First Draft Blues

It`s like hell in Southern Norway, a three week heatwave is just about to

drain all energy from nearly  everybody, but I guess we`ll survive. Hope all

is well with you.

I`m having trouble finishing my book, don`t know how to continue to the end.

It may be better as soon as the heat goes, hope so. I look at your scene

tracker every day, again and again and I see how clever you are to grip the

meaning and help writers like myself. But now?  The more I read it the worst

it get. Maybe I should get one hour with you if it get any worse?

Answer:

I’m sorry about your weather. I do wonder how much the heat is contributing to and influencing your lack of Â

progress. I send you thoughts of a cool and calming air floating Â

through your mind and bringing peace, both with the temperature, but Â

mostly with your story.

Don’t forget: the first draft is supposed to be like “vomit-on-the-Â

page” — horrible, embarrassing, messy, infantile, etc….

No matter how terrible, once you have a first draft, you are then Â

able to refine, hone-in, smooth out, bring meaning and beauty to your Â

work. A first draft is critical both for the final product, but also Â

for you to know you have finished what you started (though there will Â

obviously still be lots of work to do).

You are being tested. Writing to the end is not for the faint-Â

hearted. I know you can do it!!!!

I’m always available for another hour. I’m more than happy to get you Â

back on track. See how you feel and let me know.

Three links you may like to read:

1) my blog speaks a bit about what you are going through — http://Â

plotwhisperer.blogspot.com/

2) the page to sign-up for another consultation, if you so decide — Â

http://www.blockbusterplots.com/consult/ongoing.html

3) my 89 year-old Swedish-born mother’s blog I thought you might get Â

a kick out of reading — http://svensto.blogspot.com/

I believe in you!!! Keep at it……

Response:

Thank you so much.  What you said about the first draft made it so much

better for me. I feel now that I can finish, and then I start to refine and

change all that awful stuff.  My God, this is just so wonderful, I must have

been blind dumb and deaf to not think about that. You really put it into

place for me dear angel. Gosh!!!Â

I`ll let you know how I progress, and you are so right about that throw up

feeling when I read it and never thougt of it as my first draft.

Hallelujah!!  And if I get stuck again I`ll call out loud and clear.Â

Lokking forward to read your mothers blog, thank you.

The terrible heat is gone and I pray to heaven it does not come back.  Last night

thunder and lightening and lots of rain, wonderful.

And oh, should I print out my first draft before I start anew, or work on

what I have rigt here on my computer. How do others do it and what do you

think is best?  Sorry to bother you so much, hope you forgive me for that.

Thanks a thousand times for your belief in me, I know you mean it and I`ll

work all I can and remember your good advice, that first draft is blah….

Ps. I just have to tell yoy, that nobody here talk about first drafts, but I

guess they write more than one, but never tells about it.  You sort of have

to help yourself so I`m happy I found you, thanks again.

(NOTE: I’ll address her question about rewrites in the next post…)