YOU GUYS! Today is the very last day of our 2018 Summer Panels! What a whirlwind we've had with so many fantastic authors who gave selflessly of their time to share with us. I hope you'll find them on the web and give them a big thank you.
Which brings me to our last panelist, Kim Culbertson. Hasn't she been wonderful this week? Here are a few places you can find her online. Please search her out and show some gratitude her for all she's given us.
Next week, the Go Teen Writers blog will be closed as Jill, Steph and I finish our preparations for fall and the final lap of our Grow An Author series. We'll be diving into mushy middles and working our way to a book's ending. I hope you'll join us.
But today, we're going to finish these panels with panache. Here's our final panel question:
Kim: I struggle with first drafts. There is nothing quite as daunting as the blank page. During that first draft, I never really know yet what the book is about and I don’t know my characters yet – not deeply. So I love editing (which is a form of drafting – second drafts, third drafts). For me, revising is the best part of the process. I most love that middle place – where I have a couple of drafts but I’m still discovering things, I’m still unraveling the mystery of this particular book. The early draft and then the picky later phases of editing are my least favorite parts.
Steph: Ha. Whichever one I’m not doing, usually. In general, I think I find editing more fulfilling, but when I’m agonizing over word choices and sentence structure, I fondly remember those times when I’m writing my first draft and thinking, “That’s good enough. I’ll fix it in edits!”
Jill: If I had to pick between drafting or editing, I choose editing. I love making a book better, but it can be a real struggle to get that messy first draft done. In all honesty, though, my very favorite part of the writing process is the brainstorming/worldbuilding stage. I love creating characters, drawing my map, coming up with different cultures and histories for each. It’s all dreaming, and the story can do no wrong at that point. Sure, it will reach the first draft stage at some point, in which I want to throw it in the trash, but during the brainstorming stage, it’s nothing but fun.
Shan: EDITING! I like having the story in place and working to improve on what's there. Although, there's a lot of truth in what Steph says. We often look fondly at the phase that isn't currently sucking the life out of us. I do want to point out something important here. Kim refers to editing as a form of drafting which isn't something I've actually considered before, but it makes perfect sense and serves to teach us this: we all use similar words when we're discussing the craft of writing, but those words can have different meanings to each of us. When you're trying to understand someone's process, you might have to set aside some of your own preconceived notions and hear the heart of what they're saying.
I'm kind of surprised that the answer for this question is unanimous! But then again, I do tend to hear that editing is better than drafting an awful lot. I'd just about have to put myself in the drafting camp, though, because it seems like I can never get around to editing, which is kind of a major flaw, I guess. My current WIP is a concept that seems actually publishable for a change, so maybe this time, I'll be motivated to edit. I find editing hard if I don't have an actual goal in mind for what I want the book to be.
ReplyDeleteI know that editing is a huge component of writing, but I was still surprised that all four of you ultimately chose editing over first drafts. But I can see where you're coming from - there's something satisfying about taking a mess of a first draft and turning into a work of art, even if it does take a long time. Like Kim, I think I enjoy writing drafts the most - when I have a firmer idea about where the story is going, but I'm still fleshing out the world, the characters, and the plot.
ReplyDeleteIt depends on the story for me. Sometimes I love first drafts, and other times I just can't wait to get to the revisions stage so I can fix the mess lol. I think ultimately though I like drafts 2&3. I still don't like all the intricate minor details of editing, but I like having a rough draft already in place that I can just take and build on.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of terms: I really like the word revision. I like revising my manuscript because re-vision means to "re-see" it. And I love the idea of seeing something new each time I move through the work. Thanks again for having me this week, everyone -- it's been fun!
ReplyDeleteLike Maddie said, it depends on the story. Sometimes I love first-drafting (I adored writing book one of my trilogy, The Last Assassin), but sometimes I hate it (my current project is book two of my trilogy, The Shadow Raven, which is frustrating me to no end).
ReplyDeleteSometimes I hate editing (as with the book I was originally planning on publishing this year, House of Mages), sometimes I love it and can't wait to get back to it (as with my current editing project, The Heart of the Baenor. I get it back from beta-readers today and get to start editing again tomorrow! Yay! :D This will be my fourth draft and I'm super excited. ^-^)
It really depends on the story and on what particular issues it has. Generally if I really like a story, I really like polishing and making it better; if it doesn't resonate with me as well or I've had a really hard time writing it, I dread having to fix all the issues with it.
I love drafting, because I can just write like crazy!
ReplyDeleteEditing is more rewarding though, because that's where the meat comes in;)
So I guess I have to go 50-50 on this one.
I honestly think I enjoy both the same Being able to make the story better is always a lot of fun, but so is that part where your chiseling the story out.
ReplyDeleteI'm like you, Jill. I love the planning/dreaming/creating stage! It's so exciting to think of what the story could be and will be like. The possibilities seem endless!
ReplyDelete