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Please help me use the next 4 days wisely!

3 replies

AmbitiousHalibut · 27/11/2020 21:05

Hello,
Following a minor medical procedure I have been advised to self isolate completely for a week. My husband very kindly stepped up to look after the kids and deliver meals to my door so for the first time ever I have straight chunks of time to devote to writing.

I have had an idea buzzing in my head for years now, and had written 30k words, but decided at the start of this year to change the main character quite dramatically, to someone I feel I understand so much better. I am much happier with the set up now, and think my story is more interesting and authentic now, but it did mean pretty much starting again. I reached 20k words before the summer holidays and then ground to a halt as we moved house and my family needed me.

I'm now 3 days in to my isolation. I've written 12,500 words and am back in the zone.

My question is, what do you think is the best use of the remaining 4 days? I think I should probably just keep throwing words at it. I'd love to be at 50k or over by the time I emerge. I have a chapter plan which I'm broadly following, so I know where it's going.

Or does anyone think I should be going back over what I've done so far and improving it?

Thanks. And sorry this got so long!

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Zilla1 · 28/11/2020 08:55

Edit when finished and keep to the chapter plan unless you reach a point when you become certain it needs a radical change in focus. A finished draft is much better than repeatedly re-polished starts.

Good luck and hope the recovery goes well.

Witchend · 28/11/2020 09:31

Agree with Zilla.

What I do is write all. Sometimes you realise something as you write (I've just realised that one of the side characters is frightened of dogs) and you need to add that in, but other than that don't change major parts.
What I do do though, is I save on the cloud, and then that night in bed and I read it on my phone. That picks up minor typos or wrong words, and note them down in a note book.
I might also note if something doesn't make sense or needs altering.
I thine do they typos the next morning before I begin.

If you try editing as you do it, firstly you still need to go back at the end because things have changed, and secondly you may well never finish as there's always something that can be altered.

AmbitiousHalibut · 29/11/2020 09:47

Thank you both. I'll keep plugging away!

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