Saturday, May 15, 2010


I finished my first draft yesterday. Woo hoo! The problem is that it's shorter than it needs to be. I'm targeting Heartsong Presents. They want submissions that are between 45,000 and 50,000 words, and my first draft stands around 43,000 words.

This is pretty typical for me. I tend to write bare in the first draft and add a few thousand words with the rewrite and editing process. Hopefully, it will be the same with this book.

I'm going to take a one week break from writing, and then, jump into editing an old young adult manuscript. I don't want to edit the one I just finished, right away. I need some distance before I can see what needs work.

Writers, does your first draft usually end up too short, too long or right on target?

7 comments:

  1. Well, Ive only finished one and it was right on target, maybe a little short for certain publishers. But the editor I talked to said that by the time you get your rewrites and editing done, it will usually end up more. Congratulations - keep going! It's a great feeling huh?

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  2. My tend to come in long and I edit them down to an acceptable length. I probably cut at least a couple hundred 'thats'. :)

    Congrats on finishing your first draft.

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  3. Congrats on finishing the first draft!! I'm working my way through my first MS, but so far I know I've left out lots of important info and already need to go back and let the reader in on what I know about the characters :P Also, my descriptions are thin compared to my final drafts of short fiction. So yeah, I think I'll end up short, too.

    Best of luck with revisions!!

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  4. Congratulations Julie! You must feel great! I write short story and I usually write too short and flush out more story on the second write. A professor said I had a 'unique problem' of not using enough words! (I tended to skip 'that'-- once in a while it's needed!) I look forward to celebrating your successes with your revisions.

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  5. You write like I do. Mine always end up too short. Right now I am adding 5000 words to send one to LI as they need 55,000 to 60,000 and I am a bit short.

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  6. It's probably easier to add than subtract. Hope next week goes smoothly for you. :O)

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  7. Congratulations on finishing your 1st draft! What a great feeling :D I'm like you--my first drafts are usually skeletal, then I add on the meat as I go.

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