The more I write, the farther away the ending gets

roach · Feb 28, 2007

So I've been ready to finish the first draft of this book for two weeks now. But everytime I seem to be ready to start the last two bits I find myself thinking, "You know, I really should include a bit about this, and something about that." It's not padding. What I've written has turned out to be necessary, but I'm getting so darned frustrated with my subconcious mind.

I. Just. Want. To. Finish!

I have a deadline of this Sunday to be done with this first draft. It's a messy draft any way with lots of comments in the margins to "Come back and make this less lame." And at this point I might just have to insert some similar comments of "Add this bit and this bit in the second draft" just so I can get moved on to the last two sections.

Has anyone else gone through this?

PeeDee · Feb 28, 2007

I had a short story idea turn into a series of robot stories that'll total around 1,125,000 words when it's all done. in theory.

Man I know how you feel.

I do think that you have the right idea of inserting the "come back during 2nd draft" comments, though.

Penguin Queen · Feb 28, 2007

Not quite the same as what you have, but after I'd written practically all of my mystery novel except for the last 10 pages where loose ends are tied up & the last little bits & pieces explained & tidied away --- so, before said last 10ß pages were written, I stopped.
It took me eight months to write those last 10 pages.
That was partly because I'd written myself into a corner -- I'd never thought beyond the last dramatic moments, and had a hell of a time finding a way to make my loose ends tie up.
Partly because I was rather emotionally involved in the plot (long story - so to speak

) & unwilling to take the final step & let the thing go out into the world.

Fro that experience, I would really recommend going for it and making your deadline. Don't let it drag. (Do as I say, not as I did.

) Push through, & leave everything else for the second draft.

Mr. Funktastic · Feb 28, 2007

I'd just force myself to meet that deadline. I'm not in much of a position to be giving advice like this, though, because I've been in your situation for a while, and I keep breaking deadlines.

I hope you have better luck than I've had.

Judg · Feb 28, 2007

Oh yes. Although I'm not that close to the end yet, by any means. I spent a frustrating day with "I can't write this till I go back and add/rewrite that because otherwise I'm not sure enough of what's going on" till I wanted to throw up my hands and scream.

TheIT · Feb 28, 2007

Ask me again in two weeks.

I was hoping to reach the end of my first draft by today but I keep finding more scenes to put in, so I've extended my deadline. I think I'm going to need a chain saw in revision, but I'm finally getting close to an ending.

At this point, I'm so close to the story that I can't see the big picture anymore. I'm so busy planting trees that I can't see the shape of the forest anymore. Anything which keeps my pen moving is okay by me. I'll chop out the excess in revision.

Cassiopeia · Feb 28, 2007

well I kinda freaked out when I read your first novel should be about 90- 120 k. I am at 70k and only about half way through...I am hoping the editing will cut that back a bit

johnzakour · Feb 28, 2007

Stories take on lives on their own and grow which is good. Unless of course they grow past deadlines. In which case you have decide what's more important letting the story expand or meeting your deadline.

Anonymisty · Feb 28, 2007

johnzakour said:
Stories take on lives on their own and grow which is good. Unless of course they grow past deadlines. In which case you have decide what's more important letting the story expand or meeting your deadline.

I'm suffering that right now. I finished my line edits and mailed off the revised manuscript to my publisher Monday, and now I'm sitting here wishing I'd included this scene or changed that line.

I wonder if I'll ever stop revising the book. Even after it comes out, I have a feeling I'll still be "writing" it.

Shwebb · Feb 28, 2007

Well, it could be worse.

You *cough RobertJordan* cough could be writing a best-selling fantasy series *cough WheelofTime cough* that starts petering out by book six, but you're working on book eleven or twelve and still not being close to finishing.

johnzakour · Feb 28, 2007

Anonymisty said:
I'm suffering that right now. I finished my line edits and mailed off the revised manuscript to my publisher Monday, and now I'm sitting here wishing I'd included this scene or changed that line.

