I just finished my final, final, final revision of my novel, The Letters (pictured above), so I’m pausing to reflect on the somewhat odd labyrinthian path it took into being (and just so you know, most novels, like most people, take an odd labyrinthian path into being).
Thanks, Barbara. I love your phrase "insist of themselves." It's really true. You think they're going to do what you tell them to do, but just like people, they have their own desires, their own trajectories.
I SO appreciated reading this blog post! Today I needed the reminder that MANY drafts go into writing a book. I felt great connection to the description of a “final, final, final” revision. I’m on a second draft of collection of memoir stories. I spent months after the first draft doing research which in itself felt like a draft even though I’ve yet to include that information in my stories. Then I spent a lot of time reorganizing the stories in charts, redefining takeaways, noting giving circumstances and conflicts and rearranging index cards. So, I feel like I’m on a third or fourth draft. A second draft doesn’t feel like it adequately describes how hard I’m working. “Second” feels like “just barely got here”, I’m “new to the room” with all the wisdom one has when they “wait a second”. Second doesn’t reflect that for a story to make my first draft, I revised it several—Nay! Many, many, many-many—times. A “second draft” feels like telling an acquaintance someone I’ve been sleeping with for months is “a possibility”. … So, thank you for the description of writing your novel. If anyone asks, I’m on my second, second, second draft.
Oh, I'm so glad this resonated with you. I laughed at this definition of second draft: A “second draft” feels like telling an acquaintance someone I’ve been sleeping with for months is “a possibility”. Haha, yeah, that's it. You've definitely moved in with your second draft, and you're not only sharing meals, you also have a chore chart.
In some ways, I don't know that there's any need to count our drafts (and what exactly constitues a draft?), but I suppose it's human nature to tally such things.
I don't keep track of drafts. And, as you mentioned, what constitutes as a draft? It's all a sloppy fantastical mess. By the way, I finally read The Art of Brevity and loved it. The text in my copy is heavily marked, underlined, and highlighted. One of the best craft books I've read in a long time.
Thanks so much for reading The Art of Brevity, Corey, and thanks so much for your kind words. I'm so glad the book resonated. And, yes, a "sloppy fantastical mess" describes it all in the end. It doesn't matter how many "drafts" we write.
They really do. I love and hate that:-)
Great post. It really captures the way novels, well, insist on themselves. Good luck with it!
Thanks, Barbara. I love your phrase "insist of themselves." It's really true. You think they're going to do what you tell them to do, but just like people, they have their own desires, their own trajectories.
I SO appreciated reading this blog post! Today I needed the reminder that MANY drafts go into writing a book. I felt great connection to the description of a “final, final, final” revision. I’m on a second draft of collection of memoir stories. I spent months after the first draft doing research which in itself felt like a draft even though I’ve yet to include that information in my stories. Then I spent a lot of time reorganizing the stories in charts, redefining takeaways, noting giving circumstances and conflicts and rearranging index cards. So, I feel like I’m on a third or fourth draft. A second draft doesn’t feel like it adequately describes how hard I’m working. “Second” feels like “just barely got here”, I’m “new to the room” with all the wisdom one has when they “wait a second”. Second doesn’t reflect that for a story to make my first draft, I revised it several—Nay! Many, many, many-many—times. A “second draft” feels like telling an acquaintance someone I’ve been sleeping with for months is “a possibility”. … So, thank you for the description of writing your novel. If anyone asks, I’m on my second, second, second draft.
Oh, I'm so glad this resonated with you. I laughed at this definition of second draft: A “second draft” feels like telling an acquaintance someone I’ve been sleeping with for months is “a possibility”. Haha, yeah, that's it. You've definitely moved in with your second draft, and you're not only sharing meals, you also have a chore chart.
In some ways, I don't know that there's any need to count our drafts (and what exactly constitues a draft?), but I suppose it's human nature to tally such things.
Best of luck with all drafting!
I don't keep track of drafts. And, as you mentioned, what constitutes as a draft? It's all a sloppy fantastical mess. By the way, I finally read The Art of Brevity and loved it. The text in my copy is heavily marked, underlined, and highlighted. One of the best craft books I've read in a long time.
Thanks so much for reading The Art of Brevity, Corey, and thanks so much for your kind words. I'm so glad the book resonated. And, yes, a "sloppy fantastical mess" describes it all in the end. It doesn't matter how many "drafts" we write.
Chore chart! 😂 Yup!
Thank you. You made me snort-laugh.