Run! Hide!

[queenoftheskies]

It's time to take stock of where I am so I can determine where I want to go.

I know these posts are boring and I'll be lj-cutting them, but still...

In case you want to ignore my next few posts, I thought I'd be nice and warn everyone. :)

Comments

[mmarques.livejournal.com]

I see that you are working on a lot of different stories and novels. Do you find this a hindrance from finishing any specific work? Or that it helps prevent writers block (by having so many choices when you sit down to write)?

My works in progress are much more limited:
* Mysterious Paris - in revision
* "Blonde Bimbos on the Moon" - in revision
* A Science Fiction Fantasy - about half-finished, but may require a complete rewrite.
* Starved - only a detailed outline for now
* Trapped - only a high-level outline for now
* Untitled nanowrimo2001 - about 25,000 words that really suck. Not sure when/whether/how to use any of this idea. But that's what I thought of nanowrimo2000 until it became "Blonde Bimbos on the Moon."
* Adspeak - This was the original story-within-the story idea for nanowrimo 2000, until it was replaced by "Blonde Bimbos on the Moon." I love the opening sequence and the general idea. But I don't know the characters or where this story is going. Not even sure whether it's a novel or a short story.

[queenoftheskies.livejournal.com]

Normally, I have a novel project that is my primary focus. I try to work on that the most. But, because many of my novels fit into a series together, sometimes, when I write something that has backstory in another novel or that fits into something I'm writing on another, I do take the time to fill in the gaps on the other novel while what I've written is still fresh in my mind.

Also, I have a big problem with my brain being active almost constantly. I can't stop the ideas and often have scenes that I feel I have to write down to keep from losing the mood or intensity of them. Hence the different stories and novels.

Sometimes, I try to work on short stories just because it would be nice to have something to submit or because a certain contest strikes my eye.

It really doesn't seem to hinder me from finishing now that I've finished several novels and really seem to have the discipline to keep from straying too far. As long as I have words on my primary project and I'm still moving forward at a reasonable rate with that, I allow myself to stray.

You have an admirable number of works going yourself. Which do you find takes longer...writing the first draft? Or revising?

[mmarques.livejournal.com]

My numerous started works (as opposed to outlines) is due to participating in nanowrimo each year from 2000 through 2003. Each year I would start something new. In 2003 I finally completed a novel (Mysterious Paris) and my husband gently (but correctly) persuaded me as November 2004 was approaching, to continue revisions on that novel, rather than accruing a slew of unfinished novels.

Because all of my firsts drafts have been for nanowrimo ("Blonde Bimbos on the Moon" is the short story that I teased from that ghastly first attempt), I think the first draft is quickest.

Well, that's mostly judging from writing and revising Mysterious Paris.

"Blonde Bimbos" is tricky to judge. Is the first draft, the month I spent on 25,000 words of crap? Or the week I spent distilling it to a 4,000-word short story (which only used 3 scenes of the original unfinished novel, the general idea of the middle of that novel, and the resolution that I thought of for the novel, but never got around to writing)? If the first draft is the novel, then I'm almost tied between revisions and first draft. If the first draft is the short story, then I've spent more time on revisions.

"A Science Fiction Fantasy" was nano-attempt #3. I spent some time revising what I have, but it's not even finished and needs major rewriting, so that will definitely have more time on revision that the first draft (except that I'm going to rewrite rather than finish the first draft, so it's hard to say how it would compare to revising a completed novel).

How about you? Do you spend more time on revisions? Or more time with the first draft?