I finished my first draft yesterday. How long should an author wait to start editing/revising a first draft? I've heard anything from a week to even a year. Is it better to wait longer or start editing right away?
How long to wait?
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I wouldn't wait a year. That's a bit long for my taste.
A few weeks to a couple months is usually about right.
Waiting gives you a little distance from the project, so you aren't as prone to the OMG-but-I-love-that-scene-I-can't-cut-it mindset. It also gives you a chance to recharge some of your writing energy.
It doesn't mean don't write anything while you spend that month or so waiting to edit. Just work on something else. (I like short stories. They don't take nearly as much out of me and I can usually get one from rough draft to polished in about two weeks. Great sense of accomplishment. Then I go back to the novel which takes a hell of a lot longer to polish.)
A few weeks to a couple months is usually about right.
Waiting gives you a little distance from the project, so you aren't as prone to the OMG-but-I-love-that-scene-I-can't-cut-it mindset. It also gives you a chance to recharge some of your writing energy.
It doesn't mean don't write anything while you spend that month or so waiting to edit. Just work on something else. (I like short stories. They don't take nearly as much out of me and I can usually get one from rough draft to polished in about two weeks. Great sense of accomplishment. Then I go back to the novel which takes a hell of a lot longer to polish.)
I wrote another book and when I was finished that, edited project #1. So...88 days for me. (Really. I document these things).
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A few weeks to a months. If you have ideas about changes, just write them down in the notebook but don't actively work on it. In the meanwhile read books in a similar genre to remind yourself of the level of craftsmanship and polish you'll need.
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I would say: two to four weeks (That's the optimal time in my case.). Under that time, take a short R&R. You deserve it. Or if you don't want R&R, simply start a new project. Whatever will be your decision congratulations to finishing your first draft.
I say a couple of weeks. Start outlining or jotting down ideas for your next project so that your focus shifts and you're excited about something else. Or just read some new releases and let your brain recharge.
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That's what I do--finish a project, write my next book, then go back to the first project and revise.
I waited about a week before I started editing mine, and I found a LOT I wanted to change and fix up. A week may be the right amount of time for you. Maybe a month will be better. It all depends on how objective you can be about your own writing.
Ummm.... I never wait.
You should wait, though. I should, too
Probably a week max is perfect if you can stand to be away from it that long. It'll give you good critical distance.
You should wait, though. I should, too
Probably a week max is perfect if you can stand to be away from it that long. It'll give you good critical distance.
I'm with Madison, I always mean to take a couple weeks off to edit. That never happens because I get an itch to start hacking away. I also sometimes edit as I go, like if I realize a plot point earlier in the novel isn't going to work out or should go some place else.
I haqve already done a lot of the editing by the time I finish. I can't keep writing if I've a feeling something is not just right somewhere in the past. So I stop writing and read what I've written so far. I always find a problem and fix it. So I'm quite up to speed when I finish. But even then I can't leave the thing alone. I seldom wait more than two weeks before I have to go back and interfere again.
I'd say the idea of a formulaic time period is a load of crap. Everyone is going to have their own way of deciding when is the right time. I think the right time is when you are confident that you can look at your manuscript with a fresh pair of eyes.
I finished my novel before going on vacation. I had intended to wait those two weeks and a pair of weeks after that before returning to my book. In reality, after three weeks I was going stir crazy, I needed to get back to work.
I finished my novel before going on vacation. I had intended to wait those two weeks and a pair of weeks after that before returning to my book. In reality, after three weeks I was going stir crazy, I needed to get back to work.
I use four weeks or so. When you do go back to your first draft don't be surprised if you dislike it and make dramatic changes. Hey, it's a first draft!
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