Monday, May 18, 2009

First Drafts: Fat or Skinny?

Today I have a question for all you writer-types out there. I'm in the process of writing the first draft of a novel, and it got me wondering about the what the writing process is like for other writers.

For instance, as you write a first draft do you tend to over-write and then go back and cut when you start the editing process? Or are you brief and then go back and flesh out the story as you start the editing process?

So far I've found that I tend to be brief but when I go back and reread segments I can see where I need to add more to make the story richer.

Which works best for you?

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think everyone is absolutely different with this.

My very first draft is barely a draft and then I add, add, add, but then I got to the end, and it's TOO LONG so I am having to cut, which is rather horrendous.

Others in my writing group underwrite and still another, well, she writes it just right every time. :( ha.

Terri Tiffany said...

This time I just wrote and wrote and did not let myself self-edit. It worked so much better than the other way for me!Good luck!

Cheryl said...

I tend to write too much, then I have to go back and edit like crazy.For whatever reason it's easier for me to rewrite than to write. I'm working towards writing everything in my head first then putting it down when I feel it's more or less done. But I am definitely a fixer.

Anonymous said...

I am trying to teach myself to just plow ahead. Fix it after and stop fussing! Just get the words on the page.

Jewel Allen said...

Most of the time, I get the story down first and then add the details. Tess Uriza Holthe summed it up best. The first draft is the house frame, and the next draft, you fill in the details.

But there have been some times when I will write a mood-filled piece that will later become my a key chapter (not necessarily to keep) to start a story. When I get in this groove, I never turn it down.

Cicily Janus said...

I tend to write thick. Thickly laden adverbed and overdosed paragraphs of words that will surely meet their death! Weight Watchers is always a necessary evil for my drafts once they're done. :) I tend to agree with Terri. Just write, write, write...etc. Get it ALL out. Who cares at this point what it is, just let it flow. Clean up after the party.

Elizabeth Bradley said...

It varies. Some pages come easily, some hard. Sometimes I edit, sometimes I just get it all down and then begin to edit. Once in a blue moon, it comes out almost, almost where I want it to be, almost, almost what I originally saw in my mind's eye.