Thursday, June 30, 2011

Writing Goal

There's an idea kicking around in my head that I really want to write. It makes me excited to think about and daydream about and I can't wait to see it come together. But . . . I promised myself I'd finish the manuscript I'm working on first. So I've decided that I'm going to finish writing the first draft by July 16th. I currently have 25 pages. (Well, I have 85 pages, but I'm switching POV, so I'm not sure how many of those I can count.) I also have a pretty solid (for me) outline.

It's going to be an interesting couple of weeks.

I'm trying something different with this draft. At WIFYR a couple weeks ago, someone mentioned that writers fall into two kinds: take out-ers and put in-ers. In other words, writers either overwrite and have to edit down or writers underwrite and have to flesh it out. I'm the latter. I always end up with skeletal drafts and have to flesh them out. This time, I'm trying to write more in scene and do less summarizing as I go. I'm hoping this will be a take-out draft. 

How are your writing goals? Are you working on anything new and exciting?
Posted by at 3:52 PM

6 comments:

  1. Love those shiny new ideas. Good luck, I hope you reach your goal!

    I am the same, a put-in-er. (That looks weird.) I have a new project that I'm working on, but I am also moving in two week and going on two vacations before that. So it's sloooooooow. A page every other day.

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  2. I also am a putter-inner. Especially when it comes to endings, which I despise. My climax+denouement from my WIP are 15 pages combined. *headdesk*

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  3. Liesl--Thanks! Good luck to you! I went out of town the day after WIFYR, which was basically like two vacations in two weeks. That was crazy enough--I can't imagine trying to move on top of that. You're amazing!!

    Tary--I am the same way with endings! I'm so excited to finish that they end up being impossibly short. Ugh. Good luck putting in. :)

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  4. Hi Jenilyn, I just found your blog. Starting a new project is so fun; I hope you reach your goal!

    I have a new (sort of) time travel novel to write, but am editing my ghost novel first.

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  5. I believe in you! I'm also trying to finish my first draft by mid-July-ish. (I'm now up to 100+ pages). Unfortunately, as you already know, I'm definitely a take-outer. Luckily for me, I have a devoted sister who *loves* to read my stuff. Right?

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  6. Hi, Jennifer! Nice to meet you! Ooh, a ghost novel sounds like fun. Good luck with the editing!

    Rosalyn--It sounds like the race is on! Now, if only I wasn't aiming for 15-20K longer than you... :)

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