posted
I'm about 45K words (so about half way or so) into the second draft of my novel. I've determined I want to make some structural changes to one of my storylines. I need to just rethink it, map it out, and go through it again.
So I'm wondering - do I stop and do that, fix that storyline, and then continue to finish this draft? Or continue forward and fix it in the next rewrite?
What do you think? What's worked for you in the past?
posted
Since it's a second draft, I'd say it depends. If this change is going to ripple through significantly to the second half of the novel, I'd be tempted to go back and start the draft over to incorporate it. If its effect on the rest of the story is minimal, I'd make a note about the change and finish the draft.
The answer would be different if this were the first draft. Then, it's make a note, turn the infernal editor off, and keep going.
posted
It may be a lot of work, but there's nothing preventing you from going back and rewriting what you've written, as many times as you want, till you're satisfied.
From the published rough drafts, it would seem Tolkien worked and worked and worked at The Lord of the Rings, writing dozens of different versions in some cases, just to settle things to his own satisfaction, before reaching the end. If that's not venerable precedent I don't know what is.
posted
I've read that if you're in the middle of a draft, you should write down or email yourself the idea that you want to work on, but then plow through the rest of the draft. When you're done with that draft, then fix the idea.
posted
You should see my Nanowrimo story from this year. It's full of lines like, "No, no, no, Chris would never do that. What actually happened was (insert what really happened) but I'll have to write that later. Let's move on."
And, "If this is going to happen, then back on about page 17 that ought to have happened." It's the first time I've ever written like that, but it's also the most complicated story I've ever told, and sometimes just getting things in the right order is an accomplishment.
At least all my notes are in one spot, instead of spread throughout the house on scraps of paper and in random notebooks like they are for the rest of my stories.
posted
A writer-friend describes this as, "Trying to iron your dress while you're still wearing it." You might be able to pull it off, but it's going to be a painful experience.
I would cut pages, go back to a point in the manuscript before those structural pages take place, and begin again. If that point is page 1, so be it. Start again and call it the 3rd draft.
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