Writing an entire first draft before editing

"I'm not a very good writer. But I am an excellent re-writer." - James A. Michener.

 

It still works well for those of us who edit as we go.

I consider the impact of each phrase and sentence as I write it, rewrite and revise as I consider those, think of the possible outcomes and directions as I come to each fork in the road, have my betas check as each chapter is written and edit/revise as needed then - so no, I have never edited/revised after I write the last word. Polished, yes. Nothing more. Why? It's already been done. And believe it or not, there are, as I've said, many writers who do it this way. Hemingway was wrong, pure and simple.

 

@shadowwalker Well, fair enough, you're obviously comfortable with this approach, and I say whatever works for you, do it.

I had a friend back in high school days who used to write fanfic stories, and she always ended up with them pretty much the way she wanted them first time, and only occasionally had to cross out a word or two. Me? I wrote fanfic stories too, but ended up with pages of crossed out scribble, arrows pointing every which way, and usually had to re-write them several times before mine were as okay as hers. This was all before the days of computers, and I didn't have a typewriter then either, so it was all a pretty laborious practice. I do love wordprocessors that let you edit over and over. It transformed me, and made me able to finally 'write' as an adult.

However, I do think lots of authors do/did edit and re-edit after they finish. John Steinbeck did. E L Doctorow did. In fact he tells a funny story about how he wrote and re-wrote and re-wrote his daughter's sick note for her to take to school, because he just wasn't happy with the way it turned out! In the end, his wife had to write it. Apparently even James Joyce re-wrote his work. It would be interesting to poll authors today to see how they feel about this.

Just out of interest, what do you write yourself? Novels, short stories, poems?

I do totally agree with you on that one. I have found that using 'correct' grammar, spelling and usage becomes second nature, the more you write.

What I edit for is mostly story flow, pacing, things like that. Taking out elements that seemed like a good idea at the time I wrote them, but after reading through, I realise they actually make the story 'stick' a bit, or aren't really necessary because I've said or implied the same thing elsewhere in the story.

My last edit of my original novel entailed me re-writing a whole chapter from a different character's point of view. That simple change pushed the story forward much faster than my original did because it allowed us to 'see' more of the story's undercurrent. There was nothing actually 'wrong' with the original draft, but the change in POV made it work better.

This is the kind of editing I can't entirely do with a work in progress, but only after it's all finished and I see how it reads.

I am now at work on my second novel.

 

I've written them all lol I prefer novels, but like doing shorts. I suck at poetry - big time.

 

I believe every writer should approach the writing process the way that works for him/her. However, I use Martha Alderson's method because it works for me ---- revising and editing after I have written the whole story; otherwise, it creates double the work for me. If I revise and edit as I go along, what happens when I decide to change ideas, content, elements of the plot, etc.? Waiting until the draft is completed shortens the length of time I have to edit and revise.
LM

 

Unless he's writing a 1,095,000 novel, then why wouldn't he be finished?

 

I do a combination of both editing while I go along, just minor details, and then, when I've completed a first draft, I go back and edit in the same ravenous way I open presents on my Birthday.
(P.S. Keyboard Bouncing Up and Down on the Desk - Not a good thing).

 

750-1.5k on a bad day, but 2-3k on a good day (1.5k is my average usually). That's in about 3 hours though :/
And then up to between 7.5k and 10k if I'm really in the mood and just can't stop writing. But then, in that case, that's a day where I sit and my desk and wonder why I have no friends
60-85WPM if I'm flowin'