I'm - finally - writing a first draft; instinct is telling me to just plugh on and get the first draft finished before reading any of it. Currently, I exercising the will power to only read parts of the first draft when I'm check a particular piece of information, for consistancy.

I was wondering: what's everyone else's opinion on reading your first draft?

DrQ, your instinct is the same as mine, and quite a lot of writers, I think: I re-read as little as possible - even to the extent of not checking things unless I absolutely can't get any further without, just making a note and ploughing on. To that end, I usually write first drafts longhand, which is a big discouragement to going back and fiddling.

Emma

I constantly fiddle with the inital drafts - they are often written in a rush and I prefer to add the extra stuff while it's all still fresh in my mind. But if it doesn't inspire me to go on and write new chapters it's a sign the story has no legs and it's time to move on to something else.

- NaomiM

I try and get as much as possible down before re-reading. But I do 'small-scale' re-reads, just to check that sentences flow OK, etc.
I write first in long-hand, then at the end of the day type onto the computer. In the typing process, I edit a lot, not on purpose, just naturally - I notice something that works better differently, and change it. After the first draft I try and give it a lot of time in a drawer - months if possible. Then I come back to it and see what sticks.

I re-read all the time as i go along, in varying amounts, and edit all the time. Not because I've ever consciously decided to do that, that's just what I tend to do. I suspect it's a hideously time-consuming way of going about things.

It's varied from novel to novel, but for me it seems to be settling down to writing a chapter longhand, very much un-re-read, then typing it up, revising and doing the basic sorting out as I go, but also making notes for anything that needs checking further afield.

I do think one of the advantages of writing fast is that you get a better sense of the pace and structure, and structure, particularly, is the devil to change if you get it wrong first time. I know that if a scene's taken ages to write, for whatever reason, I often have a completely false sense of how much space it takes up in the narrative.

Emma

I just get it all onto the page as fast as possible and only re-read the page I did the day before, just to refresh my memory, but tend not to read it properly until I've finished the first draft - it gives you a good sense of distance this way and you can come to it almost as if you are a different reader with a fresh eye.

If I feel a little stuck or blocked, I'll re-read but generally I just keep going til I hit the end and then re-read in its entirety.

I have always worked chapter by chapter. I find the natural break a good point to go back and read what I've done before moving on. I am without a reader at the moment so I'm working a bit blind. In the past I've always sent each chapter as its done, corrected any errors and then put it to one side. Once the story is complete I put it away, not for any set time, before reading it again and doing a major re-write.
If I have a sex scene I always re-read it the next day. There is nothing as unerotic as a love scene you've just written!
Take care
Tracy

Each story starts with what becomes several different versions. From the first draft it slowly evolves and hopefully improves. The prime mover I think must be to get the out line down in longhand first, get the ideas from your head onto paper. After all it can only be improved upon later.
I wish you all the best with your endeavours.

DrQ, I rarely re-read. Only if I have to, e.g. to make later bits match earlier bits, or if I am going back to change something specific in the story. With my second one, there were major swathes (80% of the text, at least, I'd say) that I never looked at at all between writing it and then reading it at the copy editing stage. But that's because when I tinker I invariably find I make it worse - less fresh and more stilted. Others work differently, and like to re-read, re-work and hone, over and over.

There are no rules about it, I reckon.

Rosy

I re-read a few pages each time I enter a story, be it a novel or short story, and I nearly always makes changes. I must have done six or seven rewrites to Without Reproach before I was finally satisfied. The novel is about to be published yet when I read through it again, I still want to change things.... Ah well!

Is this a sign of insecurity or that I'm striving for perfection? I don't know. Maybe I'm just so crap to start with.

No, I think it's natural. When I'm doing readings I still occasionally come across things I want to change, and mine was published over a year ago!

Quite often there was a reason I didn't write it like that, though - a reason of repetition or whatever, which I've forgotten about since.

Emma

I write a chapter, then I reread and rewrite until it gets smoother, then I move on. But by the time I get to chapter 3 or 4 I realise that lots of the polished stuff in 1 and 2 is now redundant and needs changing, so I've wasted my time. I should learn really, but I'm a twiddler through and through.

Colin M

I'm on my second major rewrite and hardly re-read the first chapters because i'm already thinking i need to do another rewrite after this one.

I do like to read the first draft though, as i go along, it keeps me going, i like to see what i've actually already written. Reading rewritten material is entirely different i find.