Revise now or revise later?

This is my constant
I can't write and edit. I just have to write then get someone else to edit - check continuity etc. That works best for me

 

If I had an idea that changed something early, I would definitely make the change straight away. Otherwise you might be going down dead ends with entire plot threads needing to be deleted or changed.

Major waste of time and effort.

 

Sure, I agree with all that.

I said if I had an idea that changed something early and what would ensue.

 

Pretty much exactly the way I work.

I quite often write scenes out of sequence, especially when there's a killer scene up ahead that I'm thinking about - I just have to write it now, or at least extensive notes / dialogue so I won't lose my vision.

And it can always be changed.

 

I always write and edit concurrently, period. Sometimes I’ll even write both forks in the road until I figure out which one is right, LOL. But when it comes to mid-major plot changes I’d go back and write it because writing it is the only way to know if it actually works.

But each must find their own way.

 

I quite regularly go all the way back the start, just to re-read and remind myself of what I've done, but I always polish in these forays - and sometimes I'll make the odd amendment based on what I know is coming.

I also will skip ahead sometimes, as I'm doing at the moment. I've reached a particular point in my story (which is so strong it's writing itself) but I'm not entirely sure of how to get from where I am to about two chapters away. I know some things that will happen but not everything. Going back to revise helps because it crystallises the story better, but jumping ahead helps also because I can forge ahead with the bit I'm desperately keen to write - which may throw up some ideas on how to get to there from where I am.

Like Skip, I'm also playing Frogger.

 

I think these two are the most important pieces of advice in the thread so far.

You should try a few different things until you find a method that works for you. You get everything from "write from start to finish and revise later" to "write random chapters and try to figure out how they fit together later" to "write a bit, next session revise that and continue writing from there", and everything in between. If you can make up a way of writing a book, there's probably someone successful out there using that method, no matter how silly it may sound.

But, the main focus, especially for a first novel, should be finishing the damn thing. This goes above everything else. The world is littered with beginnings and half written books. Finishing a book is an art in itself and it takes practice and perseverance. So always focus on that. If you find that you can't continue writing when you haven't edited the previous chapters then go back edit them and continue from there. If on the other hand, you find that you keep editing the same couple of chapters over and over then ignore the editing and just keep writing and fix it later.

I fall somewhere in between (currently that is, I believe it will change with each book I write). I keep note of things that need changing. For instance, I need to mention the girlfriend of my protagonist a couple of times in the first few chapters before she becomes important to the plot in chapter 12. That's a note and something that needs fixing in the second draft.

On the other hand, while writing said chapter 12, I had an epiphany that I needed an extra chapter between 9 and 10 where some exciting stuff happens which will show instead of tell some worldbuilding stuff. It will change the chapter that comes after a lot, and the two chapters after that a little. I've added in that chapter (9b I guess), since it's such a big change (and it was a fun chapter to write). I also made a note that the chapters around it need to change.

As a side note, while it's hard to judge a story on your brief description, I would consider simply dropping the first 9 scenes and simply start in scene 10 where the exiting stuff happens. That might make for a stronger story instead of trying to add some exiting stuff to exposition scenes, especially at the start of a novel. Even more so if the first 9 scenes aren't critical to the story.

 

Ahh, but the trouble comes in when for some folks, finishing a book will be impossible until they like their writing...

Me!

It isn't that I set out to get my writing polished before writing a book, that's just how it happened, and looking back it was the best if not the only way.

 

There have been some great replies here so far, but I'll add my own experience, in case it's at all helpful.

I have had many attempts at starting a novel. It always follows a similar pattern: I get so far into it (never more than 10,000 words), then decide I don't like what I've written and go back and try to rework it. It might be a big plot change, or a small change of the type you mention. For me, this is the death of the project. I only ever seem to make things worse, and I never end up continuing the story. It's like going into any part of the editing process too early just causes the whole project to fold and die. I am now 30,000+ words into my current novel, furthest I've ever got and am having to be really strong in resisting that pull to go back and edit. But it's working! If I allow what I've already done to just lie, knowing that once I've finished a full draft I can come back to it and even totally rewrite if necessary, I can give myself permission to carry on writing, stay in the flow. I keep reminding myself that a first draft doesn't have to be good.

Another thing that I do, is that I write everything by hand (mainly because I find it much easier to be creative when I do it that way - the computer screen seems to be a creativity killer for me). This has a couple of consequences. One is that it's actually really hard to go back and edit something that's handwritten in pen in notebooks. Another is that when I'm having a inspiration-free day and writing just isn't flowing, I type up a couple of chapters onto my computer. This process allows a small amount of editing, reminds me of what has come before in the story, and can renew my enthusiasm for continuing writing.

But for sure, there are as many different ways to write a book as there are writers, so it's important to find what works for you. I needed to get rid of a whole lot of ideas I had about how it 'should' be done before I was able to just trust in my own way of doing it.

 

I am a "revise as you go" writer and I always have been, but there's a time and a place. generally I go back and review the story every 50 pages and If I notice something like, "there's not enough tension" or that the story has veered off the path, then I fix it before I continue.

However. I've finished and revised and edited several complete stories, and I think that experience is a major part of why i'm comfortable going back and fixing it. it doesn't feel like failure or starting all over again. It's more like, "this insight is going to make the story better, so let's do it."

I'm also not an adherent of terrible first drafts. they're an excellent tool for the beginner, in my opinion, but as I have written more books I have learned a thousand things that make my first drafts solid and shiny, and I use them. I edit as I go. If I see a problem I fix it right away. I read yesterday's writing and polish it up before moving on to the next scene. And this makes sense to me. if the scene I'm currently writing lacks tension, why on earth would I ignore that instead of figuring out how to fix it right away?

 

But how would you know? Many writers admit that they are a terrible judge of their writing, especially if they're in the middle part. Carrie by Stephen King was fished out of the trash by his wife and he only finished it at her urging. Neil Gaiman reportedly questions his story every time he's in the middle parts. If these writers have trouble telling a great story from a dud then how will a fledgling writer? I'm not saying that, upon finishing a first draft you should put in the effort of the second and further drafts if the story is terrible. Put it aside for a while and judge it with fresh eyes. If you like it then edit it. If you still think it's terrible then just start something new.

Also, while writing and writing well is a skill you need to develop, so is actually finishing a story. You only learn about writing plot twists, about developing a character and writing a novel by actually writing those parts. A beginning is relatively easy. You just need a nice premise and some interesting conflict and you can write a couple of scenes. But learning how to turn those few scenes into a full blown novel and bring it to some conclusion is a skill you need to practice.

 

That is true.

You do have to actually finish a novel to learn how to write a novel. Good first drafts by first time novelists would be about one in ten million.

All of my comments above are based on where I am now after having finished numerous novels. I have a much better instinct for what works now.