If you’ve been paying attention (and I don’t think anyone actually is), you’ll notice my word count hasn’t jumped since I achieved my goal of 25,000 words in 30 days. Ah, the SoloWrimo, good, stressful times. Drafting on the Prince and the Pirate Princess continues, and the word count will be updated shortly (it currently stands at 25,557).
It will, no longer, however, show as a goal. Though I have no insanity inducing, grade-dependent goal in mind, what I have is a writing process I enjoy. I’ve returned to the original process of writing a few pages by hand, then entering those pages, and I have to say I believe the writing is better for it. For those efficiency experts out there, this might seem incredibly in-efficient. It might seem like a doubling of the work. The more I think about it, though, the less I’m inclined to agree.
When an artist creates an image, they start with what’s known as “Broad Strokes,” where the general shape of the image is defined on the pristine, blank sheet of paper. I tend to think of these intial, handwritten drafts as my “Broad Strokes.” When entering my text, I can then refine those strokes by a second pass over the same material.
This process has really brought to life the phrase “Writing is Re-Writing” in that it has become my everyday writing plan. I review my outline, make notes on how the draft deviated and it’s execution, then handwrite the next portion of the story as noted in the outline. I will then re-write that same portion as I type it in. Clarity, plot-holes, loose threads, these elements are all address in that second pass over the same material which is all fresh in my mind.
I’m not only writing my novel, I’m re-writing it, bit by bit, scene by scene. It isn’t inefficient because my typed draft actually becomes the second draft of my novel. When I have this fully written second draft, the edits I make to it will result in a third draft. I come out ahead in the long run.
Cadence McKinnon 