Where I am in the writing process: Unpublished. Been writing since Nov. 2008. Wow, time flies. At this point I just want to actually finish something, anything! So I'm focusing all my energies on my novel GLITCH. Last Week's Word Count: 41,751. This Week's Word Count: 42, 281.
My current problem(s): Obviously I barely wrote this week. I came to a huge hurdle. If you didn't know, my current WIP--Glitch--is a rewrite of one I never finished last year. So, a few days ago I happened to open up that old Word Document and reread the original draft. And here's what I thought: Hey, this isn't half bad. Now I'm suck! Why did I ever start this drastic rewrite? It wasn't so bad before. Now I have two unfinished versions of the same story and I can't decide which I like better, which I should focus on. It makes working or either impossible and confusing!!!
My question this week: When it comes to writing how important is it to trust your first instincts?
6 comments:
I've battled with this problem as well. Sometimes we put too much thought into our project without realizing the first ideas weren't too bad. I don't know how drastic your changes were, but perhaps you should make a "pros and cons" list and place your favorites from each draft.
Well, I'm working on a short story at the moment, but after I finish it I want to go back to a story I got about 3/4 of the way through for NaNo '09...but I want to redo it. Completely. I think if you decide to rewrite something it was because you saw some flaw with the original...either too long, too jumbled, or something. Otherwise, why would you abandon something you put so much work into in the first place? Perhaps take a good look at the original again and then really look over what you've written the second time around and if you're still attached to the first one, try to combine the two. Surely, hopefully, you've written some good things for the second draft that shouldn't just be for not! I don't think first instincts always last, they most certainly never make it to the end of what I'm writing because I come up with new and better ideas to carry the story to its close. Good luck!
I think you should start to wrap up the first story. Maybe you can leave the drastic rewrite for a new story. That's what a writer said in the TV show I was watching called Writers' Confessions. He said that when he starts changing the story around so much that it seems to sound like another story, it's because he's done the first story and ready to move on onto a new one.
How important is it to trust your first instincts? Er, it depends. I'm currently 33,000 words into a dystopian YA--a few weeks ago I decided to re-write it in first person from third. Stupid? It's a daunting challenge, but ultimately a good one for the story, as I realized third was keeping the main character too distant from the main character.
A few years ago I began a YA in past tense, switched to present tense at 10,000 words, and then fragged it and re-wrote it (again) in first person.
Sometimes your first instincts are head on correct. Other times, I think you need to get into a story and struggle with it before realizing its flaws.
Good luck with your novel.
What happened to the group? LOL
basically just go with your heart re-read the same section of both and see how it feels. I am going through the same thing. I finished my first draft and now I am re-writing it again and some times it does feel like I am wasting my time, but just keep going with it and try to choose one, if you push through this phase, you will get there in the end
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