Is this normal?

This might just be your way of writing your first draft. Works the same for me - I get all focussed on the action, the plot, and details tend to fall by the wayside. My first draft is always brimming with dialogues and snappy action, but the connecting pieces tend to be missing.
Once I'm done, I usually let the first draft sit and simmer for a couple months. When I do my revisions, I slap more meat on its bones.

So go ahead and get your first draft down the way your doing, tell the little voice to shut up, and do the padding and axing at revision time

That little voice needs to be bludgeoned, or at least ignored (for now). The glorious thing about word processors is that you can go back and edit/cut later when you finish a full round. I feel like it's preaching to the choir, but I'd say focus on getting the words on the page and then worry about fixing things after you finish a draft. For me, I'd take far longer if I tried to do heavy edits in the middle of writing.

The first draft is just a draft, it's by no means a final manuscript. Sometimes I don't think this is emphasized enough. It doesn't have to be 'perfect' first time through. I do think it's hard not to listen to that voice, but if you can't ignore it, maybe tag the scenes that bother you to look over later--and then keep writing.

If you aren't having trouble, per say, in terms of coming up with scenes that propel the story forward I would consider fleshing them out later after a read through. Or look back at them the next day, or next week (only give a bit of time in between).

Since I obviously can't see what you've written, here's my thoughts on long dialogue. If you find after finishing a section or the draft that the dialogue still seems too long, some of that could probably be condensed. Take out filler and get to the point. You don't need the sundries. Also ask yourself why you are including it. Would the story suffer if you just summarized it?

If you feel like your story looks more like a script, like this:
-hi
-how are you?
-fine
-yourself?

...consider describing more of their actions as they talk. You don't need in-depth thoughts on every conversation, but most people don't just sit or stand when they talk.

Good luck and keep writing

When it comes to scenes, my favourite piece of advice is: Arrive late, leave early. I've always written that way and felt really concerned that there was something missing in between. Ever since I read that "rule" I've been feeling much better.

And I always feel like I'm writing too much dialogue. But I also always decide it's a matter of style more than anything else.

heisei said:

When it comes to scenes, my favourite piece of advice is: Arrive late, leave early.

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Oh I haven't heard that before, but I like it. Good advice.

Seems to be a common problem from some of the stuff I've critiqued.

I have a somewhat similar issue. As primarily a short story writer, writing enough material to fill a novel is exceedingly difficult. It's like I just have a certain pacing built into my narrative mind, and it ends between 1-5k words.

Writing speed isn't as important as writing clarity, but the latter can be dealt with in edit. If you've found a comfortable writing pace, go with it for the first draft. If you feel like you are forcing your writing in order to make some word count goal, ditch the goal and go for a little more quality over quantity.

Tell the little voice in your head that it can have its say once you've finished the first draft and you're ready to do the revision work. Then you'll listen, because then it will have valid input. For now, get to the end and do the best you can do. You can collaborate with the voice in your head later to make it super mega awesome.

(These voices start talking because they mistakenly believe that it's preferable or even possible to write a glorious, near-perfect early draft. The voices are wrong. We can admire their dreams of perfection, but we have to keep them grounded in reality, too.)

heisei said:

When it comes to scenes, my favourite piece of advice is: Arrive late, leave early.

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That's something I've done instinctively too, but never heard it put that way. +1.

I keep telling myself that this will be my final draft... then somewhere inside, someone laughs

Linds said:

The first draft is just a draft, it's by no means a final manuscript. Sometimes I don't think this is emphasized enough. It doesn't have to be 'perfect' first time through. I do think it's hard not to listen to that voice, but if you can't ignore it, maybe tag the scenes that bother you to look over later--and then keep writing.

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When I start writing each morning, the first thing I do is re-read what I wrote the previous day. Often I find places to revise right away. It also gets me going on the next section, sort of a refresh of the brain.

I once read a How-To-Write book that stressed the importance of writing in more detail and more scenes than you intend to keep in your first draft, because it's easier to edit it out later than it is to fill in the gaps.

Baloney. I wasted two months using that technique and had nothing to show for it.(YMMV)

First draft? Covering ground is what I do now. Filling in is easier down the road because the story has had time to cook in my noggin. And that simmering is enhanced by establishing the baseline story by cranking out the pivotal scenes first, and not futzing around with the details.

I think you've found your groove, and it sounds to me like you're doing it right. My advice (which you should feel free to ignore) is not to resist it.

