Thursday 15 December 2016

I finished my first draft!! Now what?

I've been anticipating the end of my first draft for about a month now.  I could see the loose threads of several stories beginning to come together.  Plus, the word count was creeping up.  I even jumped ahead and wrote the last scene, as it sat in my mind, ready.  Then, of course, I had to go back and fill in the rest.

So what's a writer to do once they've finished the first draft?  Since reading On Writing by Stephen King, I've mostly been following his advice.  "Congratulations!  Good job!  Have a glass of champagne, send out for pizza, do whatever it is you do when you've got something to celebrate. . . Take a couple of days off -- go fishing, go kayaking, do a jigsaw puzzle -- and then go to work on something else. . . How long you let your book rest. . . is entirely up to you, but I think it should be a minimum of six weeks."  Stephen King, On Writing p. 196-197

So this morning, I finished my first draft.  I turned to my husband (who was fortunately home) and said "I finished my first draft!!"  He asked how many words.  "70727!" I said proudly.  I recorded the date, page number and word count in my little notebook with the words "1st draft complete. Ahh.  Then he went to work while I celebrated with toast and a second cup of coffee (it was too early for champagne and pizza.)  Then I added a few more details.  Then I save it and emailed it to myself.

Next a nice hot bath, a little read, a nap on the couch and another little sentence at the end of the book.  I think I'm ready to let it rest.  In the meantime, here's a little warning that it's not a Jane Austen adaptation this time.  However, I think my main character has many similarities to Elizabeth Bennet in that she loves dancing and isn't afraid to draw out a quiet man.  Here's a little picture clue as well.