This is what drafting a novel REALLY looks like...
I've been working on the second book of a series - working title The Black Diamond - and I suddenly realised how much I'm editing myself now as I write.
Perhaps it's just something that comes with experience, but I thought I would take the opportunity, before I get too deep into the editing, to show you the actual versions of what I recognise as my s****y first hand draft, my slightly less s****y first computer draft, and my first polish draft.
It might also serve to remind myself at some point in the future, when I'm writing book 3, that great writing doesn't just appear on the first go, especially when you begin a new project. I found myself getting really disheartened when I began this novel, because it had been a long time since I started anything genuinely new. (The first book in the series is a rework of an old story, so it needed less work than a real first draft...) It's hard to remember, when you're polishing and editing and making something read well, that it started life as something very, very different.
So to anyone who thinks they aren't writing well at the moment, take a look at this little section and the stages it's gone through - and tell yourself that there IS hope! Just stick at it.
Of course, other authors approach their draft stages very differently to me. I am not showing you my drafting because I'm saying it's how it SHOULD be done. I'm trying to demonstrate how a draft can be improved.
Here goes. Don't expect to follow the story - I've selected a scene at random.
1. Hand drafted, in a notebook.
Lots of scribbles, but the bones of the scene are there. No proper formatting, though strangely, there's more than is evident in the first computer draft; I've at least got paragraphs...
2. First write up on the computer.
There's no formatting, as I tend to just get the stuff down. I'm surprised I've even got a few speech marks... There's still some editing going on at this point, so it doesn't sound bad, but it doesn't read well. Yet.
3. My first attempt at a polish up...
It's formatted, I've played around with it a bit, but I won't do a proper edit on it until I've got to the end of the novel and all of it is to this standard.
“It’ll be me first in the tub, Sparkles!” someone shouted, running past.
Perhaps it's just something that comes with experience, but I thought I would take the opportunity, before I get too deep into the editing, to show you the actual versions of what I recognise as my s****y first hand draft, my slightly less s****y first computer draft, and my first polish draft.
It might also serve to remind myself at some point in the future, when I'm writing book 3, that great writing doesn't just appear on the first go, especially when you begin a new project. I found myself getting really disheartened when I began this novel, because it had been a long time since I started anything genuinely new. (The first book in the series is a rework of an old story, so it needed less work than a real first draft...) It's hard to remember, when you're polishing and editing and making something read well, that it started life as something very, very different.
So to anyone who thinks they aren't writing well at the moment, take a look at this little section and the stages it's gone through - and tell yourself that there IS hope! Just stick at it.
Of course, other authors approach their draft stages very differently to me. I am not showing you my drafting because I'm saying it's how it SHOULD be done. I'm trying to demonstrate how a draft can be improved.
Here goes. Don't expect to follow the story - I've selected a scene at random.
1. Hand drafted, in a notebook.
Lots of scribbles, but the bones of the scene are there. No proper formatting, though strangely, there's more than is evident in the first computer draft; I've at least got paragraphs...
2. First write up on the computer.
There's no formatting, as I tend to just get the stuff down. I'm surprised I've even got a few speech marks... There's still some editing going on at this point, so it doesn't sound bad, but it doesn't read well. Yet.
“It’ll
be me first in the tub, Sparkles!” someone shouted, running past.
Startled, Tilda spun round, right
into the middle of the walkway.
“Watch out!”
Before she could move, someone else
crashed into Tilda and she went sprawling.
She lay where she’d fallen, too
choked on red dust to move, as a filthy young miner jumped quickly to his feet.
Dammit, Yan, he yelled. It was my
turn tonight!
A whoop of triumph came from
further down the road. Tilda rolled onto all fours and got shakily to her feet.
I’m fine. Thanks for asking.
The miner rounded on her with a
frown. You should look where you’re going. He snatched up a bag which must’ve fallen
to the floor with him.
Anger heated Tilda’s cheeks. And
you should walk on the pavement, she snapped, glaring at him.
You’d run too, believe me, he
snarled. And set off at a jog after the disappearing Yan.
Tilda, are you alright? I saw what
happened. Duska hurried out of the shop.
Yes. Just dusty. Tilda tried to
brush the owrst of it off. He barged straight into me, and all for some hot
water.
Ah… To Tilda’s surprise, Duska
laughed. You don’t want to get between a miner and his after shift bath. I’ve
seen grown men fight over who’s next into the tub. They have races, you know,
see who can get down and cleaned up the quickest.
I’ll make sure I’m out of the way
for that, then. To Tilda’s horror, she felt her bottom lip tremble.
Duska must’ve noticed; she put a
hand on Tilda’s shoulder. I think it might be best if we leave finding Feliks
until tomorrow. Shall we go back? See if Sasha’s finished that floor yet?
Tilda nodded gratefully. Yes,
please. She glanced down the road. She could still see the miner who’d crashed
into her. I hope your bath water’s cold when you get in it, she muttered under
her breath.
3. My first attempt at a polish up...
It's formatted, I've played around with it a bit, but I won't do a proper edit on it until I've got to the end of the novel and all of it is to this standard.
“It’ll be me first in the tub, Sparkles!” someone shouted, running past.
Startled, Tilda spun round, right into the middle of the
walkway.
“Watch out!”
Before she could move, someone crashed into her and
she went sprawling. She lay where she’d fallen, too choked on red dust to move, while a filthy young miner jumped quickly to his feet.
“Dammit, Yan,” he yelled. “It was my turn tonight!”
A whoop of triumph came from further down the road. Tilda
rolled onto all fours and got shakily to her feet. “I’m fine. Thanks for
asking.”
The miner rounded on her with a frown. “You should look
where you’re going.” He snatched up a bag which must’ve fallen to the floor
with him.
Anger heated Tilda’s cheeks. “And you should walk on the
pavement, not run,” she snapped, glaring at him.
“You’d run too, if you were me,” he snarled back, before
jogging after the disappearing Yan.
“Tilda, are you alright? I saw what happened.” Duska
hurried out of the shop.
“Yes.” Tilda tried to brush the worst of the dust off. “He
barged straight into me, and all for some hot water.”
“Ah…” To Tilda’s surprise, Duska laughed. “You don’t want
to get between a miner and his after shift bath. I’ve seen grown men fight over
who’s next into the tub. They have races, you know, see who can get down and
cleaned up the quickest.”
“I’ll make sure I’m out of their way next time.” To Tilda’s
horror, she felt her bottom lip tremble.
Duska must’ve noticed; she put a hand on Tilda’s shoulder. “I
think it might be best if we leave finding Feliks until tomorrow. Shall we go
back? See if Sasha’s finished washing that floor yet?”
Tilda nodded gratefully. “Yes, please.” She looked down the
road; the miner who’d crashed into her was just turning a corner. “I hope your
bath water’s cold when you get in it,” she told him, under her breath.
So there you go. That's my drafting process. I am finding too, that as I'm working on the first computer draft of this book, I get so far, then go back to do a section of polishing - but never so much that I haven't got a fair bit of the really naff, unformatted version to pick up from when I move the story forwards again. I suppose it's my built-in reminder of how I'm allowed to write 'badly' in the first pass...