NEW STORY, ROUGH DRAFT
For the last few months I’ve been writing the rough draft of a novel I’m calling All Got to Climb Some Mountain, about a preacher in the deep South at the turn of the 20th century. I’ve never written a novel before, and the longest thing I’ve written before this is a story I started in 7th grade about a character I made up that lived in the Star Wars universe. It ended up being around 40 pages, but I never finished the story. That’s pretty typical of most of the projects I’ve started and I’m ready to crush that bad habit once again with this rough draft.
Today’s word count brings me to 106, 868, which is pretty close to what I’ve planned for. If I’m able to meet my daily writing goals for the next two weeks, I’ll have a completed, 120,000 word rough draft of a novel, ready to be torn apart in editing. It can be rough writing sometimes, when I know the writing itself isn’t so great, and that things are dragging a little in the story, and that there’s a lot I’ll have to cut out or perform a series of surgeries on. The last few weeks of writing were filled with days like this, until I sat down and took a good, honest look at my story outline and noticed where my characters and plot were supposed to be, as opposed to where they were. While I liked the tangents I had taken, it was obvious that what I needed most was to stick to my plan.
So, I revised my outline. Tightened it up. Clarified scenes. It also helped that my wife got me to read Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games, and I was able to read something written in a very straightforward way that helped me see again the lines connecting my characters and story to each other. I’ve learned that taking some sort of break for one or two minutes after each page of writing helps my focus and attention stay sharp and ready, and I’m able to keep the energy I need for each page.
It’s exciting to write. It’s fun again. I feel like I’m getting the hang of the way I write. I feel like I’m finally starting to understand what it really means to write and ways that it can actually work, and ways that I can notice what I’m doing wrong and what I’m doing right, and how I can improve. Of course, I’m writing all of this before I’ve even finished the rough draft.
I guess I just wanted to let you know. I’ve been working on something new. Something different. and the rough draft is 90 % finished.
Woot! Another writer in the midst, welcome! 120,000 words, huh? Sounds like you are writing an adult novel, so that’s a good length.
I’m sure you’re already on twitter (right?) but there are some truly amazing resources that can be found. I have learned so much about writing and editing. Like there are these rules no one really knows about unless you are in the writing community (although many of them can be bent)
I’ve really become a better writer since I put myself ‘out there’ If you need help getting started on twitter just let me know and I will tell you where all the hashtag hotspots are.
Keep writing and don’t give up. Then take a good long break when you’ve finished before you start editing, that is mandatory! Okay I’ll stop talking now, it’s just that I love writing and I love talking to other writers. The end.
Jennie, you’re a writer? How ’bout that! My world just got brighter, knowing that you are out there, somewhere, writing a book. Your blog said you’ve reached 70,087 words—does that mean you’ve finished your story? I’m really curious to know what it’s about. I’m always on the hunt for a good story!
My book is definitely for adults. The 120,000 words is just an arbitrary number I guessed at the beginning of writing, just a rough estimate of how long my rough draft might end up being. Now that I’m nearing the end of the book (and my estimated word count), I feel things coming together in a powerful way.
Thanks for offering your help with Twitter—I could really use it, but first I need to finish my rough draft. I’ve been finding writer’s groups and people wanting to help, but I feel like if I don’t have a finished rough draft, I could get too caught up in theory and technique and revision while I write, and never finish the rough draft. Now that I’m so close to finishing, I’m determined to crank out the last of the rough draft and then enlist your Twitter help to edit like nobody’s business!
Writing is the best and so is finding other writers
Yes’um – mine’s a young adult about a girl who is trying to the save the world form the oppressing hierarchical society she lives in. Oh, and I did I mention she has the power over Earth? That and she finds some other people with cool powers over water, fire, and wind. Anyway, I finished my first draft about a month ago and just started editing. It feels so good to finish, but it is so hard to edit *gah!* So my goal is to have agent by next June, we’ll see how that goes.
And you are totally welcome in my twitter circle when your ready, (and I understand your reasons for waiting) I’m one of the cool kids who is happy to show you around
Thanks for being such a cool kid. Since I know you and everything, can we come up with inside jokes and stuff that no one else will get? That would be deluxe.
I really dig your story—it sounds epic! Is it part of a series? Congratulations on finishing your rough draft! That’s fantastic! Do you mind me asking how you’re editing the story? Are you line editing, or working with big picture stuff first? Just curious. Once I have a polished story, I plan on finding an agent, too. It’s so exhausting and disheartening trying to find a publisher. Actually, the worst part is probably just how time-consuming it is. All that time researching and contacting, when I could be writing. *Sigh* Have you been looking for agents yet?
We can totally come up with inside jokes, we’ll make up our own hashtag community and no else will know what is going on.*evil laugh*
I’m doing big picture editing, but I am also having some peers look at it. If you want, when you’re ready, we could do an edit swap. I don’t plan on having everything polished for at least six months.
I am hoping that it will become part of a series, but I’m trying to make it stand alone as that is what publishers like more.
I’ve been researching agents, but I am not going to consider it seriously until I’m done editing.
Sweet. I’m in. I’d love to do an edit swap later on, but I have to admit that I’m a very slow reader and I can’t guarantee I’ll have any amazing words of wisdom to offer. I’ll do my best, though. That’s a good idea, to give yourself plenty of time for editing. I know a lot of people who consider a story written once they’ve typed the last of the first draft. It can work, it does work, but it’s usually just the beginning. I’m sure you know that more than most people, though, since you’ve actually finished a draft (wow!) and have already spent some time editing.
Great job. 120,000 words is a lot of writing. Cutting is good. I like your idea on taking a minute break after each page. I might try that. Keep up the great work.
Thanks! It isn’t that I WANTED to write 120,000 words. That’s just how big I guessed my rough draft might be. Man, I’m so close! The one minute break is just enough to keep me going for another page, but I have to jump right in before somebody calls or knocks on the door or needs a snack or a diaper changed. You know how that is ;P