Process Week Continues, + Birthday Greetings...

[j_cheney]

Happy belated birthday to dotar_sojat and more timely salutations to sarah_prineas and babarnett!

Ah now, on to the boring stuff.

Drafts.
ROUGH DRAFT
Some people produce a first draft. I produce a "rough" draft the first time out.

After I've got a basic idea of the outline of events in a story (and I do mean basic), the setting, and the characters, I do a rough draft. I start at the beginning and try to write straight to the end. Sometimes that doesn't happen. I'll get to a scene I'm sketchy on, and skip past it with just a few notes to hold it's place:

Imogen laid one hand to her breast, nerves suddenly making her stomach flutter. ANNOUNCER?
Mother Hawkes clutched her other hand. The trainers bolted away RACE RACE RACE

ANNOUNCER? RACE RACE RACE?

This is why I don't consider it a first draft. It's not really readable. Sometimes the ending is also sketchy, usually because I know I'll change things later.


FIRST DRAFT
After completing the RD, I usually let it percolate for at least a week. Then I go back and start inserting the things I need to clear up. I will probably have done some research between RD and FD, and usually end up slipping in a couple of extra scenes.

One of the things that's true about my FDs is that the setting and descriptions will still be lightly drawn. I don't worry about those so much here. They'll be fleshed out in the later drafts.

This is where I'll try to get the first readings done, though. To check out the story arcs, and make certain action and dialog make sense.


SECOND THROUGH TENTH DRAFTS
All right, a bit of exaggeration there, but I do like to keep tweaking. The bulk of description gets inserted here, what little description I do use. I'd say that most things go through at least four drafts before I consider them ready to go out.


So, how many drafts do you do? How many before you let anyone see it?

Comments

[gwyndolin.livejournal.com]

Working on my third book now, I think I've settled into a method that works for me. I start at the beginning and write straight through to about the midpoint of the book. By this point, I've introduced everyone and everything and have layered in all the threads I need. The story changes as I write it, so by chapter six I may be writing as though there were a completely different chapter two than physically exists at that time.

At the halfway point, I make a rough outline of the rest (more of a bullet point list of key phrases) to make sure I know about where I'm going, then start writing again, usually as I start doing revisions on the beginning parts to make it synch up again.

I've got a couple other writers with whom I trade the words as they're being written -- not for critique or anything, but we keep each other honest and give encouragement (or scolding) when someone's output starts to slack. It's nice being accountable to other people.

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

The story changes as I write it, so by chapter six I may be writing as though there were a completely different chapter two than physically exists at that time.

I go back to the very beginning of the manuscript and write a note to myself to make certain I don't forget those changes I'm planning. Stupid things sometimes, too...

WHERE IS KIRIEN'S WATCH?
HAVE THE GUARD NOTICE THE NAME IN THE NOTEBOOK.

That sort of notes. The draft does change as I write it, but I want to get it done, so I don't go back and change things then....