I start with a first draft, going straight through and leaving nothing out (and I do mean nothing. I'll typically end up cutting about 30% of what I wrote in that first draft). I don't worry about shoddy grammar and horrible word choices or repetitions. I just let my brain spew whatever it wants all over the page. Typically I don't allow anyone to see this draft because it's horrid. It's a lot of thinking on the fly and making things up as I go along. (Though I will note that I don't work this way at all with novels. They're too long and too complicated to leave to chance like this, so outlines kind of take the place of "1st draft".)
For second draft, I go over what I wrote and decide what's necessary and what I did right and what to cut on a macro level, then I sit down and retype the manuscript, working on editing the prose and integrating plot and character changes. Once I've got that done, then I send it out for critique.
After critique, I let the comments stew in my head for a week or two, to see if new ideas crop up. Then I retype again, fine-tuning the prose still more and integrating my new ideas. Depending on how I'm feeling about the story, I might run my new version past another set of critiquers, to see if I pulled off what I wanted to, and if I haven't, I'll do another draft of macro fine-tuning before calling it good and ready to hit the markets. I may or may not retype, depending on how off the mark I feel I am.
Once it's out at market, I try not to look at it again, unless I get a response back that points out a flaw or such. But basically, I don't do any further drafts except at editorial request.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2008-11-19 03:59 pm (UTC)For second draft, I go over what I wrote and decide what's necessary and what I did right and what to cut on a macro level, then I sit down and retype the manuscript, working on editing the prose and integrating plot and character changes. Once I've got that done, then I send it out for critique.
After critique, I let the comments stew in my head for a week or two, to see if new ideas crop up. Then I retype again, fine-tuning the prose still more and integrating my new ideas. Depending on how I'm feeling about the story, I might run my new version past another set of critiquers, to see if I pulled off what I wanted to, and if I haven't, I'll do another draft of macro fine-tuning before calling it good and ready to hit the markets. I may or may not retype, depending on how off the mark I feel I am.
Once it's out at market, I try not to look at it again, unless I get a response back that points out a flaw or such. But basically, I don't do any further drafts except at editorial request.