(no subject)

[shapinglight]

I finished the first draft of my plot_wout_porn story today. Of course, it's total s**te, but at least now I can start really writing it - because I think hello_spikey, who is very wise, was quite correct when she said the real writing doesn't begin until that horrendous, crappy, blood-out-of-a-stone first draft is completed.



I already know I'm going to have change loads of things, plus write quite a few more scenes, because I missed stuff out etc etc. And then I'll have to edit again, and then maybe again before it goes for beta. And if I know my beta, when it comes back, I'll have loads more editing to do before it's ready to post.

But still - the relief is enormous.

:capers:

Comments

[sueworld2003.livejournal.com]

Huzzah! At least thats more on the move now. *g*

[shapinglight]

Yes, I'm glad it's done, though I printed it up and read it this evening, and was very unimpressed with it. :(

[2maggie2.livejournal.com]

One of my favorite adages: Writing is thinking; re-writing is writing.

Congratulations, though! (And good news for those of us who like reading your stories).

[menomegirl.livejournal.com]

Writing is thinking; re-writing is writing.

Oh wow. I like that phrase. It describes what I've been doing with my x-over perfectly.

[shapinglight]

Writing is thinking; re-writing is writing.

That's a wonderful saying. I shall bear that in mind, especially after reading the first draft through and cringeing, which is what I did this evening.

[quinara]

w00t! Go you! I struggle on...

[shapinglight]

It'll be fine, I'm sure. I printed and read my first draft this evening. And then I seriously considered giving up writing forever.

[quinara]

Which of course means that it will be fab. *nods*

[shapinglight]

Aargh! If only!

[menomegirl.livejournal.com]

I know exactly what you mean. I have been working on an Angel/Leverage fic and have had to re-write several things (lots of little things too) and hell, it ain't looking even half-done to me.

Writing Eliot is not the same as writing Lindsey. *growls in frustration*

[shapinglight]

I can't even imagine writing in a fandom that isn't BtVS - but I can imagine that when you're writing a completely different character played by the same actor it can be very confusing indeed.

[menomegirl.livejournal.com]

It is confusing but only because I think that Eliot Spencer is someone Lindsey would have wished he had been. The two characters are remarkably similar yet poles apart.

[shapinglight]

Yes, I can see that would make it even more complicated.

[hello-spikey.livejournal.com]

Yay draft completion! What a great feeling.

And I'm wise! *preen*

Think I might actually go and start my plot-without-porn story now... *blush*
:D

[shapinglight]

You are very wise - and you have plenty of time to write your story. I'm just paranoid.

[dragonflymuse.livejournal.com]

Good for you! Getting the first draft onto the page is hard to do, especially if you're anything like me - I change stuff and self-edit as I go along, which means it takes forever for me to write anything!

[shapinglight]

I do the editing thing as I go along too, though I do try to resist doing it, because it never leads anywhere good (not for me anyway), best to leave it till the end.

[whichclothes.livejournal.com]

Yay! Getting those first words down is the hardest part of writing, I think. I don't do a ton of editing later (other than fixing most of my bazillion typos), but editing is so much easier than the first draft! I have to let my writing sit for a while--several days at least--before I can look at it again with any objectivity.

Can't wait to read your fic!

[shapinglight]

I hope you won't be disappointed. I re-read the first draft this evening and was aghast at how much work there still is to be done to make this thing remotely readable. :(

[whichclothes.livejournal.com]

Well, the good news is you have nearly a month before it's due. :-) I'm sure I won't be diappointed.

[shapinglight]

Yes, on the face of it, there seems like plenty of time, though in fact, for me it boils down to about 2 full days and some snatched hours here and there.

[elisi]

the real writing doesn't begin until that horrendous, crappy, blood-out-of-a-stone first draft is completed.
Indeed. And I (if I have *time*) quite enjoy the editing and re-editing. I just need something to edit...

[shapinglight]

Yes, the editing is usually considerably more enjoyable. I just wish that in this instance, there wasn't going to be quite so much of it like pretty much everything.

[candleanfeather.livejournal.com]

Writing is never really finished: every time you reread a text you find things to change. That's half of the fun but it sometime can become a nightmare. And good for you to have the first draft done. \o/

[shapinglight]

Thank you, and you're quite right, of course. Even when you think something is done, you can come back to it a few months later and see loads more things that aren't right.