Yesterday, I printed out the 476 pages that make up my first draft, three-hole punched them and stuck them in a binder. Seeing it that way made it real for me — I completed the first draft of a novel. It’s a euphoric feeling — I’m light-years ahead of where I’ve ever been, where I ever thought I’d be.
Soon I start the revision process (which I will discuss in my next post). Until then, I’m taking a few days off.
In the past, when I’ve taken a few days off, it’s been fine. Even earlier this month, I knew I was going to take a couple of days off. No problem. Now that the draft is actually finished and I decide to take a few days off, I feel guilty that I’m not writing. I know I shouldn’t — I’m following the plan I had set out for myself when I figured out how I would do the revisions. Still, there’s a certain guilty feeling that goes with taking a couple of days off. That bodes well for the future — I expect the next novel will take less time to complete.
“Yesterday, I printed out the 476 pages that make up my first draft . . .”
Holy crap! I can understand the desire to see your writing in physical form but . . . holy crap! How much did that cost? Did you use your own printer or go to some Kinkos knock-off or a local college? Holy crap!
You’d do well to spend plenty of time revising and editing. The more corrections you make, the better your novel will be.
Congratulations!
I went to Staples — it was about $28 (double sided). I think my printer would’ve exploded if I tried it. I find that I edit better when I’m doing it with the printed page, and I really don’t want to sit and read almost 500 pages on a screen anyway (at least not until I get an e-reader).