tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post2513764719269158583..comments2024-03-27T10:02:56.747-04:00Comments on Fiction University: Top Five Fast-Drafting Tips for WritersJanice Hardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-4253159215308658062018-10-10T11:17:35.089-04:002018-10-10T11:17:35.089-04:00I am not doing it. I am right now. Doing other thi...I am not doing it. I am right now. Doing other things like taking care of a family member. I am writing a young adult novel about an arranged marriage and Lina who is the main character is in love with some one else and not the person she is suppose to marry. I plan on finishing it and making it close to maybe 80,000 words when done. <br />So I have a lot to write about scenes and the characters and what happens in the scene. Bre Albinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14983352123492807165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-34183788437224423342015-09-13T22:16:37.995-04:002015-09-13T22:16:37.995-04:00I completely agree, Ava. I won Nano in 24 days in ...I completely agree, Ava. I won Nano in 24 days in 2013, and that included a full life, too. But my advice to any writer or any creative is that it's okay to say "no, I can't make it, I'm writing." I do that a lot unless an event is super important. Your friends and family will understand!Jo Vracahttp://www.jovraca.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-69762760667328197952015-09-09T19:26:37.088-04:002015-09-09T19:26:37.088-04:00That helps a lot! Thanks!That helps a lot! Thanks!Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07681932402948885690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-75467463499926146402015-09-09T15:35:46.651-04:002015-09-09T15:35:46.651-04:00Ah, well, family emergencies and other life things...Ah, well, family emergencies and other life things definitely take a priority over NaNo. But I do hope you get to try it! It can be a great experience if you think fast-drafting might work well for you. :)Gabe (Ava Jae)https://www.blogger.com/profile/04778524723148508140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-49922724289905680152015-09-09T15:34:57.439-04:002015-09-09T15:34:57.439-04:00Third time's a charm, right? :) Good luck with...Third time's a charm, right? :) Good luck with NaNo this year! Gabe (Ava Jae)https://www.blogger.com/profile/04778524723148508140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-40287906408044044152015-09-09T15:34:29.658-04:002015-09-09T15:34:29.658-04:00Hey Matt!
While I always fast-draft my first dra...Hey Matt! <br /><br />While I always fast-draft my first drafts, I don't fast-revise when doing my second/third/etc. draft—in fact, I think it'd be pretty impossible to speed through revisions and do a halfway decent job. Revisions take a lot of careful thinking over and working, and while I DO generally get through revision rounds quickly, it's more because I binge revise and use just about every spare hour I have until the revisions are over. Which isn't really speeding as much as it is hyperfocusing. <br /><br />As for your second set of questions, definitely the latter. Fast-drafting allows me to get the story down without worrying about any part of the writing process or getting hung up on any issues so that I can then later fix them—after all, you can't edit what you haven't written. :)<br /><br />Hope that helps! Good luck with your writing!Gabe (Ava Jae)https://www.blogger.com/profile/04778524723148508140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-73712448933117460662015-09-09T15:31:53.135-04:002015-09-09T15:31:53.135-04:00You're welcome! Thanks for reading. :)You're welcome! Thanks for reading. :)Gabe (Ava Jae)https://www.blogger.com/profile/04778524723148508140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-5018713882790356522015-09-09T15:31:39.075-04:002015-09-09T15:31:39.075-04:00That's great! Sounds like you've definitel...That's great! Sounds like you've definitely figured out a system that works well for you, which is awesome. I also like to aim for more than 50,000 words when I suspect my first draft is going to go over that (which is increasingly, but not always the case for me.) Not sure if you intend to participate this year, but if so, good luck with this year's NaNoWriMo! :)Gabe (Ava Jae)https://www.blogger.com/profile/04778524723148508140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-20524318958654571672015-09-09T15:29:56.409-04:002015-09-09T15:29:56.409-04:00That's very true! I definitely agree that ever...That's very true! I definitely agree that everyone works differently, and fast-drafting is absolutely not a one-size-fits-all method. For some people it works great and for others not so much, and that's okay too.Gabe (Ava Jae)https://www.blogger.com/profile/04778524723148508140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-45007062595600470202015-09-09T15:29:08.149-04:002015-09-09T15:29:08.149-04:00I hope you try out NaNo! It's a great experien...I hope you try out NaNo! It's a great experience and it sounds like you're already well equipped for it. :)<br /><br />That's so interesting about the beats! Cool idea. I've never been good at dictating stories (I stumble way too much over my words), but I think it's awesome that you've figured out a way that works so well for you. 1,000 words in ten minutes is super impressive. "What comes next?" is how I like to plot, so I definitely get that. <br /><br />And finally, that's a fantastic way to look at a first draft—and is also how I like to handle it. It takes a lot of the pressure off and makes the whole experience much more enjoyable. <br /><br />Thanks for sharing your thoughts!Gabe (Ava Jae)https://www.blogger.com/profile/04778524723148508140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-60325416269371230932015-09-09T15:25:45.167-04:002015-09-09T15:25:45.167-04:00Thank you! I hope NaNo goes well for you, should y...Thank you! I hope NaNo goes well for you, should you decide to participate this year! :)Gabe (Ava Jae)https://www.blogger.com/profile/04778524723148508140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-7993761585580400832015-09-08T19:33:52.914-04:002015-09-08T19:33:52.914-04:00I absolutely agree with all these reasons. i did n...I absolutely agree with all these reasons. i did nano for the first time last year and have learned a lot of these similar concepts. especially numbers one and two. these are fantastic tips, especially anyone who is going to participate for the first time.