Do that sexy thang, First Draft!

An older dog learns a new trick:

I've always favored the cyclical approach: composing a novel in sections and stopping to do a few drafts of each part.  And don't let anyone tell you there aren't advantages to this.  There are.  The  biggest two are that the writer's confidence is boosted, as is his/her memory of particulars/placement of clues, etc.  Plus, of course, it's far easier to do the end-drafts than it is to start revising a novel of 300 pages or more.

But to survive the new ebook jungle, I needed to learn some new footwork if I were to put on some speed.  Two to five years between books wouldn't do.

One month into the new novel, I'm able to say this:  There's a greater sense of momentum and thrust in just getting the tale on the page, not stopping to polish every other month.  I enjoy the fearless pleasure of this mudpie-making phase--playing, taking chances, discovering as I go.  And I've learned to steel my mind against thoughts of the rewriting chores I will face.

Four months to get it all down on paper.  Four to five months to revise.  Then three months to plot and outline the following year's work.  I'm stoked!

Memo to myself, though:  Be sure to type up the handwritten pages at least every other week to avoid a month of typing at the end of the first draft.