Hello everyone! It's the first Wednesday of the month, and that means it's time to convene another meeting of The Insecure Writer's Support Group! Our leader Alex J. Cavanaugh has gathered a wonderful bunch of co-hosts for this month: J Lenni Dorner, Sarah Foster, Natalie Aguirre, Lee Lowery, and Rachna Chhabria.
Before I answer the optional question for the month, I'd like to acknowledge why I haven't posted for this in a while. Life has been crazy lately. Don't worry, it's been a good kind of crazy. My husband and I did some house hunting. The process of finding a house and getting everything in place was intense. We finally found a house and officially purchased it in mid-April. Then came the intense process of moving and getting everyone settled in. That isn't easy when you have a family of six, but we did it. We love our new home, and the kids all agree that living in a house with two bathrooms is superior to living in a house with one.
Today is also me and my husband's anniversary. We've now been married for 14 years.
And lastly, my kids are finishing up the school year this week. They're definitely thrilled that it's almost summer.
Now on to the optional question for this month: For how long do you shelve your first draft before reading it and re-drafting? Is this dependent on your writing experience and the number of stories/books under your belt?
It often depends on the project. For a short story, I might wait a week before diving back in. When it comes to a novel, I need more time to distance myself from it. I say I like to wait at least a month, but no more than two. I need to be able to look at the project with fresh eyes, but if I wait too long, I'm afraid I'll never get back to it because my passion for it might begin to fade. That doesn't mean I haven't dusted off a project that I haven't looked at for a year or more. Sometimes reading something I wrote long ago can reignite those embers and get me excited for the project all over again.
I think I came up with this number from listening to the advice of fellow authors, as well as getting a sense of what works best for me over years of writing.
How long do you like to wait before redrafting a story or novel?
Congrats on moving! My daughter and her boyfriend just bought a house, and it was intense to find one they could afford.
ReplyDeleteI like to let a manuscript rest a bit too before I tackle revisions.
Happy Anniversary and congratulations on your new house! Moving is definitely crazy and stressful! Glad everyone is enjoying the new place!
ReplyDeleteI've only finished two book-length manuscripts the first one was shelved for several years. The most recent one I put away for about a week and then got right back to it!
Kathy--Imagine Today
Moving into a new home is a huge undertaking. We did it twice while our 5 sons were home. Congratulations. You're in for lots of good times.
ReplyDeleteHi Laura,
ReplyDeleteIt is nice to have you back. So happy that you have a house and the whole family is overflowing with y´joy.
Take care and have a lovely month of June.
Shalom aleichem,
Pat G @ EverythingMustChange
Hi Laura, congratulations on moving into your new house.
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary to you and your hubby!
Rachna Chhabria
Co-host IWSG
Rachna's Scriptorium
Happy anniversary and congratulations on the house. One bathroom? The horror...
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on 14 years and making a successful move.
ReplyDeleteBumped to the bottom of the list. Tsk, tsk, tsk. LOL Kidding. I almost did, too. If I'd had small children added to my move, I would have. Glad you're back. :)
ReplyDeleteOh, the angst of house hunting compounded by packing up, then moving into a new home sweet home... and then amped by the needy needs of children! Oh my! I'm proud of your sanity - and Happy Anniversary! My husband and I celebrate our anniversary this Friday, June 4. It's all good.
ReplyDeleteYay, new house. I'm jealous of your other bathroom! The break definitely depends on the time spent on the draft.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your wedding anniversary. And a new house too - quite an adventure, especially with young children.
ReplyDeleteHope you're enjoying the new house. The whole process of moving does tend to consume everything else, but it's great when you're settled. I hear you on two bathrooms. We recently converted our upstairs loft cupboard to a shower room and it's made all the difference. There does not seem to be a magic formula on how long to leave a draft. But it is weird how if you leave something long enough (years, decades) and then read it back, it's like someone else wrote it!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the anniversary and the new house, and especially on the second bathroom! I cannot fathom having a family of six and only one bathroom. :-O
ReplyDeleteI certainly get what you mean by waiting too long. Strike while the iron is hot and your are enthused can be important. Congrats on the new house and an extra bathroom! :)
ReplyDeleteYes Laura, if I wait too long I forget the main gist of the story and characters. I usually have more than one project on the go at any time and that helps.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your house and your anniversary!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the new house and Happy Anniversary!
ReplyDeleteTake care and stay safe.