tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414093212095906246.post8121822096969372102..comments2024-01-26T15:00:33.908-06:00Comments on The THRILLIONTH page: Layla prefers first drafting & I prefer editing...can two oppositely-inclined writers help each other?Carolyn Cranehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17195853833116263029noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414093212095906246.post-76195672558746075552011-04-30T12:19:29.871-05:002011-04-30T12:19:29.871-05:00A friend just sent me a link to this post by Grant...A friend just sent me a link to this post by Grant Virtue in which he identifies to "types" of first drafters "Just Right" and "Just Write." I thought it tied in here quite nicely.<br /><a href="http://angeluniversityllc.blogspot.com/2011/04/just-right-or-just-write.html?spref=fb" rel="nofollow">Just Right of Just Write by Grant Virtue</a>Layla Messnerhttp://LaylaMessner.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414093212095906246.post-26982438893643087732011-04-15T14:48:53.199-05:002011-04-15T14:48:53.199-05:00B.E. - a first draft born from the head, like Athe...B.E. - a first draft born from the head, like Athena. I like it. Glad you liked the post :).<br /><br />Beth - I love that you wrote an entire book from knowing only one scene. Also, re: knowing when to listen to feedback - so true! I know I always want to accept feedback, and then sometimes I incorporate something I didn't really believe in and later when another reader points out that it doesn't work, I think, I /knew/ not to use that. I too am getting better at trusting myself.Layla Messnerhttp://LaylaMessner.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414093212095906246.post-67414564837812452952011-04-14T08:46:17.016-05:002011-04-14T08:46:17.016-05:00B.E. Another first drafter lover! Funny, for me, I...B.E. Another first drafter lover! Funny, for me, I fully expect my first draft to be just terrible. But, I know how you feel sort of, because there can be times when I've really worked over a scene and I think it's great in my mind, and I go back and it's not. lol. So glad you stopped by.Carolyn Cranehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17195853833116263029noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414093212095906246.post-10972722826383300032011-04-14T07:53:22.336-05:002011-04-14T07:53:22.336-05:00Awesome post. Thanks for sharing your conversatio...Awesome post. Thanks for sharing your conversation. =o)<br /><br />I love first drafts. For me, it's less like opening a vein than opening my head and letting the story out. Editing for me is taking all that writing I thought was wonderful when I put it on paper for the first time and seeing exactly how bad it really is (even when it isn't). Ugh.B.E. Sandersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04336115135400388268noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414093212095906246.post-47388583598446439252011-04-14T07:11:41.897-05:002011-04-14T07:11:41.897-05:00Layla: Yes, that's exactly how it is for me! ...Layla: Yes, that's exactly how it is for me! When I started my work-in-progress, I literally had ONE SCENE--the opening scene, as a matter of fact. At the time, I envisioned it as a piece of flash fiction. Then I took it to my writing group and I got peppered with all kinds of questions about the protagonist and why she acted the way she did. It got me thinking. Now it's a 95,000-word novel!<br /><br />Carolyn: Much as I might vent about revision on my blog/Twitter/etc., I'm actually feeling better about it than I thought I would. As I said, I'm getting very positive feedback from my writing group, and I feel like I have a better sense now (compared to a few years ago) when to heed their advice. I trust myself more, and as you both said, that's very important.<br /><br />Thanks again, guys! Really enjoyed the post!Beth Woodwardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16844311387829355367noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414093212095906246.post-6777990355144622082011-04-13T21:11:48.064-05:002011-04-13T21:11:48.064-05:00Thanks for stopping by, Beth! It's cool and he...Thanks for stopping by, Beth! It's cool and helpful to hear how both you and Layla enjoy the surprise aspect of the drafting. I am always surprised by surprises. I like them, but I don't expect them, and maybe I should. Maybe put out the ol' welcome mat! <br /><br />It really would suck to have the harder part of writing a novel come later in the game!!! I never thought about that. <br /><br />Jenga. noooo!!Carolyn Cranehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17195853833116263029noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414093212095906246.post-9324670833561477102011-04-13T20:58:34.458-05:002011-04-13T20:58:34.458-05:00Hi Beth,
So glad you enjoyed our post :). I'm ...Hi Beth,<br />So glad you enjoyed our post :). I'm totally with you about imagining the story as I'm writing it. In fact, I may only know the building blocks of the story--inciting incident, climax, how I think it will end, a few moments along the way. Then, when I sit down to draft, images and words may flow all together, so that I don't know what's going to happen until I've typed it.Layla Messnerhttp://LaylaMessner.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414093212095906246.post-78029753568744581262011-04-13T19:38:33.722-05:002011-04-13T19:38:33.722-05:00Carolyn & Layla: Thank you so much for doing t...Carolyn & Layla: Thank you so much for doing this blog post. I'm very much a fan of first drafting over revising. As you both mentioned, it's the part of the process that feels the most creative for me. To me, first drafting is this exciting world of possibilities. All avenues are open, possibilities are endless. I don't tend to have my stories completely planned out before I start writing them. I'll have a few scenes, a few images, but even these may be subject to change. I'm imaginging the story as I'm writing it. I'm often only a few scenes ahead of myself in imagining the story as I am in writing it. Often I know where I'm going, but I have no idea how I'm getting there. It's scary, but it's also a rush. I LOVE getting those writerly epiphanies, those moments when I go "Aha!" and all of a sudden realize, "Oh, THAT'S how I can get the heroine to do ____."<br /><br />Carolyn, you likened revising to doing a puzzle. I've compared it to a Jenga game. I keep pulling blocks out and putting them in different places, and I'm just waiting for the entire tower to fall down. It can also feel like a bit of a free fall, where I don't know where I'm going or what I'm doing. How should I approach it? When am I done? It's also a slower, more grueling process for me: my current work-in-progress, from start to finish, took six months to write a first draft. I'm nearly four months into revisions now, and I'm not even a third of the way done. And after that, I'm going to have to read through and then start ALL OVER AGAIN. *Sigh* It feels like I'm biting off more than I can chew.<br /><br />I think your advice was good, about trying to change my mindset. I like the idea that the process of revising is about finding the perfect story. I should also probably trust myself more. I've been getting really positive feedback on my revisions from my writing group, and I need to just keep moving forward.<br /><br />Thanks, guys!Beth Woodwardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16844311387829355367noreply@blogger.com