Door Closed, Door Open
For those of you who follow my blog, you know that I have recently spent a whirlwind five days finishing the first draft of my second book. You can find the hilarious recap here: http://seamslikeastory.com/diary-of-a-first-draft/ Now I’m thinking about what happens next. Every writer has their own process, but here are some thoughts from famous authors, and from personal experience with my first book: Out of the Crayon Box: Thoughts on Teaching, Retirement, and Life.
Anne Lamott (Bird by Bird) calls the first attempt the “shitty first draft” that all writers must get down. She says:
“The first draft is the child’s draft, where you let it all pour out and then let it romp all over the place, knowing that no one is going to see it and that you can shape it later.”
Door Closed
Stephen King (On Writing) says that you should write the first draft with the door closed. By this he means this first draft is for your eyes only. You write it without the help or influence of others. Once that initial rough draft is done, celebrate your accomplishment! It’s a big deal! Then King recommends putting is aside for a period of time (he says 6 weeks.) During this time, work on something else. Then take your manuscipt out (door still shut) and read it all the way through with fresh eyes. Do this in one sitting if possible and make notes. Look for mundane things like misspellings, inconsistancies, repeats. Then look for glaring holes. Is the story coherent? How can I make it sing? Rewrite the parts that need work.
Things are looking better! Now it’s time to open the door…
Door Open
Once you get it right, or as right as you can at this point, be brave! Open the door and let others read your manuscript. This could be a few trusted friends, your critique group, beta readers, or an editor. Listen to what this group has to say. This is the first time your words are traveling out of your head and into the mind of a reader and it’s a crucial step. Something that was perfectly clear to you, may not make sense to someone else. What is the reaction to your work? Are two or more people saying the same thing? Carefully consider the input from your readers, then, as a writing friend of mine once said, “See what rings true for you.” In the end, it is your work.
Back to the drafting table you go to make any changes you think are necessary.
You’re almost there!
Final Polish
Now you have things the way you want and your manuscript is glowing! Go back through for a final look (King calls this the polish) before publishing or submitting it. Yes, I know, this tweaking process could go on forever, but at some point, you must tell yourself that you’re done, that this is the best you can possibly do at this point in your writing career, the best you’ve ever done, and you are happy with it.
Publish/Submit
Finally, you are ready to send your beautiful work out into the world. Will you self-publish? Seek an agent or publisher? Query magazines? All excellent topics for future blog posts. But one thing is certain… there is nothing like seeing your work in print. You simply must send it out.
“When you make it real, it can gloriously travel to all sorts of places. Even a seemingly tiny story can deeply affect other people.” -SARK (Juicy Pens Thirsty Paper)
Now go out and make it happen!
I did it and so can you! Check it out! http://amazon.com/author/debravandeventer
Threads of Thought
As mentioned at the beginning of this post, each author has her/ his own process. What tips or advice would you give to others who are writing or thinking about writing? Add your comments below and join the conversation.
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