If you are I a roll with your writing, I say go with it. Once you are all done you can go back and edit, make it all flow better.

happens all the time- in ave land anyway... My second draft usually nails an extra 40% onto the word count.
that's the great thing about edits- you can go back and fluff 'er up.

ave said:

happens all the time- in ave land anyway... My second draft usually nails an extra 40% onto the word count.
that's the great thing about edits- you can go back and fluff 'er up.

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Or, if you're a wordy writer, you can go back and trim'er down.

It's normal for me. Totally normal. Setting and extra description come on a revision "pass." I usually turn up volume on themes I see emerging and use setting to amp up subtext.

I'd say if you're in the groove, keep going until you're tapped out. You can always go back to it later. If you're still really into a scene but find yourself getting tired or whatever, take a break and come back to it the next day. That way it'll be easier to get started and you'll have an easier time segueing into a scene that might come to you as naturally.

Flow is harder to achieve than adding description etc. later, go with the flow.

I wish I felt like my writing goes too fast For some reason some nagging voice in the bottom of my mind is convinced my first draft should also be the last.

By the end of my last one I still didn't have flow and it was nowhere near ready. I was stuck in limbo land, sometimes writing without worrying, sometimes wanting it to be perfect from the start. And I am trying to hop off the fence but I've got no idea how to.

Absolutely. Or I hope so!

IIRC Stephen "Rich, Respected and Widely Read" King writes his first draft short.

There's no point expanding and polishing until you reach the end because what you discover at the end of the journey will colour what you leave in, and how you expand.

As for expanding: think fractal.

Darkshore said:

I'm feeling like I'm writing my scenes way too fast. It feels like there needs to be a lot more in between, if that makes any sense? I'm not sure if this is just because I'm trying to cram over 1k words a day no matter what or if it's just the way I write things. Anyone else get this? I keep telling myself the first drafts more of an extended outline, but I keep hearing this little voice whispering, "That's not right!". Also...I feel like I'm writing way too much dialogue.

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What happens when you revise?

If you feel dialogue heavily, you're probably not feeling the POV. That way be okay if it's all there implicitly, waiting to be fleshed out, but it's not an you're having trouble with character and POV, etc. In revision then maybe you need to approach your first draft differently.

And what DI you mean when you say that you feel like you're doing something wrong? Are you just wondering if, as the title of tge thread says, if you're being "normal", or is that little voice in your head from some deep feeling of unease - your creative canary in the coal mine? If it's the latter, you might consider working with it.

What do you think?

You're the writer.

When it comes to writing and how any given writer writes their first draft--well, define normal.

Two writers in the house here. (we are both OCD) I have to clean my desk, have all my drinks and snacks laid out, have my cup of pens and pencils (even though I rarely use them anymore), my index cards, and my legal pads all set out.

I write very quickly, whoosh, and I often write a scene from the POV of a couple of characters, even though I know who the POV character for the story is, I want to see it through the eyes of the other characters. I skimp on descriptions, and many times move scenes and chapters around.

My daughter's desk and writing area is a disaster (OCD does not mean clean freak folks) she writes 2k a day and no more, takes odd walks around the house looking lost. She keeps the keyboard in her lap, and makes coffee at midnight.

Her drafts go forward linear and she does not stray from POV ever, even in the first draft. She researches for days before writing anything even the smallest detail and will, if the characters will eat a given food, make it or go out for it before or while she is writing. Every detail is there in the first draft.

She outlines, I don't.

SO what is normal?

Normal is what works for you. If how you are writing works for you then that is your normal.

NeuroFizz said:

Writing speed isn't as important as writing clarity, but the latter can be dealt with in edit. If you've found a comfortable writing pace, go with it for the first draft. If you feel like you are forcing your writing in order to make some word count goal, ditch the goal and go for a little more quality over quantity.

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I agree.

The key is figuring out how you work best, and what's most comfortable for you.

As evidenced by this thread, a lot of people work well by getting through their first draft, maybe at a faster pace, and silencing their inner editor. Personally, I've tried that and it hasn't worked. That's why I can't work off word count goals, or do things like NaNoWriMo very well. I'm most comfortable when I'm going at a slower pace and can get each scene to a point that I'm pretty satisfied with before I move on. That works better for me than the alternative.

So, figure out what works best for you and what makes you the most productive.

Yes, I think it's normal. I'm having the same problem. Glad to know others do too. By the way, love your avatar.