dragonlady
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Registered: 04-2003
Location: England
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Editing or ploughing onwards?
This is something I have been thinking about recently and I was wondering what other people thought/did.
I've written 6 chapters of a story I've been working on for quite a while -this is actually the third rewrite. The first 2 versions got further through the story, but I've removed some superfluous characters and changed the chapter structure this time around.
I've hit a point where I know generally what has to happen next, but I keep changing which specific scenes I want to include, and how I want to do them.
I took a bit of a break before my wedding and I'm only just now getting back into writing. I have ideas for what to do next, but haven't really sat down and put the scenes together. I'm quite aware that my finished chapters aren't as good as they could be and I feel I should go back and edit them, especially now my chapters are more manageable size-wise.
The dilemma: Is it better to plough ahead and write the whole story (so it's set down), or do I need to make sure my beginning is strong before I get into the middle?
Part of me thinks that I shouldn't distract myself with what I've already written and I should focus on what I still need to write. However the temptation to go back and fiddle with things, especially in regard to later small changes, is quite strong.
What do you guys do when faced with this choice? Or do you find it isn't a choice for you?
---
"Why sometimes I've believed as many as 6 impossible things before breakfast" -- Red Queen, Lewis Carrol
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9/24/2009, 9:26 pm
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Reythia
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Registered: 11-2005
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Re: Editing or ploughing onwards?
The very first long story that I ever planned is about ten years old now. It's without a doubt the most complicated tale I've ever tried to tell. Which means that even though I've worked on it on-and-off for ten years, it's still only about 1/3 done (of a two-long-book story).
Part of the reason it's still only 1/3 done is that I had trouble deciding what to put in and what to leave out. Dragon wrote, "I know generally what has to happen next, but I keep changing which specific scenes I want to include, and how I want to do them." That's exactly how I felt about this story. I got through about 40 chapters (I told you it was a LONG tale), but then had to stop and take a break. There were too many things that changed slightly as the story grew, and others which became irrelevant. I took about a year off, then went back and re-edited the whole thing. That was after doing an earlier full edit, needed because it was my first long story and (frankly) it needed some help.
Anyhow, my point is that there ARE times when you just have to pause and go back to clean up the mess you created. Otherwise it'll bother you so much that you'll never want to move forward.
Other times (more often, in my experience), you'll have a sudden brainstorm that clears up one certain scene in your mind -- usually one that you were never quite happy with, but couldn't figure out why. In those cases, I find I'm always more satisfied to go back and fix just the one scene (and maybe the segues into and out of it). Then I can go back to the more recent stuff, feeling happier.
Of course, you can take it too far. Not so much in the one-scene case, but in the redo-the-whole-story situation. Remember, Dragon, your story will ALWAYS have details that you're not 100% happy with. If it didn't, it'd mean your writing ability and personality had stagnated. That's okay. It's also okay if there are known characterization and plot flaws during a rough draft. If that's what's bothering you and prompting a rewrite, my suggestion is to write them down. That way when you DO go back to edit, later, you'll remember them. Then keep writing, incorporating the anticipated changes as if you'd already made them. It might read a little strange to an editor, but really, if you're in the rough draft stage, anyone else reading it will understand.
Your choice, Dragon. It all depends on how much the mistakes are going to bother you, and how much time it'll take to correct them.
Good luck!
---  -- YAR! |
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9/25/2009, 5:18 pm
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tryingtowrite
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Registered: 03-2007
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Re: Editing or ploughing onwards?
I'm not sure which to say. I've tried both when I had a novel that wasn't working out, neither of which turned out well.  Don't forget the option of starting over completely, that's what I'm going to do.
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I'd procrastinate now, but it would be easier tomorrow.
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9/26/2009, 9:38 pm
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dragonlady
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Registered: 04-2003
Location: England
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Re: Editing or ploughing onwards?
Oh I know about starting over, Trying! This is my third time starting this story.
It's definitely better/more different this time, so I don't want to give up on it yet. I suspect I'm just having trouble getting back into writing and figuring out where to turn my attention.
---
"Why sometimes I've believed as many as 6 impossible things before breakfast" -- Red Queen, Lewis Carrol
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9/27/2009, 3:16 pm
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