Write On! :: Comments :: Editing unending

Here's an answer you probably didn't want to hear: the cause is in your head, so the solution is also there. :-)

Having a similar problem myself, I can only offer things that I've tried myself in the hopes that they might help you, too.

I don't think my NaNo experience will help in this case, since you have a complete draft already... that was always my big sticking point. I'd go back and edit the beginning before I ever got to the end.

Maybe you could set yourself a deadline? Or a "one more pass, straight through, then send it out" resolution? Or some sort of challenge suited to what you want to accomplish. That worked for me - I have a complete first draft now, courtesy of the NaNoWriMo challenge, which I'm fairly happy with and am working on my first editing pass to whip it into shape for submission.

One thing to remember, too, is that publishers have editors. It's their job to help you out with editing - it's your job to get their attention. And you can't get their attention (and help) if you don't send it out!

Ok, I should talk, I haven't submitted anything (aside from k5, who can be rather vicious in their rejections...). I'm working on a few things though... :-)
--
Who needs to be big and burly when you can just apply physics?

for readers with a really, really short attention span. It's changed the tone for voice of the hive entirely. I never seem to have a problem with banging out a first draft. Stopping the revisions, that's another story entirely. The honest truth is that in some ways it really is about not having to deal with rejection (sad, ain't it?) because if it isn't edited I really can't send it out. NaNoWriMo was fun. I banged out a novel that I enjoy telling the story for. The wife bought me a copy of Writer's dream kit and now I finally get that those things don't write for you. It DID show me a lot of natural conflicts and help me understand why my villains were villainous (instead of it being "Hey, someone's got to be the bad guy."). Instead it helped me set up a virtual terrarium of sorts where I fleshed out my character's histories and could see the conflicts that drive the story form as a result of that.

[ Parent ]

I just looked up the dream kit you mention. It sounds like it has some good ideas (as you mention, why are your villains villainous?) but also forces you to use their model of storytelling. That's one problem I've found with nearly all the writing programs I've looked at - they're either limiting to their model, or they're so free-form I might as well stick with Vim. (I have found a program I really like so far, but it's mac only - not sure which system you use - and still in beta.)

And I know exactly what you mean about not having to deal with rejection... as long as I haven't submitted, I can console myself with the thought that I'm a much better writer than most of the stuff that's published. :-)
--
Who needs to be big and burly when you can just apply physics?
[ Parent ]

a self-imposed deadline would be a good thing. First of March next year, I'm sending this thing in, someplace, and moving on to the next project.
Exploring dark places since last Thursday
[ Parent ]

Make a new account