Last night as I was doing some revisions I came to a scene that was...well it was horrible. It should have appeared much earlier in the book. The characters and reactions were all wrong because I wrote it so long ago I didn't fully know the story and people. So I started again from scratch. It's been a long time since I've drafted anything and it felt soooo good. I'd forgotten how much I like the initial first draft stage, the freedom of putting down any little thing I think of, the electricity of the characters speaking to me and watching the scene unfurl. It was nice.
Don't get me wrong, I like revising too. They both have advantages and shortfalls. But there is a freedom about first drafts that I've missed. I'm also faster at drafting than revising. I thought about going into a description of the pros and cons of drafting and revising but it seemed like a lot of reading for a Friday. Besides I need to meet my revision goals. So, the writing world, or at least this part of it, wants to know: do you have a preference between the two? Are you faster at one? What do you like/dislike about each of them?
Hope everyone has a happy weekend!
Isn't it just lovely when you get to rewrite a scene and it comes out _singing_? Congratulations. What a great feeling.
ReplyDeleteI'm slow at both drafting and revising. [g]
I can get bummed in either drafting or revision, but I think revision is more rewarding--seeing the whole thing get smoother, clearer, cleaner.
ReplyDeleteJill: Thanks, I think the scene turned out well but I'll probably hate it tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteI'm not really fast at either, just faster at one than the other. :)
Zan: That's the part I like about revision. It's just getting to the tighter cleaner version that's hard.
ReplyDeleteHa ha ha ha!! I know exactly how you feel! Every time I sit down to edit I wish I was in that heady rush of drafting stage. Hope it gets smoother as you go along :-)
ReplyDeleteThere are some things I do really like about revising. I guess I need to keep a second project in the drafting stage so I can have that rush to get me through the more sober revising.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could do that! I've got so many shiny new ideas. But I doubt I'd ever finish anything if I kept switching back and forth.
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