edit and tweak, and then continue with the story. I write better that way, but it's so important to keep going with the story. I know how I write well enough to be okay with doing it like this, but if I get too caught up in that, I have to just plow onward and write.Laura Josephsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04239501665574945313noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190412120537448720.post-88164640708662128492012-01-23T19:30:32.101+02:002012-01-23T19:30:32.101+02:00For short stories, I do often edit as I go. For no...For short stories, I do often edit as I go. For novels, though, I often won't even look at any of the previously written chapters. I just write.Cherie Reichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16663147386014122939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190412120537448720.post-25226436196012375712012-01-23T19:12:59.663+02:002012-01-23T19:12:59.663+02:00You drafted Doorways by hand? Good lord. How awful...You drafted Doorways by hand? Good lord. How awful.Michael Offutt, Phantom Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10557969104886174930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190412120537448720.post-16998802664050034732012-01-23T18:15:18.026+02:002012-01-23T18:15:18.026+02:00I do simple edits as I go, then go back for the mo...I do simple edits as I go, then go back for the more thorough editing.Karen Baldwinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01522178275164058849noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190412120537448720.post-80802428760718369552012-01-23T16:29:19.353+02:002012-01-23T16:29:19.353+02:00I do a bit of both - some editing along the way, b...I do a bit of both - some editing along the way, but no major plot changes until I've got everything down.<br />And WOW those are some drastic "delays" you had to your early writing career!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06181241692016438730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190412120537448720.post-66288519522010110682012-01-23T15:52:15.799+02:002012-01-23T15:52:15.799+02:00No major edits until it's finished.No major edits until it's finished.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00273059558675234923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190412120537448720.post-60339009551583272832012-01-23T15:22:57.154+02:002012-01-23T15:22:57.154+02:00I tend to edit as I write, and it works for me. If...I tend to edit as I write, and it works for me. If I ever thought it was slowing me down, though, I'd probably just force myself forward. It's just easier for me to move forward if I'm happy with what I've got so far. But--I never believe any piece of writing advice is universal, and I know this doesn't work for everyone! I'm glad you gave Doorways a chance!Sarahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06636585111057799728noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190412120537448720.post-13257072841804515782012-01-23T15:08:07.413+02:002012-01-23T15:08:07.413+02:00I do better if I just finish the first draft and e...I do better if I just finish the first draft and edit later.Alex J. Cavanaughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09770065693345181702noreply@blogger.com