Not Until It's Done

I’m now over 125000 words into the first draft of the next book. It’s about 85% done, I think. This is a scientific measurement, calculated by me staring into space and thinking about it.

Someone asked me how much editing I’ve done on it. Easy answer! Zero. I don’t do any editing until the first draft is 100% done.

I used to do some freelance editing, and looked at a few manuscripts from people who felt lost or stuck. A pattern emerged, which was something like this:

• Chapter 1: A glorious work of art, wonderfully polished

• Chapter 2: Not quite as highly polished, but still very good

• Chapter 3: A bit rough, but not bad

• Chapter 4: There was no chapter 4.

I think some people were doing what I used to do: I’d sit down to write, but instead pick up the stuff I’d already written. Maybe to figure out where I’d left off, or to get some inspiration, who knows? But I’d make a few quick edits, tidy things up a bit, and suddenly my writing time had run out.

I didn’t want to fall into that trap anymore. So I now have a rule: no editing, at all, until the first draft is 100% done. The first draft is going to be rough, and nasty, and maybe just kinda shit, but that’s okay. It’s allowed to be shit. When I’m done the first draft, I’ll start editing, and I’ll fix it then.

In other words, ‘Today Me’ is piling up a hell of a lot of work for ‘Future Me’ to deal with. And before long I’m going to become ‘Future Me’, and that’s gonna suck.

But eh, that’s a problem for later.