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Writing is Like… (Part 5)

March 9, 2013/0 Comments/in Writing is Like, Writing Lesson/by Katherine Cowley

Writing is like taking care of sick kids. It takes a lot of hard work, and a lot of time. Your kids and your writing always seem to need you, and sometimes they keep you up all night. Like taking care of sick kids, writing can involve cleaning up gross messes. Sometimes you need to […]

You Know it’s a First Draft When…

March 1, 2013/0 Comments/in Updates/by Katherine Cowley

You know it’s a first draft of your novel when you write the following sentences in one of the closing scenes of your book: They kissed. And then they kissed some more. Yes. I just put that in my novel. It will be much different in the second draft. It will still involve kissing, but […]

Writing is Like… (Part 5)

March 9, 2013/0 Comments/in Writing is Like, Writing Lesson/by Katherine Cowley

You Know it’s a First Draft When…

March 1, 2013/0 Comments/in Updates/by Katherine Cowley

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Writing is Like… (Part 5)

March 9, 2013/0 Comments/in Writing is Like, Writing Lesson/by Katherine Cowley

Writing is like taking care of sick kids. It takes a lot of hard work, and a lot of time. Your kids and your writing always seem to need you, and sometimes they keep you up all night.

Like taking care of sick kids, writing can involve cleaning up gross messes.

Sometimes you need to seek professional advice and go to a doctor (or a writing instructor, writing tutor, or critique group). The doctor, ideally, has spent a lot of time with sick kids and has seen these sorts of problems before. The doctor then gives you one or more prescriptions—be it antibiotics, a grammar prescription, a prescription on your argument, your research, or your writing style.

With sick kids and with writing you do all that you can, and you often experience slow improvements. Sometimes you just need to let time play its part.

Writing is not always fun and games. Neither is taking care of sick kids, something I can attest to, as I’ve been taking care of a sick baby and a sick toddler for the last few weeks. It may not always be fun, but it is worth it.

Photo Credit: Lauren Grace Picture Place

If you want to know why writing is like kissing and a great number of other things, make sure to check out all my “Writing is Like” posts.

You Know it’s a First Draft When…

March 1, 2013/0 Comments/in Updates/by Katherine Cowley

You know it’s a first draft of your novel when you write the following sentences in one of the closing scenes of your book:

They kissed. And then they kissed some more.

Yes. I just put that in my novel. It will be much different in the second draft. It will still involve kissing, but that will probably be the only similarity.

In good news, I just finished the first draft of my electric eels novel. It came in at 48,615 words, and is missing a number of scenes that won’t be added to the second draft, simply because I need to completely revamp one of the main story lines.

But I know that I’m done with this draft. Do you know how I can tell? I just got to the point in the story where I could type the following two words:

Having seen the quality of what else I wrote today, I’m sure you’ll agree those are the best two words I wrote today.