Finishing a first draft

Juniper1 · Mar 4, 2008

How do you feel coming toward the end of a first draft? This is my first time through the process and I find that I am dragging my feet. I think that it is equal parts feeling down about the story coming to a close and looking ahead to reading it through and seeing what exactly I have come up with over the last two months. (As side note, I have been trying to convince my husband that I may not have been writing a novel but rather "All work and no play makes J a dull girl" for several hundred pages, and that he would do well to watch for further signs of insanity.)

Do other writers come to this point? Having really only written poetry (and tedious scientific papers) in the past I have never had a period of feeling so addicted to the process and yet so ambiguous toward completing it. I actually looked at the word count this morning (73K) and felt blue that I probably had less that 25K left to go. Am I a freak (yet again)?

vrabinec · Mar 4, 2008

By the time I got to the end of my first draft, I knew I'd be re-writing 1/4 of the book, so it was no real milestone. This time through though, I'll be dancing. I figure, ten more times through to make nuance changes, show it to my beta readers one more time, and I'm ready to querry and have it rejected. (ever the pessimist) But at least I will have finished it and said what I wanted to say.

Juniper1 · Mar 4, 2008

It is not so much the idea of finishing the whole thing. A third of it is still in first POV, the entire beginning is going to have to vanish, there are any anumber of changes I know will happen without even reading it.

It is more that I know it outlines the full arc of this particular story. Characters X and Y will die. Remaining lives change in permanent ways. Relationships dissolve. And as the author I now know these things and can't fool myself any longer into believing there is some other end.

vrabinec · Mar 4, 2008

Oh, then I'd say you're just finishing up your outline. The only thing I didn't like about that was that so many of my choices were gone. The thrill (and agony) after that was different. Revise chapter 1 and show it to some beta readers. You will get a joy out of it from their reaction. I think a lot of people love that rush of finishing a story, but smoothing it out so the reader gets joy out of it is something most people aren't willing to invest enough time in. (IMO). And, I've never been published, so I'm not talking down to the aspiring writers by saying that.

bubbagringo · Mar 4, 2008

I expected more of a kick when I finished mine...no such luck

dunno if thats because I'm dealing with all the minutae of agents/querys/publishing/bladeblah or what

kinda anticlimactic actually...

stormie · Mar 4, 2008

After I finish my first draft I put it away for at least a week and write something else. But I feel...lost. I miss my characters, miss the story line. So when I do go back, it's like a homecoming.

dawinsor · Mar 4, 2008

I love finishing my first draft, but that's because I find first drafts incredibly painful to write. I have an outline before I start and everything, and I still struggle with them. But once they're done, I can revise and that's my favorite part of writing. Indeed, it's where I feel the real writing happens. It's like I've cleared my cache of all the surface stuff and can start thinking more deeply about my story as a whole.

Now when I finish what I think is close to the final draft, then I'm sad. By that time, I love my characters and don't want to be parted from them.

Andrhia · Mar 4, 2008

When I was into the last 20 pages or so, I was overcome with a profound anxiety. Hands shaking, heart pounding, couldn't think about anything else, couldn't fall asleep at night. It was kind of awful, really. Revising took me about a month, and through most of it I experienced the same sort of intermittent panic.

In comparison, querying agents has got nothing on the intense fear and excitement I felt over finishing that first draft.

I'm hoping the second time it isn't as bad as all that. And yeah, I'd say no matter what you're feeling, probably somebody else has, too.

Charlie Horse · Mar 4, 2008

Take joy in finishing. It's a huge achievement.

Then write some poetry.

Maybe a short story or two.

Then realize that you have a ton of more work to do on your novel and get amped for the next stage, which will basically be rewriting the whole thing.

Once your done with that stage your about halfway through the process.

Don't worry. Your baby isn't all growed up and ready to leave the nest just yet.

Claudia Gray · Mar 4, 2008

I'm about one week from finishing my first draft of Hourglass. At this point, I'm mostly really relieved (time is short) and eager to start the revision process, which is where it really comes together.

Basically, drive on past that finish line, give yourself a pat on the back and enjoy the next, most enjoyable part -- don't look at it for at least a week. Don't even think about it if you can help it. I think it always helps to come at revisions rested and fresh.

ishtar'sgate · Mar 4, 2008

Juniper said:
How do you feel coming toward the end of a first draft? This is my first time through the process and I find that I am dragging my feet.
. I actually looked at the word count this morning (73K) and felt blue that I probably had less that 25K left to go. Am I a freak (yet again)?

I don't drag my feet, I have to slow myself down to keep from racing to the finish line

I feel quite exhilarated when I get near the end. Of course it takes me a long time to finish a novel - years in fact - so that may be the difference.
Linnea

Tika · Mar 4, 2008

Hmmmm, even when you're finished; are you really finished? I thought so early on. After a while, I realized that every time I went back in there... I needed a tweak, figured out a way to word something better, oh horrors, I found a typo...etc.

Tika

Siddow · Mar 4, 2008

Juniper, I went through the same thing with the end of the first draft of my first novel. I had a single chapter left to write and I just couldn't do it. For weeks! I finally pushed myself to write it out, had a ton of fun doing so, then sank into the blues something awful. I think I was actually in a period of mourning.

