This is the first draft of NANTUCKET.
The manuscript weighs in at a hefty 123,336 words.
It’s also missing the last two scenes.
After much deliberation, I’ve decided that the best thing to do is to set the manuscript aside for 6 to 8 weeks; it will age and mature while I’m not looking, and then when I do my readthrough and cut out all the things that need to be cut, I will write the final two scenes.
As it stands, there are a lot of things that will need to be cut. For one thing, my end goal is a nice, trim 85,000 words. Also, I hadn’t wanted to revise as I wrote, so I made changes by writing subsequent scenes as if changes had already been written into the previous scenes. The result was a more enjoyable writing experience for me on the one hand, but on the other hand, because this is a mystery, there’s a lot still to be done during the revision process. I know there are several plot threads that aren’t followed as tightly as they should have been. Some of these threads might need to be dropped, as well.
And so I realized that my resistance to writing the final two scenes wasn’t some sort of psychological self-sabotage, but really just practical sense.
I didn’t want to sit down to write scenes that I knew would most likely have to undergo substantial changes. While I know the important things about the final two scenes – who the murderer is, how the murderer is caught, what happens to my main character as a result – there are a lot of things that I won’t be sure about until I’ve had a chance to read everything I’ve written up to that point, and cut what needs to be cut.
So I can safely say, this is definitely the first draft of NANTUCKET.
Yes, I’m finished!
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{ 53 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow that’s a lot of words! Congrats on finishing (well, you know what I mean). Good luck editing. I’m an edit-as-I-go sort of writer, so it’s hard for me to imagine cutting huge portions like that.
.-= Amanda´s last blog ..Suite Scarlett, by Maureen Johnson =-.
Thanks, Amanda. It was actually a comment you’d left earlier here that helped me decide – you’d mentioned that you weren’t able to finish one of your projects until you’d left it alone for a while, then when you came back to it, the rest of it just flowed. I realized that was exactly what was happening with me – it made so much sense!
I overwrite, so I don’t think I’ll have trouble cutting huge portions of the manuscript. There were also places where I wrote two or three versions of the same scene (hence the very large word count)!
It’s beautiful!!! But I don’t see page numbers. Already I’m worried someone will knock it off the table and it will be all out of order! :–)
I think “aging it” is a great idea. At least it works well for wine and cheese, so why not for manuscripts?
So heartiest congratulations on The Official First Draft!!!!!!!
.-= rhapsodyinbooks´s last blog ..October 7, 1885 – Birthday of Niels Bohr =-.
Thanks, Jill! And not to worry. I put it on the table to take a picture and then immediately tucked it away in a corner shelf where it can age properly (and probably gather just a tiny bit of dust – I figure that probably won’t hurt either).
Man, that is one hefty book!
Congratulations on your first draft! And good luck on your last two scenes/.
.-= Audrey´s last blog ..Review: Wonderland by Gabriel Common (and a way to get more entries in my giveaway!) =-.
Nice job and congrats on the “finish”.
.-= Cat Woods´s last blog ..Voice Lessons =-.
I am so happy for you that your manuscript is done!! I really do wish you well trimming it down and getting it ready to send out. How exicting! For what it’s worth, I do the same thing (leave it and then come back to it). I also have two people read it – people I trust absolutely who will tell me the truth about the book. Then I revise, etc…
I will definitely be lining up first readers for this book once I finish the first set of revisions, Margot. I suspect this one will require quite a few rounds of revisions …
WOOHOO! YAY! WOOHOO! Isn’t it a FANTASTIC feeling? Man that is some kind of a lot of pages. And don’t forget to check for filler words. They can drastically cut your word count if you’re like me.
I’m so happy for you, Belle. Good luck on cutting. And fixing those scenes. Hey–you just wrote a novel, my friend. CELEBRATE. :) And while you’re waiting on it to cure, check the agentquery and querytracker. It’s NEVER to early to start making a list of potential agents.
How are you doing on the fitness challenge? I’m trying to catch up. Almost there. I got a late start. Four days late. I am going to put the logo on the blog sometime tonight. :)
.-= Robyn Campbell´s last blog ..UGH to scenes that "drag" =-.
I just discovered Agent Query the other day, Robyn! Do you use the forums? It looks great, and I’m thinking I might join up after I finish NaNoWriMo. I haven’t heard of querytracker, so I’ll definitely check that out, too.
I am now doing 1.5 miles every other day. I like the every other day part. One problem I’ve discovered, though, is that on the days I run, I find myself craving chocolate.
Yay! It looks quite lovely sitting there in its glory.
.-= softdrink´s last blog ..How I Live Now =-.