<br /><br />~K.A.C.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-18062474821599944372015-09-08T19:24:49.109-04:002015-09-08T19:24:49.109-04:00I'm still debating whether or not I'm goin...I'm still debating whether or not I'm going to do NaNo this year, which would be my first. I fast draft already, and I actually dictate my first drafts. I've already been diagnosed with CTS in both wrists, and I'm incapable of editing by dictation, so that's a lot of typing for me at that stage.<br /><br />For me, I don't tend to have an outline, but I have to have a story beat that I'm working from. If I don't have a beat, I can probably type 500-600 words/half hour. With a beat, I can hit over 1,000 words in ten minutes (dictating). And then I only have to figure out "what comes next?" instead of "what's going to happen from now until the end" which I don't always know.<br /><br />For me, the first draft is for me. It's to get the words out on the page. Then the editing kicks in and I can make it pretty then.<br />Ronanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-34823909865919328822015-09-08T16:13:42.069-04:002015-09-08T16:13:42.069-04:00I have a different way of writing. A chapter that...I have a different way of writing. A chapter that might end up at 2000 or 2500 words will only be 700 to 1000 at the end of the first past. I call this the bones. The another pass to add muscle and sinew. Yet another pass adds the skin and color. So my first draft consists of a minimum of three passes.<br /><br />So blind, fast writing doesn't work for me. I did finish NANO in 21 days but the result was almost useable.<br /><br />Each of us has our own way. The more I write, the more complete my outlines become. For other plotters, I suggest the blog The Story Grid and the book Story by Robert McGee.<br /><br />The suggestions from Ms. Jae are all good. I would encourage other writers to adopt those that improve your process and not worry about the others.Brianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16620367133264855090noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-27562795375930289232015-09-08T14:00:36.464-04:002015-09-08T14:00:36.464-04:00I love Nano and fast-draft several books each year...I love Nano and fast-draft several books each year. #1, 5, 6 are the biggies for me. Like you, I build a buffer into my word goal. There are going to be some days that I fall short, so I make sure that if I meet my goal most days, I am going to be able to finish the novel on schedule. My goal for fast-drafting months is always 100,000 words rather than 50,000 words, because my completed novels run 75,000-100,000 words. <br /><br />I take every Sunday off of writing, so that is figured into my goal number and provides a built-in rest-and-recover day each week. Mondays I hit the ground running, feeling refreshed and eager to go. <br /><br />After a couple of Nanos, I figured out that I really did need some kind of outline if I was going to avoid getting bogged down or blocked mid-month. So I learned how to outline!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04217192664906748187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-29756626190477807902015-09-08T11:59:19.416-04:002015-09-08T11:59:19.416-04:00Helpful advice. ThanksHelpful advice. ThanksCarol Baldwinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10444182118975929045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-7486002356597630222015-09-08T10:57:55.504-04:002015-09-08T10:57:55.504-04:00Thanks for the lesson, Ms Jay! I have some questio...Thanks for the lesson, Ms Jay! I have some questions, if you don't mind.<br /><br />Do you fast-draft every draft or just the first (or first few) drafts?<br /><br />Do you find that fast-drafting helps you work out the weaker parts of a story? Or is fast-drafting more of a way to move past those parts without getting hung up on them, to get the framework down so you can work through those issues later?<br /><br />Thanks!Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07681932402948885690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-30957953126508148762015-09-08T09:35:44.549-04:002015-09-08T09:35:44.549-04:00I have done Nano a few times and I have not won! 2...I have done Nano a few times and I have not won! 2 out of the 3 times I quit and was focused on working and school. This year I am going to be writing a non-fiction book, so I am very excited. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16052305719387284025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-48923187974870601342015-09-08T09:27:12.877-04:002015-09-08T09:27:12.877-04:00I haven't yet made the plunge into NaNo. I int...I haven't yet made the plunge into NaNo. I intended to last year, and a family emergency a few days before November derailed my plans. I'm tentatively considering it this year again. Marcyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18326611302720771943noreply@blogger.com