It wasn't so bad with the second. But man, that first one? It's an emotional experience.

She_wulf · Mar 4, 2008

I never had a "first draft" let-down. By the time I'd finished my first "book" (which is IMO, crap) I was on the second one. The research had started, world building forming into a cohesive structure, and scenes were popping in my head. Ditto for the next, and the next.. and...

Make it stop!

Not.

Amy

Mumut · Mar 4, 2008

I felt the same as Siddow. I didn't have to re-read to see what I'd done, though. My writing process is time consuming and inefficient. Every now and again I have to re-read. I don't like going too far ahead of what I'm pretty happy with. So when I wrote the last line I knew what I had done. I just didn't want to be done with it.

So I left the end as a cliff-hanger and started writing the second of the series almost straight away. I came back to the first story at intervals, even after it had been accepted for publication. I even re-read it a couple of times after it had been published! Yes, there is a lot to do. The last full-stop doesn't stop the writing process.

Red-Green · Mar 4, 2008

I've never felt down after finishing a draft, but that may be because my addiction level is so high. I always have something else I'm working on, so finishing a draft of one project just means a spurt of energy on another one.

Mr Flibble · Mar 4, 2008

I love finishing my first draft, but that's because I find first drafts incredibly painful to write. I have an outline before I start and everything, and I still struggle with them. But once they're done, I can revise and that's my favorite part of writing. Indeed, it's where I feel the real writing happens. It's like I've cleared my cache of all the surface stuff and can start thinking more deeply about my story as a whole.

exactly - I loathe, detest and despise first drafts, because I know how much they will change before I'm done. Not just that I obssess over every stupid word when I should just let it flow! BUT once it's down, tinkering with it - oooh I love that! The part where it all really comes together - all those little notes I hide round teh house get gathered up and actually begin to live.

it's almost ( only almost ) better than beer. And that is high praise from me

scribbler1382 · Mar 4, 2008

IdiotsRUs said:
it's almost ( only almost ) better than beer. And that is high praise from me

Revision is better than beer? You obviously aren't drinking the right beer...or enough of it.

windyrdg · Mar 4, 2008

As I approach the end of a first draft the work gets harder and harder. On any given day I write what the muse wants written. (In other words I jump all over the place. Today I'm doing Chapter 6...tomorrow chapter 63.) Consequently, as I come down to the wire I have these gaps and unfinished pieces that have to be welded together.

Case in Point: Right now I'm at 55% on the second book in a series. I like to write in parallel chapters, he did, she did, he did, she did. I think it keeps the tension level higher. Right now I have lots of the main story with nothing to slide in between those chapters. The subplot fairy needs to leave something under my pillow one of these nights.

Juniper1 · Mar 4, 2008

Thank you all for sharing your writerly thoughts. Siddow, Mumut, Andrhia, it's nice to hear that someone else has had similar feelings. While I actually live in and come from a fairly literate area and social group I tend to be too private to run around telling everyone I've started writing again. So I have no one to comiserate with IRL.

I just keep telling myself that revision is where I get to play with words and I LIKE playing with words. And, while there most certainly is not a sequel, several characters have been promised a walk on in the next (otherwise unrelated) book.

Death Wizard · Mar 4, 2008

For me, the first draft is where all the magic is, where all the wonder is. Drafts 2-10 are work. Necessary work. Relatively easy work. But work. When I define myself as a writer, it all comes from what I do in the first draft. So, yes, I can relate to what you're saying.

kzmiller · Mar 4, 2008

I didn't know there were folks out there who drag their feet and/or feel a let-down coming on as they approach the end. Like ishtar'sgate I feel exhilarated and have to rein in my horses or they rush me to the end and everything ends up being incoherent.

But don't let yourself feel like a freak. Everyone's writing process is different, as you've read here, and I'm sure you'll read even more kinds of writing process as time goes on. Accept that you'll be writing slowly at this time. Just don't stop altogether. When things slow down for me I have to really force myself to write daily, even if it's five words, even if it's just to open the document and reread the last few paragraphs and then take a bath. (There's something about hot water that helps the creative juices flow.) You'll get through this with a combination of gentleness and persistence.

ascribe · Mar 5, 2008

I'm always glad when it's over. I start from an outline and I stick to it for the beginning and the end but my characters take over in between and it's always a relief to get to the same place.

The Scip · Mar 5, 2008

I think of it as an accomplishment. There are probably lots of people who say "i want to write a novel" but they never actually spend the time and do the work to write the novel. When you finish, even if ti is only a first draft you have put 85-100K words down onto paper to make a story. I would assume people like us who have done that (even if the novel never gets published) are in the minority. It is a huge accomplishment. Congrats!

ACEnders · Mar 5, 2008

The first time I was depressed. When I finished my first manuscript, I was truly depressed, and it was an odd sensation. I thought I'd be so happy. But looking back I think it's because in my heart of hearts I knew it was right just yet. I had a lot of revising to do, and when I was truly finished, I was on such a high for the next week!

Now, coming to the end of my first draft of my second manuscript, I'm psyched. I am so excited, I know how it's going to end, I know this is a good story, better than my first. I think I'll still be a bit depressed because I've worked so hard with these characters, gotten to know them so well. But then I have the revision process which I love! Plus, I'm already looking forward to my next book...

Finishing a first draft

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