I've never claimed to be an expert at anything, but there's one question I've been asked that I can answer more easily now.
How do you know when it's time to 'let go' of your work and put it out there?
I don't think I've ever seen a definitive answer and anyone who claims otherwise is driving on full ego. However, I've learned to combine an educated guess with a gut feeling.
How many drafts? How many edits? How many times did I pass that error before I finally caught it? If so, can I be sure I haven't missed more? Should I shave my head bald or risk ripping it out in handfuls?
First things first, it's less knowing and more... Resignation. Despite the way that word sounds like a weakness or a way to surrender in defeat, you must realize that you will always catch a mistake, whether it's grammar or just not liking something about it. I can tell you that I typically make at least three full passes, but on occasion, I'll suspect something missing in one scene while correcting another and scoot back to pore over it again.
In one of Neil Gaiman's Twitter posts, he answered in response to the question of how to write plot:
"Write down everything that happens in the story, and then in your second draft make it look like you knew what you were doing all along."
It sounds easy, but it resonates with a lot of writers. Some writers can actually shit out gold on paper, others crouch with Hemingway's iceberg, under the belief that the best stories are mostly beneath the surface and must slowly melt and rise to the surface. Yet, you can't rely on advice here, to trust any advice that tells you one or the other is best or that you should strive for a timeframe in between. Some of my favorite authors tend to release one book a year, but that doesn't speak of the quality I find in the ones that release four a year or one every four years.
You can edit too much. You can edit too little. Too much and it's possible to make an incomprehensible mess as you shove in more and more detail. Too little and people will be frustrated by grammar and plot errors. Your voice can suffer too. Either you end up utilizing it too little or you get so invested in it, your ego overpowers the actual story. Possibilities, not inevitabilities, but worth considering. There are many times when editing, I think I need to add, add, add, but once I add something, I realize I over encumbered it. I entertained myself, but lost sight of the plot.
Since I started publishing, there is very little I've tossed aside. Some have fallen out of WIP status so I could challenge myself to focus on a single story, but I tend to throw my unfinished self-amusing writing onto WattPad. I don't like leaving things unfinished, but not actively working on everything is not the same thing. Essentially, everything unfinished is still a WIP. There's always the hope that I will come back to it, that it might grow into some form of completion.
It's never easy to put out that final draft into a published work. While you could change self published work if you chose, it's generally not a good idea to post altered editions just because you couldn't let it go. If you want to publish but poke at something as much as you like, non-fiction is perfect for that, especially for ebooks. Manuals, especially concerning topics that change constantly like technology, often need updating and reconsideration. Also a great way to drum up more sales over a much longer period of time than most fiction can enjoy.
Nitpicking doesn't guarantee a good story. Rushing to show off your prolific binges does not guarantee a good story. Enjoying it for yourself does not guarantee a good story.
Do the market and your own reputation a favor though; don't put out anything for sale just for the sake of completion or accomplishment. The minute you attach work to your tax information, a traditional publisher can find it. If you care to go that route, it could make it harder. Either way, you still don't want to drag your name through something you knew was crap. I've lost admiration for actors who threw away performances, musicians that put out rushed garbage. Put it up in forums, anonymously if you're concerned, but don't ruin the wonderful opportunity for writers to enjoy publishing without gatekeepers so you can impress someone in a bar. Indie can be a much harder road with all of the attacks on its integrity, so when you do decide to let your work go, believe it's your best.
No shame in tucking it away until your muse lures you back.
In one of Neil Gaiman's Twitter posts, he answered in response to the question of how to write plot:
"Write down everything that happens in the story, and then in your second draft make it look like you knew what you were doing all along."
It sounds easy, but it resonates with a lot of writers. Some writers can actually shit out gold on paper, others crouch with Hemingway's iceberg, under the belief that the best stories are mostly beneath the surface and must slowly melt and rise to the surface. Yet, you can't rely on advice here, to trust any advice that tells you one or the other is best or that you should strive for a timeframe in between. Some of my favorite authors tend to release one book a year, but that doesn't speak of the quality I find in the ones that release four a year or one every four years.
You can edit too much. You can edit too little. Too much and it's possible to make an incomprehensible mess as you shove in more and more detail. Too little and people will be frustrated by grammar and plot errors. Your voice can suffer too. Either you end up utilizing it too little or you get so invested in it, your ego overpowers the actual story. Possibilities, not inevitabilities, but worth considering. There are many times when editing, I think I need to add, add, add, but once I add something, I realize I over encumbered it. I entertained myself, but lost sight of the plot.
Since I started publishing, there is very little I've tossed aside. Some have fallen out of WIP status so I could challenge myself to focus on a single story, but I tend to throw my unfinished self-amusing writing onto WattPad. I don't like leaving things unfinished, but not actively working on everything is not the same thing. Essentially, everything unfinished is still a WIP. There's always the hope that I will come back to it, that it might grow into some form of completion.
It's never easy to put out that final draft into a published work. While you could change self published work if you chose, it's generally not a good idea to post altered editions just because you couldn't let it go. If you want to publish but poke at something as much as you like, non-fiction is perfect for that, especially for ebooks. Manuals, especially concerning topics that change constantly like technology, often need updating and reconsideration. Also a great way to drum up more sales over a much longer period of time than most fiction can enjoy.
Nitpicking doesn't guarantee a good story. Rushing to show off your prolific binges does not guarantee a good story. Enjoying it for yourself does not guarantee a good story.
Do the market and your own reputation a favor though; don't put out anything for sale just for the sake of completion or accomplishment. The minute you attach work to your tax information, a traditional publisher can find it. If you care to go that route, it could make it harder. Either way, you still don't want to drag your name through something you knew was crap. I've lost admiration for actors who threw away performances, musicians that put out rushed garbage. Put it up in forums, anonymously if you're concerned, but don't ruin the wonderful opportunity for writers to enjoy publishing without gatekeepers so you can impress someone in a bar. Indie can be a much harder road with all of the attacks on its integrity, so when you do decide to let your work go, believe it's your best.
No shame in tucking it away until your muse lures you back.
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