Comments on: a question

By: Steph T.

Steph T. — Mon, 18 Apr 2005 17:00:23 +0000

Thanks guys!! I love seeing everyone’s process:grin:

By: Sylvia Day

Sylvia Day — Sun, 17 Apr 2005 08:36:09 +0000

I do chapter by chapter and once it’s done I don’t go back to it again, I just submit. It took me a year and a half to get to that point, I used to obsess. Now I just try to pay closer attention the first time I write and trust my cps to catch what I miss. I don’t know what this new process is doing for my writing, but mentally and emotionally, it’s much less draining.

By: Emily

Emily — Sat, 16 Apr 2005 22:52:10 +0000

I’ve actually just realized that this is what I have to do (somewhat from my re-reading of On Writing). My first draft is the “Everything but the Kitchen Sink Draft.” I usually have way TMI, and plot threads are sketchy - if existant at all.

Once the first draft is down, I can make the changes needed, and then I start to send to my CP’s a chapter at a time.

Emily

By: Jaq

Jaq — Sat, 16 Apr 2005 18:04:44 +0000

I used to do chapter by chapter, but then I realized that for the most part I was getting ‘grammar’ type crits. I do a lot of thinking/planning re characters/plot, so I think that’s why I wasn’t getting a lot of comments on those elements (in the sense that things needed fixing). Then I got less careless with the grammar stuff, and found the grammar comments had more to do with style–ie I’d used a comma, the cp would suggest a emdash– rather than being wrong. But I did find that I’d sometimes let my cps’ discomfort with some elements of a character/plot influence/bug me. And I’m anal about revising as I go and have come to a complete stop many times, to go back and change stuff, leaving the cps hanging for weeks/months. So now I’ve decided to finish the first draft without outside commentary/influences, then send the ms out in chunks as I do the final edits.

By: Cece

Cece — Sat, 16 Apr 2005 13:24:59 +0000

I used to do each chapter then found I worred so much about the crits that it slowed my progress down–having the WRONG CP’s didn’t help. Now usually I just write straight through, which means my poor cp’s get chapter by chapter but in a short timespan.
I have let them read the beginning of the new WIP because I’m contesting with it and also because I knew I had a problem early on and it’s stopped me. Of course, that problem could be more of a lack of motivation on MY part rather than theirs

By: Olga

Olga — Sat, 16 Apr 2005 07:18:14 +0000

I have several CP’s, and I benefitted from it greatly. But usually I write the book first, and then e-mail the chaps out. Great post.

By: Larissa

Larissa — Fri, 15 Apr 2005 21:10:09 +0000

Well, I took your poll, but I do a combination of things.

I used to sub every chapter, needing feedback from each one as I went. And at the time I probably needed to do it that way. Now I find that it slows things down and stifles me.

So what I do is sub my first 2-3 chapters just to make sure I’m on track, I sub my synopsis, and then I write the rest of the book. Only when it’s done do I let anyone see it–and at that point, I want more of a general crit than nitpicking!

Oh, and I wanna borrow this guy for a while: *g*

By: Sasha

Sasha — Fri, 15 Apr 2005 20:28:33 +0000

When I first started I NEVER shared with anyone. Then I decided I neede a cp, and then I had three of them! Then my confidence went downhill, and Now I feel like I need my cp’s approval before I continue. It’s not them, it’s me. I’ve lost my own confidence somwhere. I think getting back to not letting them see it until the first draft is complete is something I need to do. For my own sanity!

Thanks for the reminder.

By: Sharon

Sharon — Fri, 15 Apr 2005 20:18:03 +0000

Haven’t read “On Writing” but I do have critique partners, and I almost never sub chapter by chapter anymore. Not to say I’ve never done it, but I’m confident enough in my writing abilities and the direction I’m going to write the first draft or as much of one as possible before getting feedback.

I don’t like subbing too soon because if there IS a problem, it is likely to put a complete halt to the creative process. I’ll stop and ponder the “issue” instead of writing the rest of the story. Now you might say, but if there’s a problem, it’s better to know now rather than later, but in my book, it’s still much easier to revise a finished ms than it is to finish the first draft.

And *usually* any problems are small, and if drawn attention to are merely distracting, and I need all the help I can get to finish the damn thing.

The few times I HAVE subbed before finishing the ms, and this may sound odd, but when I receive a critique back, I shuttle to a folder where I save them all without reading it. I collect them and then when I’m finished with the story, I go back and open them.

By: Steph T.

Steph T. — Fri, 15 Apr 2005 19:48:51 +0000

*waves to Renee* I like the ‘closed but clear’ line of thinking:wink: Thanks for sharing - I love finding out other people’s process.

By: Renee Luke

Renee Luke — Fri, 15 Apr 2005 19:40:10 +0000

Loved, loved, loved, On Writing. I only have one critique partner, though there are a couple others who read my manuscripts when they’re done. My CP used to read each my chapters by chapter, but it’s been a while since she’d done that. She hasn’t read my work in a while, but we talk about ideas and problems and the story throughout the entire process of conception to completion. I’d vote on your poll, but none of these seem to apply completely. I don’t have a closed door draft because I’m talking my way through it with my CP. It’s more like a window. Closed, but clear.