I cannot stop watching Baby Reindeer either!🙈😂 So, I feel like I need to “messy tortoise” as a poll option. I wish I could remember where I heard/read this, but one of my favorite descriptions of a first draft is that it’s like the beginning of a painting and it’s just the outline, the whole image. Then we go back and add color, shading, dimension. I am not only on the slower side, but it will also be a whole mess to clean up when I go back and look at it. But I need it all in front of me first, the whole picture, before I can make it beautiful. I’ve also heard writers usually prefer drafting or editing…maybe you’re the latter? 10k in three days is AMAZING btw. 👏👏👏
I found it! I had flagged this passage when I read Writers + Lovers a few years ago, and I remember sending it to my writing coach, too. Love these words (and that book) so much.
“Painters, I told myself, though I know nothing about painting, don’t start at one side of the canvas and work meticulously across to the other side. They create an underpainting, a base of shape, of light and dark. They find the composition slowly, layer after layer. This was only my first layer, I told myself as we turned the corner … It’s not supposed to be good or complete. It’s okay that it feels like a liquid not a solid, a vast and spreading goo I can’t manage, I told myself. It’s okay that I’m not sure what’s next, that it might be something unexpected.”
Yay for 10,000 words! Those bursts of productivity always feel so good, and like you say, even if you end up cutting some of them, they will have moved the story forward so much! (Also, glad to know I'm not the only one who ends up >100,000 words on their cutting room floor 😂)
Upon reflection, I'm both a slow and messy drafter. I guess that makes me a rhinoceros? 🦏
I love this and find this whole conversation so interesting. Many paths lead to the same destination! Also, LOL @ the unicorn shoutout. I’m honoured. 😂🙈🦄
Cooking without wiping down the counters first? I can’t. And after five years, I’m still writing my first novel. I guess that makes me a hare. But as I embark on Draft 8, I have fantasies of disregarding my outline and writing all day, based on passion. I figure I already know my story, and I want that cohesiveness and momentum you wrote about. But the idea of it terrifies me!
I definitely fall into the fast drafting camp and it requires a lot of revision and drafts down the road. I try to tell myself that the perfect sentence might come in draft 1 or 5 but to keep going until I have enough of them. Curious if you have kept up fast drafting since you’ve been back from the retreat.
If I were to write a blog on this same exact topic, it would say: DITTO!!
🩷🩷🩷
I cannot stop watching Baby Reindeer either!🙈😂 So, I feel like I need to “messy tortoise” as a poll option. I wish I could remember where I heard/read this, but one of my favorite descriptions of a first draft is that it’s like the beginning of a painting and it’s just the outline, the whole image. Then we go back and add color, shading, dimension. I am not only on the slower side, but it will also be a whole mess to clean up when I go back and look at it. But I need it all in front of me first, the whole picture, before I can make it beautiful. I’ve also heard writers usually prefer drafting or editing…maybe you’re the latter? 10k in three days is AMAZING btw. 👏👏👏
I found it! I had flagged this passage when I read Writers + Lovers a few years ago, and I remember sending it to my writing coach, too. Love these words (and that book) so much.
“Painters, I told myself, though I know nothing about painting, don’t start at one side of the canvas and work meticulously across to the other side. They create an underpainting, a base of shape, of light and dark. They find the composition slowly, layer after layer. This was only my first layer, I told myself as we turned the corner … It’s not supposed to be good or complete. It’s okay that it feels like a liquid not a solid, a vast and spreading goo I can’t manage, I told myself. It’s okay that I’m not sure what’s next, that it might be something unexpected.”
Oh my gosh! Thank you!! YES! I love the idea of “finding” our stories.❤️
Me too...and the idea of giving ourselves permission to figure things out one layer at a time.
Can't stop won't stop re: Baby Reindeer. 🙈🙈🙈
Re: drafting--messy tortoise is totally valid! And yes, I think I know that painting description...is it from Writers + Lovers???
Sounds like an amazing experience!
Thanks Abe! The writing part made up for the altitude sickness part!
Yay for 10,000 words! Those bursts of productivity always feel so good, and like you say, even if you end up cutting some of them, they will have moved the story forward so much! (Also, glad to know I'm not the only one who ends up >100,000 words on their cutting room floor 😂)
Upon reflection, I'm both a slow and messy drafter. I guess that makes me a rhinoceros? 🦏
😂😂😂 I love this! We need rhinos! And you're totally right....however messy, it's progress!
I love this and find this whole conversation so interesting. Many paths lead to the same destination! Also, LOL @ the unicorn shoutout. I’m honoured. 😂🙈🦄
So true! No one right path!🩷🦄
Cooking without wiping down the counters first? I can’t. And after five years, I’m still writing my first novel. I guess that makes me a hare. But as I embark on Draft 8, I have fantasies of disregarding my outline and writing all day, based on passion. I figure I already know my story, and I want that cohesiveness and momentum you wrote about. But the idea of it terrifies me!
I'm curious how that would feel if you tried it!
Ok. Thanks to you and this post, I’m going to feel the fear and do it anyway (with my outline near by)! 😂
Baby steps! Love that plan and please let me know how it goes!
I definitely fall into the fast drafting camp and it requires a lot of revision and drafts down the road. I try to tell myself that the perfect sentence might come in draft 1 or 5 but to keep going until I have enough of them. Curious if you have kept up fast drafting since you’ve been back from the retreat.
You're my fast drafting hero! And yes I've more or less been sticking with the faster drafting lately...we'll see if it sticks!
also loved listen for the lie on audio!
So well done! The unhinged voice inside her head kills me