Tuesday, December 11, 2007

How Do You Get Back To Work?

We all know that I finished my first draft of AT&B on Sunday, December 2nd at 4:01pm. That one I shouted from the roof top. In fact, I think Bill may have heard me over in Greenwich.

I wrote so many words that weekend (19k+) I couldn’t begin too start edits as my mind would not wrap around anything for several days.

It’s now been a week and I still have not begun them. My office is a wreck, the tree needs ornaments and…give me a second, I’m sure there is something else. I even have a great three chapter crit from Maven Lacey from the Manuscript Mavens. How much more can a girl ask for?

See what I mean. I’m finding excuses to not start on it. I didn’t actually realize that until this morning. I’ve made goals for this next part of the journey and still here I sit. Every time I pick it up ready to go, I sit there and decide not just yet. Or I think to myself, you really should clean out the fridge. Clean out the fridge??? Now who thinks that?

So, how about you? What do you do when you need to start your edits? How do you get yourself to go back to page one and begin?

Side note here: If you’re not reading the Mavens blog, you really should add it to your list of daily reads.

WW’s and PD’s,
Vicki

7 comments:

Alyssa Goodnight said...

I tell myself that I'm just gonna do a little bit. For me the hurdle is sitting down and opening the file. After that, I can't help but tweak and edit--it's addictive.

So just open the file, Vicki!

Jill James said...

I go in my office and lock the door. I can't leave until I've edited at least 3 chapters. I usually do 3 chapters at a time, then a break.

Erica Ridley said...

I go through similar slumps from time to time (not necessarily with edits, although occasionally) and I think it's usually fear of success. I mean, once the edits are done, you've gotta send it Out There into the big unknown, right? That can be scary. I'm finishing edits on a story now. I flew through the first 3/4 like gangbusters, but now that I'm almost to the end... well... maybe The Closer is on. Or maybe I should rearrange my office. Or double-check the alphabetical organization of my books and DVDs. Or...

I have no magical solution except what Alyssa said: we've gotta just do it!

Bill Clark said...

Oh, is that what woke me up at 4 AM? (Seriously, something did, but then I just turned over and hugged the pillow and fell back asleep.)

P.S. My blog counter hit 10,000 today. Come and join the party!

PatriciaW said...

You've only been avoiding for a week. I've been avoiding since mid-November! Part of it is that first draft and revisions are different writing rhythms. I've figured that much out. I found first draft much easier to do in spurts. Revisions not so easy that way, at least not for me. And chunks of time are hard to come by.

I'm thinking Jill has the right idea.

lacey kaye said...

Have you started now? Huh? Huh?

I think E might be onto something. Hmm.

Vicki said...

Lacey, I started yesterday. Ten pages. Not as much as I need to do each day but at least I started. :D

I think E is right. Once its done then you gotta send it out and that's the scary part. That and when I opened the book to a random page and read it, I thought this is bad...really bad. My cp assures me it's not bad but still...