Great Writers Never Stop Writing: Establishing the Cycle

Camp NaNoWriMo may be over, but creative inspiration doesn’t stop. Maintaining a writing habit takes as much care as revising your first draft… today, R.M. Prioleau, an active NaNoWriMo participant and independently published author share her tips for building a writing and editing rhythm:

If you are one of the many who have won this year’s Camp NaNoWriMo, then congratulations! You have done the majority of the hard work—getting your book out on paper. But don’t think it stops there… especially if you are considering publishing your great work of art. Sure, you’ve managed to write ‘The End’, but the manuscript is far from being officially done. This is the first draft. And you’ll need to be prepared to spend a lot of time with that first draft.

But before you do anything, put that first draft away. Seriously. The longer the better. While you’re letting that manuscript simmer, start on your next book (just in time for July’s Camp NaNoWriMo!). After you’ve allocated enough time away from your first manuscript, take it out and read through it again with fresh eyes and a fresher mind. You’ll cringe, squirm, and think, ‘This totally needs to be reworked before I can even think of letting the world read it’.

Remember, this is your first draft. A good piece of literature should be revised at least a few times. You shouldn’t rush perfection. This is your baby, and you want it to be as well-raised as it can be. First draft revisions can be a pain, but they’re necessary. Sometimes revision requires entire scenes and chapters to be rewritten. For me, revision of a first draft can take upwards of 2-3 months.

After you’ve revised, self-edited, and rewritten to your heart’s content, you should let others read and critique it. This is where critique groups are essential. The more fresh eyes on your work, the greater the chance someone will find something wrong with it. And I always say, “Better my editor and critique partners find the flaws in my story than a reader’. Once your book gets into readers’ hands, you’ve made a statement. Set an expectation. And there’s no greater critic than the readers.

Also, I can’t stress enough the importance of finding a good editor! Please do not breeze over this step. Readers will know when a book hasn’t been properly edited, and that can haunt you as an author for a very long time. Editors are invaluable. Find the right one for you.

By the time you reach that phase, you’ll probably have had a good four months behind you working with this one manuscript. Perhaps longer. Taking your time is always good, because it means you’re paying attention to the fine details. But trust me, patience pays off in this game. Your new readers will thank you for it.

And by the time you have your fully-polished manuscript, it’s time to publish! And then guess what? The cycle begins again. A new story awaits to be told. Remember, a great writer never stops writing.

So keep writing!

R.M. Prioleau is a game designer by day and a dangerous writer by night. Since childhood, she’s continued discovering new ways to expand her skills and creativity as she delves into the realm of literary abandon. R.M. is a NaNoWriMo enthusiast who has been active in the worldwide writing community since 2009.

Top photo by Flickr user roland.