It's funny how different we are. I'm the opposite, my drafts are always 25% - 35% longer than they need to be, and some of the overwriting - oh my! I'm a 'splat' writer. If I'm not careful, I'll spend 3,000 words telling you what the MC had for breakfast.

JB

Well I failed at my attempt to not tinker. I did try, but ended up fiddling with chapter one when I should be writing chapter eight. It's so annoying
Shelly

I keep my chapters in separate files - not originally for that reason, but it does make you aware that you are succumbing to the temptation to piddle around, rather than forging ahead, because you have to open the file.

Emma

Tut, tut, shelly, not chapter one, now that really is tinkering not writing.
Somtimes I start new chapters in a separate Word.doc, and then, after a few days fiddling and 'I'm reasonably happy wit it, it gets moved into the main file which must mot be tinkered with as that risks removing the 'voice' and freshness of the piece.


- NaomiM

<Added>

crossed with Emma.

I know, and I was actually happy with chapter one as well, but still had to have a fiddle with it. Maybe I should put them into separate files, although I'm sure I'll still get that urge to scratch.
Shelly

Waxy, I'm like you - plenty of fat on the bones in the first draft! In fact, my first drafts are obese. They eat doughnut after doughnut and then have to go on an extreme weight loss programme. I'm not sure it's the healthiest way!!!
Actually, first time round I edited chapter by chapter, but that had its drawbacks too, because the final novel had some sections that had to go (not relevant to the final whole story and slowed the pace) but it was painful, as I'd worked so hard on getting them perfectly formed.
This time I have a strong, detailed structure to pin my first draft onto, so that I don't meander off course too much towards the cake shop.
We shall see....
Dagnabbit, I'm hungry now.
JC

Jane, your post made me smile. I actually combined a weight loss program with my editing of the novel this time around. No joke. I'm 25,000 words and 1 and a half stone lighter!

Emma, I'm also a seperate-file-for-each-chapter kinda guy. I only merge them after the edit, and then check the transitions.

JB

I write and tinker, but mostly keep going.

When I think of something that needs to go into a previous chapter I open up that chapter's file, find the place that will need reworking and write a note to myself – in red – about what should happen there. That way I don't forget when I get to rewriting.

This is my first post ... I'm finding this a very interesting webiste.

urbanrustic

Hi, urbanrustic, and welcome to WriteWords
If you need any help navigating the site, feel free to ask.


- NaomiM

I go for a slim - in my case, very slim - first draft. I often achieve at most ten pages per chapter, getting the bare bones down until the whole story is in place. Then I do a massive fleshing out of each chapter. I will have made charcter, plot notes and suchlike over the weeks of doing that first draft.

Thank you, Flying Tart - that is one great article. And it's exactly where I am at the moment. I've stalled and picked and snipped at my first couple of chapters for months and months, basically going round in a big vicious circle, until NaNo this month and the support of a writing friend which has propelled me forward - and finally, I'm learning just this: that the first draft is me finding out what the story is. This feels like such a wonderful gift after the months of trying to be 'in control' and 'get it right'. Yes, it's scary too. But it's much more exciting - and real.
Susiex

This is so interesting. Am I wrong in thinking that the majority of published writers who've responded are 'keep going' types and those of us not yet published are tinkerers?

Intrigued by the separate file per chapter. Not only does it dissuade you from tinkering but it seems to be there'd be more impetus for the chapter to have its own shape and tone if it's separated out like this. Think I might give that a go.

Great thread.

Am I wrong in thinking that the majority of published writers who've responded are 'keep going' types

Maybe the majority, but not in all cases, Cherys. I try to get mine right first time through - at least the writing. If I go back over the ms and edit, I invariably makes things worse. All my novels have been published in 'first draft' form - subject to whatever edits the agent or editor has made. Which have always been to add or take away chunks, or replace chunks with other chunks - never to the writing. It's getting the structure right first time that is harder - and where I'm very glad I have an agent to help me...

R x

But you also write daily don't you Rosie, whatever the odds. And you are prolific, so you must be pretty good at pushing the stories on and out rather than pootling for seven years on the first 30k...

Not only does it dissuade you from tinkering but it seems to be there'd be more impetus for the chapter to have its own shape and tone if it's separated out like this. Think I might give that a go.

Well, my chapters are huge - 15,000 words is not uncommon - but because I write by time and wordcount, I actually think in terms of a morning's work, which is around 2,000 words: a subset, a single event, or unit of action, within the bigger shape of the chapter.

At some level, every morning, I know roughly where I'm aiming for by lunchtime: the end of that unit of action. Often it doesn't actually work out like that - I get to the end of the event before I expected, or it turns out longer than ditto, or some whole other event suddenly happens. But I do know that in the back of my head is always where I'm going.

Emma