Once I came down off cloud nine and reflected on what I'd done, I knew that this was not the end but really the beginning of another journey that I hadn't ventured along before - the editing and the rewrites.
So what have I achieved so far?
- I've completed a first draft of a dual narrative story, set in two separate decades.
- I've told Clara's story set in 1965 and Rose's story set mainly in 1947 and allowed them to come to a conclusion, the two stories interlinking at the end. Both characters had to overcome obstacles on their journey through their stories and these have been resolved to a satisfactory conclusion. (Well, I hope so!)
- I've managed to sustain a very long piece of fiction, explore characters in depth and develop plots and subplots.
- I've created a story that I'm proud of, albeit in its very raw state.
- Above all, I have learned so much about novel writing.
Where next?
- I've taken advice and I'm not going to look at the manuscript until the New Year. That way, it will serve to put some distance between me and the novel and hopefully when I next read it, I will be able to see its flaws more objectively. And I know there are flaws, lots of them! Here it is in a box file. I'm not going to open it no matter how tempting that will be.- As I was writing, especially during NaNo, I didn't stop to sort out things but inserted comments with reminders of what I needed to check or find out. That will be the first thing I'll do. I'll go through each of those comments or queries and try to rectify them. It may be something as simple as checking that names are consistent or finding out details about an event that happened at that time in history.
Look out for my blog series early in 2016 when I'll be tracing the next stage of my journey as a writer and hopefully enlisting your help with recommended tips and advice.
How did you feel when you completed your first ever draft of a novel? Did you manage to leave it for a while or were you tempted to start the re-drafting straight away?
Thank you for reading my blog. You may also follow me on Twitter @JanBayLit and on my Jan Baynham Writer Facebook page.
Congratulations on finishing your novel draft, Jan - and on the long listing.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Patsy. I appreciate you popping by to read and comment. 🙂
DeleteWell done, Jan. You're doing well with the writing now, keeping at it is the thing. I left my finished draft for ages and spend time with the first 3 chapters, then entered a competition. RNA new talent. Twice they put me on the shortlist, and that gave me the confidence to finish it. Look forward to reading it one day.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sue. Congratulations on getting onto the shortlist, twice! I think it's out at the moment so good luck with it. I'm looking forward to getting back to mine in the new year. Thanks for commenting.
DeleteCongratulations for finishing, Jan. It's a wonderful feeling, isn't it. Now, as you say, comes the hard bit. My advice as one who is at this same next stage... grow a rhino hide skin! Wishing you masses of luck as your precious baby enters the world. Keep us posted.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your good wishes, Wendy. Good advice about the rhino skin! I've been following your progress with interest. You do feel very precious about it to start, don't you? I'm hoping that putting it aside for a few weeks will allow me to become more objective. Being busy over Christmas should help with the temptation of going back to it too soon! I appreciate you popping over to leave a comment. 🙂
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on finishing your novel - such an achievement. And congratulations also on being able to follow the NaNo advice of keeping going instead of stopping to make corrections - such a hard thing to do. I'll look forward to reading future posts about your experiences of editing and revising.... followed by submitting. Exciting! Have a lovely Christmas xx
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sue. You, too. Then I'm looking forward to the hard road ahead and learning more about this writing business!! 🙂💻🖨📚
DeleteLots of celebrating to do, Jan. Many congratulations on all your achievements to date. Wishing you a lovely Christmas time filled with fun and laughter. Look forward to reading more about your journey in the new year.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Nicola. Best wishes to you, too, for a happy Christmas. 🎄🎄🎄
DeleteThank you for reading and commenting.
Well done! Yes, it's a great feeling to finally get to the end of a piece of writing, isn't it? And the first draft is always the hardest. Now you've got plenty of material to tweak and polish until it shines. Much easier than staring at a blank page or screen!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the mention and congrats on my Alfie Dog win. My novel (yes, that one I've been working on for YEARS!) has been firmly set aside for the foreseeable future, because part of the prize is that Alfie Dog will consider publishing a collection of my stories - if I can produce enough stories of a high enough quality ... So that will be my priority after the Christmas break.
It was a pleasure to mention your success. Exciting times for you, Linda, so good luck with the collection in the new year. Thank you for reading and commenting.
DeleteWoo-hoo!!! Congratulations on finishing your first draft Jan! Massive achievement. Feels good doesn't it?! Good luck with editing in the New Year :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Samantha. Yes, it does feel good but then I have a wobble about what it needs next. I expect when I read it in the cold light of the first re-read I'll panic and wonder how on earth I can get it into shape! Thank you for your good wishes and for popping over to leave a comment. 🙂
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