This is the absolute best description of drafting I've ever read. Maybe because my own process so closely mirrors yours. For such a long time I beat myself up over not working faster on the progress piece, but as I've been working on my latest WIP I've realized it's because my own process is iterative, in almost exactly the same way you describe it. Anyway, lovely to know I'm not alone =)
Thanks! It helps to know you have company out there with how your process works. I e put a lot of pressure on myself for not drafting faster. It’s definitely a balance between forward momentum and grounding, so to speak.
You seem happy with your process, and the most important lesson is to go with what works for you. I did a lot of spiralling when first-drafting my first novel, and it applied too much braking power to my forward momentum. On subsequent novels I've tried to make notes about challenges as they come up- areas I'll want to go deeper, questions I have about a character, etc. These serve as some of my guideposts in revision. With each revision pass I continue to do this. So I'm spiralling, still, but across a whole draft (for better or worse). No doubt there's a more efficient way for each of us, but (shrugs) if we were aiming for efficiency, we would have chosen accounting, or computer programming.
I admire your efforts to make sense of the total chaos that is writing a novel. Fuck, yes, it's multi-dimensional. Moving in so many directions at the same time. And progress sometimes means going backward. Also, what does the finish point even look like? Happy writing!
This is the absolute best description of drafting I've ever read. Maybe because my own process so closely mirrors yours. For such a long time I beat myself up over not working faster on the progress piece, but as I've been working on my latest WIP I've realized it's because my own process is iterative, in almost exactly the same way you describe it. Anyway, lovely to know I'm not alone =)
Thanks! It helps to know you have company out there with how your process works. I e put a lot of pressure on myself for not drafting faster. It’s definitely a balance between forward momentum and grounding, so to speak.
You seem happy with your process, and the most important lesson is to go with what works for you. I did a lot of spiralling when first-drafting my first novel, and it applied too much braking power to my forward momentum. On subsequent novels I've tried to make notes about challenges as they come up- areas I'll want to go deeper, questions I have about a character, etc. These serve as some of my guideposts in revision. With each revision pass I continue to do this. So I'm spiralling, still, but across a whole draft (for better or worse). No doubt there's a more efficient way for each of us, but (shrugs) if we were aiming for efficiency, we would have chosen accounting, or computer programming.
So true!
It’s always a balance for me. Too much forward movement and I sort of lose my bearings. But too much grounding and I lose my momentum.
I admire your efforts to make sense of the total chaos that is writing a novel. Fuck, yes, it's multi-dimensional. Moving in so many directions at the same time. And progress sometimes means going backward. Also, what does the finish point even look like? Happy writing!
Love this! Yes!!!! Back-forth-push-pull, but ultimately, without forward motion... there is no "The End." :)