CONGRATULATIONS!! You must feel great – that is such a HUGE accomplishment. Time to celebrate. :)
.-= Cathryn´s last blog ..Flying Out of Control =-.
Wahoo!!! What a great feeling :) Those last couple of scenes will just fly off your fingers when you get back to it.
.-= Jemi Fraser´s last blog ..Writing What you Read =-.
Congratulations! That is very impressive … especially considering that we’re just weeks away from NaNoWriMo. :)
.-= Melissa (Betty and Boo’s Mommy)´s last blog ..Book Review: The History of Love, by Nicole Krauss =-.
Yippee! That is a wonderful accomplishment. Now go reward yourself with something indulgent before you dig into the NaNoWriMo prep :)
.-= Janel´s last blog ..Book Review: The Myrtles Plantation =-.
Horray! I was so pleased when I saw that big stack of pages in my feed reader; you know I’ve been waiting for this post for ages and ages! Congrats on finishing, and good luck with WAVERLEY!
(…and that was an awful lot of exclamation points, but they’re all well-deserved. Good for you!)
.-= Memory´s last blog ..The Third Quarter =-.
I can’t wait to learn more about Nantucket.
Nantucket has been a favorite vacation spot of mine for years.
.-= diane´s last blog ..154 – The Magician’s Elephant; Kate DiCamillo =-.
I love Nantucket, too, Diane. But in this case, Nantucket is actually my main character’s first name! :)
LOL….It does not matter, I bet the story will be fantastic. Good Luck!
.-= diane´s last blog ..My First 24 Hour Read-a-Thon =-.
Good for you. That is a beautiful picture of a lot of hard and creative work. Congratulations. I’ll bet it feels wonderful.
.-= Margot ´s last blog ..An Old Favorite: The Joy Luck Club =-.
awesome, doesn’t that stack of papers look heaven to you. congratulations!!!
Congrats. What a great accomplishment!! I think it’s a great idea to set it to the side and look at it with fresh eyes. Then you can experience it as a reader too!
Can’t wait to hear more about Nantucket :)
.-= Erica´s last blog ..Where Do Your Ideas Come From? =-.
I left my book for six weeks and I think it has helped a lot. Congrats on finishing.
Congratulations! A completed first draft: what a beautiful sight to behold. Are you beginning a new project while Nantucket “marinates” (as my critiquing partner calls it)?
.-= Viva´s last blog ..Fear of Success =-.
I’m really eager to plunge into the worldbuilding and character sketches for my NaNoWriMo project, Viva. That’s my plan for October, anyway! Are you taking part in NaNoWriMo this year?
Looking forward to NaNoWriMo! I’ve been stuck in obsessive research mode for two months. I need NaNoWriMo to get me off the research/outline treadmill and into my next project.
.-= Viva´s last blog ..Publish and Perish =-.
Woo, congratulations! That stack of paper is truly impressive.
.-= Meghan´s last blog ..Review: The Road Home, Rose Tremain =-.
Congratulations–that is awesome!
.-= Stephanie´s last blog ..And the Winner is . . . =-.
I’ll bet that once you start editing the last two scenes will just flow right out. I’m so glad you’ve got that first draft done. To me, the first draft is the hardest part; I actually like editing. Wonderful news!
.-= Barbara´s last blog ..What I’ve Been Reading =-.
Congratulations! I think your idea of setting it aside for a little while is a great idea. Come to it with fresh eyes, ready to take on the task of editing and writing those final scenes.
.-= Literary Feline´s last blog ..TGIF: Wishlists & a Nearly Endless List of Questions for My Dear Readers =-.
WOW!!! How awesome! You should be so proud. Congratulations on such a monumental accomplishment!
.-= April´s last blog ..Book Cravings =-.
Congratulations! I am sooooo impressed.
.-= Cara Powers´s last blog ..E.M. Forster Invented the Internet =-.
Congratulations on finishing! Oh, but trimming out almost 1/3 of your words, scary!
.-= Jen – Devourer of Books´s last blog ..Library Loot – October 9, 2009 =-.
Congratulations!
I am so happy for you!
.-= Dorte H´s last blog ..C for Christie, Cleeves, Craig. =-.
Congratulations!!! I kept checking my feed reader for an I Am Finished Post. I have really enjoyed reading about your journey of writing this book. It has been very inspiring for me.
.-= LuAnn´s last blog ..Book Review: Find Your Strongest Life by Marcus Buckingham =-.
I felt a little iffy about titling this post “I Am Finished!” because of those last two scenes :) But it does feel to me like the first draft is officially done! Definitely exciting – thanks for following along on this particular writing journey of mine, by the way!
Congratulations! Go celebrate.
