That Elusive Spew Draft

[douglas_clegg]

 Monday, February 18, 2008

Dear Reader,

Having your own business -- in my case, a business that is more of a vocation (writing novels) -- takes away all the joy a national holiday presents. Today is Washington's birthday, which might also be called Presidents Day, although I can never remember which it is.

And all it means to me is there's no

Comments

[aulus_poliutos]

I can't write fast, crappy first drafts to save my life. No, it's writing out of order, with nothing but a general idea and some historical notes, and polishing the scenes I get that way until they no longer make me vomit. That's why I consider 12K during Nano a decent outcome. :)

[douglas_clegg]

I write the way you describe...but I really want to upchuck a draft now and then. Just to get that feeling.

I hear if you eat ice cream before you vomit the draft, it's sweeter and less sour.

Sorry, I'm getting carried away by the whole vomit issue.

[aulus_poliutos]

Yeah, it would be nice to write The End under one of the 5 NiPs I'm working on right now.

Well, on the plus side I'll have several almost finished novels in a short row in a few years. Three of them even belong together, sorta.

[cherry_faery]

As someone who writes vomit drafts, I have to say that I very much envy the other side of things. I think there's nothing quite as scary as getting further and further along in a manuscript and knowing that all too soon, it's going to be time for those dreaded revisions.

In any case, I'm glad to hear that your new book is going well!

Cheers!

[douglas_clegg]

It doesn't matter if it's a vomit draft or a micro-edited draft. You get to the end and you STILL have a huge web to untangle.

[mariadkins]

What you describe is what a bunch of us call "bleeding words".

[douglas_clegg]

Sadly, "bleeding words," makes me thinking of "bleeding hemorrhoids."

Not sure why. But it does.

I'm sure a good psychiatrist could tell me exactly why I'd say that.

[mariadkins]

Do we really want to know?

Spewing

[katelaity]

LOL -- here's to spewing, Doug. I'm in chapter 10 (of 13) of a vomit draft and it's rolling along well. I've never been quite so free before. I used to always agonize and micro-edit. I suspect I've only been able to loosen up when I realised how old I was getting and how much more I need to write. Hee hee!

Re: Spewing

[douglas_clegg]

Kate - I feel the same, regarding age. I just want to write more novels and stories, and I slowed down in the past two years.

No more, sez me!

Oh wait, I have to go vomit another draft...

[dynastic_queen]

The trick is... vomiting with alot fewer chunks. Getting more of a smooth, peanut butter consistency the first time.

THAT is heaven, I tell you. :)

[douglas_clegg]

Classy!

Is there jelly in that peanut butter?

[dynastic_queen]

ROFL!! I hope not. PB & J is one of my favorites things, and vomit should not be appetizing. LOL