Haha! Loved this whole thing (including your mixed metaphors and first-draft typos--keeping it real!). This is one of the primary reasons I try to knock out my first drafts PDQ. After you get a couple of published books behind you, you start to understand where the real bulk of the work is. Yes, writing the first draft is hard work. But it can become the shortest part of the process, as it has for me. Revisions, in my opinion, take the longest, particularly if you use an editor. There is a lot of back and forth and rewriting (and deleting *sigh*). (Caveat: Beta Readers can also take a lot of time, but the writer is usually working on the next project until the readers respond.) Anyway, the truth is that writing is a marathon (even though we use sprints to get our drafts done!). YMMV, but in my experience the process is never-ending until you decide you won't write another thing ever again (and actually follow through with that decision *grin*).
I have to keep reminding myself that I need to be ok with changing goalposts. With my current project, the goalposts keep getting pushed back because life keeps happening. And that's OK!
This is so helpful! I come from a writing & speaking background professionally and just completed my first novel, so my editing process is to make an audio of each chapter and then listen to it as if I am completely new to it. I can hear what needs to change with the pacing and whether there are any repetitive words etc. I literally did this for every chapter six times and even now, as I am sending out queries, I am still finding things to change! Believe it or not, for me it is great to know that if I make it through the goal post of finding an agent, there is just more editing in my future...I can just settle down in my editing traces and accept this as (a huge) part of the process, and stop imagining they will magically disappear! Thank you!
Haha! Loved this whole thing (including your mixed metaphors and first-draft typos--keeping it real!). This is one of the primary reasons I try to knock out my first drafts PDQ. After you get a couple of published books behind you, you start to understand where the real bulk of the work is. Yes, writing the first draft is hard work. But it can become the shortest part of the process, as it has for me. Revisions, in my opinion, take the longest, particularly if you use an editor. There is a lot of back and forth and rewriting (and deleting *sigh*). (Caveat: Beta Readers can also take a lot of time, but the writer is usually working on the next project until the readers respond.) Anyway, the truth is that writing is a marathon (even though we use sprints to get our drafts done!). YMMV, but in my experience the process is never-ending until you decide you won't write another thing ever again (and actually follow through with that decision *grin*).
your reminders/wisdom always seem to arrive exactly as needed. Thank you, Kate!
I have to keep reminding myself that I need to be ok with changing goalposts. With my current project, the goalposts keep getting pushed back because life keeps happening. And that's OK!
This is so helpful! I come from a writing & speaking background professionally and just completed my first novel, so my editing process is to make an audio of each chapter and then listen to it as if I am completely new to it. I can hear what needs to change with the pacing and whether there are any repetitive words etc. I literally did this for every chapter six times and even now, as I am sending out queries, I am still finding things to change! Believe it or not, for me it is great to know that if I make it through the goal post of finding an agent, there is just more editing in my future...I can just settle down in my editing traces and accept this as (a huge) part of the process, and stop imagining they will magically disappear! Thank you!
This is life advice right here! Thank you.
This is true in so many things. Didn't realize all the steps of publishing!
Wow! Loving your gif-thumbnail! Is this just done by inserting a gif or video at top? So eye catching!