Draft complete

[Incanus]

Yay!

Got to the end of my WIP. Sure seems like it took far more work than it should have. This project started in 2011, though I put it aside to improve my skills enough to work on it.

Next up, tinkering with a short story for a contest, then prep work for the next draft of the novel. Then, it is basically starting from the top and writing the whole thing over again, this time the right way.

I have mixed feelings. It's a milestone for sure. But the next draft is the one that really matters. I've told the story to myself, now I have to tell it so that readers will receive it properly. That's the idea, anyway. I expect this next phase to take about a year-and-a-half or so.

 

[pmmg]

Congrats for that.

 

[skip.knox]

I big milestone for sure, Incanus. All congratulations due, and a few more besides!

 

[Incanus]

Thanks folks.

This was the goal for a long while, and I've reached it. So that's good.

There's a reason why I feel it isn't quite as good an accomplishment as it might otherwise be. As a draft it is wholly unreadable. On my first novel, I wrote the first draft as fully and completely as I could. Not so, this draft. I've been referring to it as a 'half draft' because I've sort of employed the snowflake method. It was deliberately thin and incomplete so as not to overwhelm myself. The second half of the draft is where I actually include many of the more important elements, such as character arcs and character thoughts and reactions.

Still, the fact I've made it this far suggests the method is working for me. I have enough writing experience under my belt now that I have confidence I can write decent prose for it all next time around.

 

[A. E. Lowan]

Huzzah!

I want to put a good Kermit Flailing gif in here, but yeah. Here's Kermit in spirit. <3

 

[Incanus]

All right!--gotta love Kermit.

My immediate reward--I'm splurging on nice sushi this weekend!

I'd say I've earned it.

 

[Avery Moore]

Massive congrats on finishing your first draft, and best of luck in the short story contest!

 

[A. E. Lowan]

All right!--gotta love Kermit.

My immediate reward--I'm splurging on nice sushi this weekend!

I'd say I've earned it.

Oh hell yeah. I'm an hour and a half from the nearest nice sushi, so have some nigiri for me.

 

[Mad Swede]

Well done. That feeling of finally having finished is quite something.

Now the hard bit begins, or so I understand. (I say understand because I'm a one pass writer and I don't do outlines, redrafts or anything like it.) My editor says that for most writers the hard bit about producing the second draft is killing their darlings, those scenes, events and characters that mean a lot to the author but which don't add to the story.

 

[Stace]

Wow, fantastic! I hope you bought yourself an ice cream cone or something.

 

[Fidel]

Yay!

Got to the end of my WIP. Sure seems like it took far more work than it should have. This project started in 2011, though I put it aside to improve my skills enough to work on it.

Next up, tinkering with a short story for a contest, then prep work for the next draft of the novel. Then, it is basically starting from the top and writing the whole thing over again, this time the right way.

I have mixed feelings. It's a milestone for sure. But the next draft is the one that really matters. I've told the story to myself, now I have to tell it so that readers will receive it properly. That's the idea, anyway. I expect this next phase to take about a year-and-a-half or so.

Congrats on hitting that milestone! Finishing a WIP is huge, even if it feels like a mountain of work. Now comes the fun (and daunting) part shaping it for readers. A year-and-a-half sounds like a solid plan. Keep grinding, and remember: you’re turning your story into something others will love.

 

[Dylan]

finally got here, a very big congrats to you man, you did good.