So, my progress hasn’t been as spectacular as I would’ve liked.
Yes, I finished Second Chance, but it’s just shy of 60,000 words, and I was aiming for 70,000.
The story is complete, and I almost always add another 10-15% in revisions. While I have heard the advice to “kill your darlings”, I simply don’t write a lot of extras.
Actually, I write quite the opposite way.
While I’m not a plotter, some might consider my first draft closer to a robust outline than a fully finished novel. I need to go back and add more internal dialogue for the characters, give better descriptions of places, and expand on several other details to make the characters feel more real.
But the plot is there. Character motivation is there. And I think the chemistry between the characters really works. It’s not what I had originally set out to create, but my dark mage surprised me, and I ran with it.
At lot more will be fleshed out during editing. This is partly because I give myself at least six months between finishing a first draft and editing it. It gives me space from it so I can come back with fresh eyes, and I can see better what I’m missing as I am not as close to what I know is happening versus what I wrote.
I have plenty of other projects to work on in the meantime, so I promise I won’t be idle.
Like that edit on Knight of Valor.
Which I *might* not have gotten as far on as I would have liked.
Okay, I definitely didn’t.
I have a slew of reasons. That trip to Ohio. The slog. My day job and April 15th happening this month.
Still, I did get Second Chance written, and I’m almost 1/3 of the way through this revision for Knight of Valor. Then it’s back off for another round of beta reading.
I already have back A Knight’s Redemption (working title) that I’m planning to release later this year. I will start making those edits as soon as Knight of Valor is ready. There’s a whole lot less red on that one, so there’s a good chance that will be ready on time.
Editing A Knight’s Redemption is my June goal, and if I can meet it, I will back on track by the end of June.
Maybe.
I like your approach. You know yourself and your writing process. I sympathize with the interruptions. Frustrating, but necessary. You’re still moving forward, maybe not at the pace desired, and you keep coming back and pushing. It’s the writer’s life, innit?
I really like that idea of giving yourself 6 months between drafts to edit–it really helps to create distance and “fresh eyes.” Thanks for sharing this tip!