 First Draft Is Done
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Jun. 22nd, 2009 @ 07:11 pm 
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I’ve been waiting a long time to say that.
For too many years, I was “writing” a novel, when I really meant I was daydreaming about having finished a novel. At long last, I’ve joined the 1%, the percentage of people who start writing a book and actually finish it.
It feels good.
For those of you new to my blog (or Facebook feeds), the first idea for Echoes of Truth came when I was a sophomore in high school while doodling a fantasy comic book. Only a few elements have survived since then, mostly just character concepts, but the roots of my manuscript definitely go back to sketches made during class. Just last fall when I needed a new character, I remembered a sketch I made twenty years ago and she finally made the journey from my drawing archive to the written page.
My time traveling around Europe before college is very evident in my manuscript, as elements of lonely moors, castle ruins, masks of Carnevale, and ancient Roman streets I saw have all helped inspire my fantasy world. (Thanks again to the Lowe family for opening your home to “the hippy.” This book wouldn’t exist without your generosity.)
In college, I dabbled a bit and learned that I did have an aptitude for writing. My drawing fell away during his time and I started focusing on writing fiction, mostly short stories and vignettes. My junior year in Finland marked the first time I tried to write a novel, the first time I wrote “Chapter One” on the top of a Word document. The response from Finnish and fellow exchange students was very encouraging. Whether those early chapters deserved such positive reception, I sincerely doubt, but their words and interest in the next installment kept me writing.
After I got married, we lived in Ecuador for a while where I taught English at the university. Since my classes were in the afternoon and evening, I spent most of my mornings writing. This marked a shift in the story’s focus from Alric (or Sablewolf as he was called in the comic) to his uncle, making Connor the main character. From then until 2003, I amassed about 300 pages of manuscript. However a lack of direction and a chronic inability to devote time to writing, I let the story meander beyond what could be told in a single book.
So, in early 2004 I threw out all 300 pages and started over. By taking a hard look at what the story way really about, I discarded whole subplots and fired a bunch of characters. Some characters changed generations and others were merged to become new people. I’ve made some midstream changes since then, but by and large the outline I created back then is reflected in my first draft.
But like the saying goes: It’s called a first draft because it’s full of holes.
So, now begins the revision process. I have a twenty page document of rewrite notes and countless pages of comments from my critique group to incorporate. And I have about fifty thousand words to cut, since 197,000 words is way too long for a first time novelist. 150,000 is long too, but first epic fantasy novels that long can get published. Just not as often.
I’ve added a new word count graph on my blog side bar and website so you can see how my rewrites are progressing. Feel free to kick my rear if it doesn’t move fast enough.
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Congratulations from one of the other 99%!
Welcome to the 1% brosef....your kit and card are in the mail. I loved reading this! I may do the same on my blog. I am rubbing my hands together greedily waiting to tear into this beast!!!!
Hey, BTW, friend me on Facebook. My name is the same as my email!
And (drum roll) Congratulations!
Have a bowl of ice cream or a date with your wife or something to celebrate.
Feels good doesn't it. Almost nothing better (related to writing) than typing "The End". Now comes the really hard part in my opinion. Editing is a grind. But keep at it. Buckle down. Get that puppy edited. And, if I can make one suggestion, don't do it now. Put the book away. Don't read it for a few months. Start a new, different story, then come back to it. Nothing got me looking at my story with fresh eyes better than working on a new book.
And some day you are going to have to tell me how you were able to pull off "time traveling around Europe" [sic] Neat trick that :-)
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| From: | ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) saetter |
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| Date: |
June 23rd, 2009 05:29 pm (UTC) |
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Re: Feels Good...q
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You see, I was on this plane flying from Sydney to Los Angeles and it crashed on a not-so-deserted island...
A lot of crazy stuff happened involving polar bears, smoke monsters, and not so random numbers and I found myself back in 1977. Basically, you have me to thank for Raiders of the Lost Ark (I let Hurley take on Empire Strikes Back). Originally, Indy was swinging through the tree with monkeys and stuff. I cut all of that out. Unfortunately, Lucas remembered those scenes like a bad dream and put them back in for last year's revival. Right now, I'm trying to go back to the island so I can fix IJ and the Crystal Skull.
Congratulations! That's awesome. Now comes the really fun part: editing. Bleh. Good luck with that, as well as with getting back to the island. If only it were January...
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| From: | zoeiona |
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June 23rd, 2009 11:19 pm (UTC) |
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Many congratulations. :) I hope the second draft goes well!
Congratulations!! What a great feeling, eh? Hope you find the time to celebrate joining a *very* select club :) and good luck with the edits. Am polishing up the steel toe-capped boots for kicking duty :D
I know I'm late to this, but congratulations! It sounds like it's really been a long haul for this novel, but you made it! Good luck with the edit, and with your next novel. :) Both will be difficult, but such is the life of writers.
Take care,
Dawn
aka katsincommand
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