My 360-page work-in-progress (WIP) came back to me from my Clarion editor a couple of weeks ago with a seven-page letter. Mostly, that letter consists of questions: Is Lina, my main character a "bleeding heart"? How does she change from the beginning to the end of the story? Is she too serious? How does she really feel about going to India? What does D., the object of her romantic interests, see in her? Why does Lina worry so much about her best friend? Has the friend been in rehab? Does Lina keep trying to help people who don't need her help? And so on. For seven pages.

It's a great letter. Never have I sent an editor a first draft. I didn't want to send this one, either, but I was stumped: there were so many areas needing attention, I couldn't decide where to start. I had a feeling my editor would be able to guide me toward some clear thinking, and she has.

When I had 75 first-draft pages written of LINA (working title of this WIP) I called my author friend Peggy to complain about how tedious doing multiple revisions can be. "I'm going to work more carefully on this first draft," I said. "I'm revising as I go. It's slowing me down, but it will save me a ton of revising later on."

Peggy laughed, a scornful, "you dummy!" sort of laugh. "Deb," she said, not unkindly, "there's no way to avoid the shitty first draft. Don't revise. Just write."

I sensed that her advice was wise, but I ignored her anyway. I was determined. I WOULD write a "cleaner" first draft. I wouldn't need to revise multiple times. I could do it!

Now, with my editor's thoughtful letter in hand, I know: Peggy was right. So was Anne Lamott, who I believe made the line "shitty first draft" famous in writers' circles. There's no way to avoid it.

Here's what I've just re-learned: I have to write the first draft just to learn what the story is about. Revising from a choppy, inconsistent, full-of-holes first draft is a tedious, time-consuming, sometimes even dizzying process, but I think I'm ready to concede: it works--eventually--for me. I've done three other novels this way. Odds are it'll work again.

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What I'm reading:
Savage Kingdom: The True Story of Jamestown, 1607, and the Settlement of America, by Benjamin Woolley. What a bunch of low-lifes, those men who crossed the ocean to seek their fortunes here. (Wasn't I reading this a month ago?)

Vampire High, by Douglas Rees. Funny, intelligent storytelling. Pure fun. Both my 14-year-old son and I loved it.

Sold, by Patricia McCormick. Beautifully written, horrific tale with uplifting ending about a young Nepalese girl sold into sexual slavery. McCormick did months of research and interviews in India and Nepal in order to tell this tale, and her research pays off in the vivid setting and carefully drawn characters. My son thought it was a great book, too, and passed it along to a classmate.

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October and November are going to be busy, as I teach writing workshops in the Bay area and Seattle. See the Calendar on my web site for details!


Deborah
http://www.deborahdavisauthor.com