Whenever I go back and edit something, I feel like I'm not writing. I know, that's stupid. Editing is as much a part of it as the "getting it down on paper" part. I guess I'm frustrated with things that don't go together quickly, feeling pinched by finances maybe, trying to bring in some extra cash with my only real skill. I guess I tend to put aside those things that don't look like they'll go together quickly because at 46, I'm feeling pressed for time to "make it" as a writer.
Yeah, all that's illogical. The only way I will make it is to keep writing and rewriting.
Also, I spend a lot of time reading sites like this, critiquing instead of writing, and wasting time with no direction.
So, anyone else ever feel the same way? And how do you divide up your writing time?
Shane
[This message has been edited by Smaug (edited October 05, 2005).]
Posted by Beth (Member # 2192) on :
95% procrastination, 3% fresh drafts, 2%editing.
Posted by rcorporon (Member # 2879) on :
It's too depressing to think (and to put a number) to the amount of time I don't spend writing .
Ronnie
Posted by autumnmuse (Member # 2136) on :
I hate revision and avoid it like the plague. Well, minor edits and nits are okay. It's when the plot shifts and entire sections have to go. I just start over at that point. So I actually don't spend tons of time editing. More time is spent writing complete drafts. True, I will sometimes write multiple separate drafts of the same story, but to me it doesn't feel as awful.
And yes, I procrastinate a ton.
Posted by Silver3 (Member # 2174) on :
I love procrastinating lately. Tons of things are better than actually setting butt in chair . To me, although editing is part of the writing process, it is not writing per se. I don't feel happy unless I'm actually writing a first draft, which does not happen all that often. But after I've completed a story, my natural inclination is to edit it anyway. It's painful and I hate every moment of it, but I tell myself that in the end it makes for a stronger story.
Posted by Robert Nowall (Member # 2764) on :
Working to a schedule never seems to work for me for very long...sooner or later I abandon it, and go back to snatching some time whenever I can find it. (Usually on my days off plus an hour or two a couple of other days.)
Posted by Smaug (Member # 2807) on :
Seems like there are a lot of kindred spirits here!!! Thanks for your honest replies.
Posted by Warbric (Member # 2178) on :
I'm a procrastinator, too. I read a lot of history, writing books, and other authors' works, and call it "doing research," but I spend shamefully little time actually writing whatever the heck I call myself researching.
Oh, and don't feel bad about your age, Smaug. I'm at least a year ahead of you, so I feel that strong urge to get my act together, too.
[This message has been edited by Warbric (edited October 06, 2005).]
Posted by Miriel (Member # 2719) on :
Am I the only one who really likes editing? First drafts are hard. Second and third and fourth drafts are fun.
So, when I'm writing first-draft, I spend a lot of time procrastinating. When I'm doing revisions, I spend a lot of time working. And, in the mix, I spend time on here reading stuff, and some time checking out markets and sending out short stories and the like.
Posted by Avatar300 (Member # 1655) on :
I spend an hour in the morning telling myself I'm going to write and/or do some school work.
Then I spend the rest of the day doing neither.
I spend the half hour before I go to bed kicking myself for being so lazy.
Finally, I vow to do better the next day.
Posted by Smaug (Member # 2807) on :
That sounds familiar!
Posted by hoptoad (Member # 2145) on :
sometimes I procratinate by editing
Posted by Robyn_Hood (Member # 2083) on :
Between the procrastination...I mean, brainstorming...I seem to go in cycles. I'll do a lot of writing for about three months, then I seem to lose steam and I switch gears to editting. One by one I pull out the stories I've written and decided if I want to work on them or chalk them up to experience.
Lately I've been in an editting mode. None of the story ideas I have seem to have a strong enough voice and if I don't have the character's voice, I can't seem to write anything worth reading. So I've been editting. Pulling out the stories that I wrote four or five months ago, looking at them with fresh eyes and deciding what to do next. Several of them aren't worth any more effort, but a few of them have plots or characters I want to play with some more.
Hopefully this editting phase will pass and I'll start hearing my character's talk again. I have some ideas I want to play with, I just need to find the right way to tell the story and that won't happen until I'm done with the characters sitting on my hard drive.
(P.S. Beth's formula isn't too far off either )
Posted by keldon02 (Member # 2398) on :
First half of every writing session is editing and rewriting, freshening up the story. Second half is new writing. This can be half of fifteen minutes (mostly) or half a day (seldom).
Posted by Spaceman (Member # 9240) on :
I divide my writing time into minutes, that way, I know how long I've been writing.
Writing to me is:
Creating draft copy. Editing copy. polishing copy. Market research. Preparing manuscripts. Mailing manuscripts. Remailing manuscripts. remailing manuscripts. reading for critique. outlining. research. training yourself (including being on Hatrack) And on and on and on.
Writing is a business, and like any business, it has a lot of facets. Any one of them is time well spent.
Posted by Garp (Member # 2919) on :
My writing time is between 5 and 7 every morning. Writing, for me, is everything from idea development to final draft. Whatever I do, I generally do it between 5 and 7 in the morning.
Posted by Robert Nowall (Member # 2764) on :
I've never actually measured out the proportions of time between rough draft and final copy...but I sense I'm spending more time polishing than I used to. It's the computer. It makes it so easy.
)
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