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Old 11-03-2006, 11:52 AM
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Vodstok Vodstok is offline
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Join Date: Jan 2004
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Roderick Usher View Post
No.

and this is why.

If something isn't working by page 20 (3-4 days in), it's the wrong idea and I move on.

And my partner and I handle drafts this way:

Come up with a loose story and tight characters, people you understand before the first word is written, then place them in the middle of a story and let them dictate the action.

1st draft, from the gut & groin - fast, sloppy and passionate

2nd Draft from the heart - make sure characters speak, act and react appropriately for their situation

3rd Draft and beyond is head work - this is where spelling, punctuation, sentence structure and the "nuts and bolts" of the craft is applied.

Thinking a first draft should come out perfect is unrealistic and thinking your first draft IS perfect is delusional.

A writer writes.

Writing is rewriting.

Hope this helps.
I figured you would weigh in :)

And it always helps. Two people really light a fire under my ass when it comes to writing, my wife and Rod. I think you make the dream more real, which helps a LOT. Plus first hand advice from a pro is always a good thing.

I have found that skipping the "i need to do one more thing before is start" thing just doesnt work. i just hit the ground running now, start writing and let the ideas pour out of my head. i figure, it WILL be messy, so i will egt some bounty and clean it up later.

i never realized how much philosophy went into this. Even with posts, Im on page 5 now. Good fight scene, right form the get go. I htink one of my major problems has to do with something you (Rod) seem to have pointed out as oneof my strong points; Pacing. I can feel a goo dflow when i write, and when it is right, it's like sliding down a snowy slope on Clark W Griswold's preservative, i cant stop.



but if something feels off with the flow, i have a hard timeignoring it and pushing forward. a nice thing about being older, though, is having the discipline (finally) to just say "i have to do this."
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