I wonder if I'll ever stop revising the book. Even after it comes out, I have a feeling I'll still be "writing" it.

I still edit my first novel that came out in 2001 whenever I read it.

Shara · Mar 1, 2007

roach

Several people in my writing group have a favourite phrase: Fix It in the Rewrite (also known as FIITR).

Get to the end. So there'll be big holes in the plot, and there are things that don't make sense and you know there's a whole lot of other stuff you want to say.

That's where Draft 2 comes in. Draft 1 is effectively the framework, the foundation on which you will build your masterpiece. Getting to the end of draft 1 is an accomplishment and you deserve to be proud of yourself when you get there. But also don't lose sight of the fact that once you are there, that's where the real work begins.

Shara

blacbird · Mar 1, 2007

Fits in with my problem: The more I submit, the farther away publication becomes.

caw

roach · Mar 1, 2007

Thanks for the comments. I know that in the end I can just do my little "Insert scene here" and move on to the final bits of the novel to make my deadline (and I will make my deadline). It's just really annoying that my anal-retentive side keeps saying, "But you have to write this, and this, and this before you can start the last bits." I'll just remind it that no, I freaking don't.

The last novel I wrote completely out of sequence without an outline. I had no problems writing the scenes I wanted to and just piecing it all together in the end. With this novel I have a fairly detailed outline and was humming along writing in sequence when I hit this snag.

I'll get it done one way or another!

Prawn · Mar 2, 2007

Yesterday I wrote the end of my second novel. I am not done with it; it is only at 50K, but now I know that my next 30 or 40 K have to get me to that final scene.
P

Maprilynne · Mar 2, 2007

I hear Robert Jordan has had that problem . . . for like ten years.

Maprilynne

Namatu · Mar 2, 2007

I'm two-thirds of the way through the rewrite of my WIP. I have an ending, I just need to fix the road to it and improve it, and I'm experiencing the same problem, roach. It's exciting and frustrating and sometimes makes me want to cry. Stupid imagination. Why can't it be more orderly?

Claudia Gray · Mar 2, 2007

I really believe in the power of the deadline. I think we ALL have those last-minute bursts of creativity -- but that's great, in a way, because we get so much out of it! I would say, work hard to keep that deadline, because even though you'll type until you've got carpal tunnel and go without sleep, you'll get a LOT out of that experience. I know that the last two weeks I worked on my first novel were probably the most productive.

roach · Mar 3, 2007

So a big thank you once again to everyone who posted. I dug in deep and finished the novel tonight/this morning. I fudged a little here and there ("<insert dramatic fight scene here>") but really not as much as I thought I would have to in order to make my deadline.

Oh it feels gooooooood! (At least until it's time to tackle revisions!)

PeeDee · Mar 3, 2007

Congratulations! Good job! Finished is finished, it's just a matter of how much work you leave yourself for the editing stage...

Enjoy your celebratory cup of....er....whatever you drink to celebrate. Yeah!

TheIT · Mar 4, 2007

Congratulations! Glad to hear you made it. I'm still slogging my way through, but I hope to get to an ending soon.

Enjoy!

KAP · Mar 4, 2007

Yay!

I'm much more relaxed once my first draft is complete, no matter how rough it is. Then I fiddle around on any notes-to-self like you mentioned before ramping up for intensive edit number 1 out of many. But knowing it's all there, beginning middle and end, takes a weight off me. Hope it works that way for you, too.

Remember to celebrate.

KAP

The more I write, the farther away the ending gets

annoyed and annoying

Where's my tea, please...?

Break the rules.

The name says it all.

DISENCHANTED coming soon

Infuriatingly Theoretical

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She's the creepy-looking dude

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Fix it in the Rewrite

annoyed and annoying

Writing is finite,revising infinite

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Lost in mental space.

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Where's my tea, please...?

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