Thank you so much everyone! I know so many of you have been in on the writing of NANTUCKET ever since I plunged back into it earlier this year. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your words of support, and the fact that you’re all celebrating with me!
I love all the exclamation marks!!
Belle, the forums really help you to learn the process. And hey when you visit querytracker you can buy Elana’s book. I haven’t gotten it yet, but I plan on it. It’s downloadable and chock full of info on querying. I know some who have bought it and they say it is worth its weight in gold to a writer. Check it out. I plan on getting it. I just haven’t had the time.
I have been fixing my pitch. I have 5 minutes with an agent on Thursday. So I’ve been answering questions she might ask and trying to make my pitch SHINE.
I’m just about caught up on the fitness challenge. YOU GO GIRL. But don’t it feel good when you’re done for the day? AUGH! It feel good! :)
.-= Robyn Campbell´s last blog ..Books For Reluctant Readers =-.
I have Jeff Herman’s agent guide, the 2009 edition. I bought it earlier this year and honestly, I didn’t really think I’d be in a position to use it soon, but it just might come in handy! Have you heard about it? I’ll have to check out the querytracker book.
Bouncing into a new forum is always hard for me in the beginning – it always feels like stepping into a party in progress where I don’t know anyone. I keep looking around for the food table so I can at least stand around and nibble, but those are hard to find in forums!
Good luck with your pitch! It sounds like it’s a verbal pitch – are you going to be at a conference?
And it’s great that you’re almost caught up on the fitness challenge! Yes, it feels so good when I’m done for the day. Now I just have to stay away from the chocolate …
Yes, I have an older version of Jeff Herman’s guide. But do check out Elana’s book. I hear it is invaluable. I plan on getting it after I do my pitch. :)
My pitch is online. With Caryn Wiseman of Andrea Brown. I’m soooo excited. I got this because I do the Muse Online Conference every year. This is the first year for pitches. Mine was good enough to get in for a pitch session.
Oh the chocolate! Peanut m&m’s. And hershey and Dove and…oops! I’m trying to loose the 15 pounds I gained while completing my novel. Plus, I’m a type 1 diabetic so this exercise has got to help bring my blood sugar down.
Thanks for the good luck wish. Thursday is coming. YIKES! :)
.-= Robyn Campbell´s last blog ..Books For Reluctant Readers =-.
Congrats! That must feel fantastic! I can’t wait until I’m reading my ARC! : )
.-= Jenners´s last blog ..3rd Quarter Wrap-Up =-.
Woo Hoo!
I’m a firm believer in setting things aside so you can view them with fresh eyes when you return.
Congratulations!
.-= Laura @ I’m Booking It´s last blog ..Friday 56: Beat the Reaper =-.
Can I just say I’m jealous? LOL
Seriously though, Belle, it’s so wonderful to see all your hard work printed out like that and knowing you are just a couple feet away from the finish line. Aging the book is a brilliant idea and one I’m sure will pay off dividends.
.-= Ann-Kat´s last blog ..Giveaway: Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick =-.
Woo Hoo! Congrats. Getting that first draft on paper is the hardest. The editing is not as hard — I’m so proud of you.
.-= Beth F´s last blog ..Challenge: YA Dystopian Challenge =-.
Woo hoo! Congratulations. I am always in awe of people who can write.
.-= Debbie´s last blog ..In My Mailbox October 10 =-.
Great post and congratulations on finishing the draft! :) How exciting!
.-= Sheila DeChantal´s last blog ..Swimsuit by James Patterson (Audio Book) =-.
How exciting to see that stack of paper! I hope it matures/settles while you take your 6-8 weeks, and that with eyes refreshed you’re able to move to the next steps. Congratulations, Belle!
.-= Dawn – She is Too Fond of Books´s last blog ..Winners of *The Listeners* by Gloria Whelan =-.
Good for you to make it through that first draft!!!!!!
Congratulations!! Have fun in the interval and when you’re ready to tackle it again, you’ll find that all the kinks will have worked themselves out.
.-= Angie Muresan´s last blog ..to market, to market =-.
Wow! How exciting! I’m really impressed, Belle! I’m sure everything will fall into place once you begin the editing process. :)
What a beautiful picture! And congratulations on your first draft! Writers truly amaze me with what they do.
.-= Joanne´s last blog ..Review ? Dark Delicacies III Haunted ? Part 1 of 4 =-.
Belle! I am so happy for you! And so impressed! And so envious of your follow-through! I want to write but apparently my desire is less than my complete lack of focus. I cannot wait to see how it all turns out! Congratulations!!!
.-= Rebecca´s last blog ..Take Me Away…to New Zealand (Nonfiction Edition) =-.