Insecure Writer's Support Group
For how long do
you shelve your first draft, before reading it and re-drafting? Is this
dependent on your writing experience and the number of stories/books under your
belt?
My Answer
It depends on many things, but I've never felt that I released a
book too soon.
My latest WIP, A Passion for Murder, has been shelved
many times this last year. It's the final book in my Alaskan Mystery Series,
and I want it to be worthy of that title. I've sent it out to beta readers, and
while I received positive responses. I still wasn't happy.
I've done another re-write, and now, finally, I think it's ready.
I'll know for sure after a read-aloud edit, but I don't regret taking my time.
It may frustrate the readers, but time, I've found, only makes the story
better.
Be sure to say hello!
The
Great Wave is an iconic work created in the 1820’s by
Hokusai. Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) was a Japanese artist from the Edo period. He was a
master of Ukiyo-e, a genre of woodblock prints and paintings very popular at
the time in his country. Ukiyo-e translates loosely as ‘images of the floating
world.’ The Great Wave of Kanagawa, also condensed to The Great Wave, is part
of a series called Thirty-six views of Mount Fuji, is Hokusai’s most well-known
work. Have a peek at the series here.
And read more about Hokusai
here.
The
immediate response to this prompt could be to relate it to the tsunami of 2004
or the Japanese nuclear disaster. And it is a small step from there to jump to
the climate issues we are facing round the world, the unprecedented weather
patterns and natural disasters small and large.
But
a great wave need not be always of water – it can be a great wave of refugees.
And of soldiers. Or protesters and last but not the least, voters.
Equally
a great wave of an emotion – pain, love, bitterness, rage, nausea, which one
will your characters feel?
It
could even be a small wave, we'll leave the size up to you – the wave of a
hand, the flutter of a flag. Or cravat/tie.
So
many places to float away to, which one will you choose with this prompt?
Join the WEP for the third challenge
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI feel it is so important that the author is at peace with a book that published because that feeling of contentment flows over to the reader. I find it good that you work on it until you know it is ready and then you move on.
Hoping to see you at the WEP.
Have a lovely month of June.
Shalom aleichem,
Pat G @ EverythingMustChange
Why rush it? Completing a series is a big thing and it needs to go out with a bang.
ReplyDeleteTaking a little extra time to get it right is always worth it. I do a read-aloud edit, too. It is amazing how much you catch with that technique, especially in the rhythm.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree! Time is so important.
ReplyDeleteTaking the time needed for a story is paramount. Many beginner writers publish prematurely, but that is a mistake. A story needs time to germinate, and only the author knows how long that time should be.
ReplyDeleteI agree--it's no good trying to rush a book out. Having something out there that you are unhappy with isn't going to do you any good. And some books are stubborn, with issues that it takes a lot of time to suss out and more time to fix.
ReplyDelete