Eep.

[myz_lilith]

Seven hours off submission deadline.

Still not got even a first draft I am happy with.

I need to complete this draft, rewrite it into better shape, then edit it down to size.

And allow a couple of hours for when everyone is trying to submit assignments at once and the website goes down.

I can feel the fail laughing at me.

What's really frustrating is the feeling this could be a really good story. I just don't think I can drag it there in the time left.

Comments

[dedbutdrmng.livejournal.com]

Have you not finished it in a 'all the bits are there but they are not right' or in a 'I am still writing towards the end,' way?

[myz-lilith.livejournal.com]

More the first way. The gaps are all in the middle with little notes saying '(This is where the bit about the fan goes)' so they still need to be written.

And the stuff that is written I'm not exactly crazy about. It's not bad, in itself, but I'm sure there's a lot of flab there that needs to be trimmed, and I've not thought about how to best balance it yet. As in, I know how the entire story goes, but not how much weight each bit needs to carry, if you know what I mean.

I am tempted to start on the redraft now without filling in the missing bits and work them out as I go. It's not idea but I'm seriously running out of time.

Or is it better to get something with zero gaps even if it's full of bad writing and then try to smoosh it into shape in the time I have left?

What do you think?

[dedbutdrmng.livejournal.com]

'Or is it better to get something with zero gaps even if it's full of bad writing and then try to smoosh it into shape in the time I have left?'

For me? Yes.

Try doing what I'm doing now. Save your progress. Outline your entire plot in three sentences. Re-open the document and call it v2 (3,4,5.6) and strip it until it is only telling that story.

What I know I do is faff about and forget the important question. Is it telling the story, rather than a story. Weighting and all that - later. You have a version with bits missing that is already too long. It is too long.

You are not writing a novel As such. Back story and sub plot are not as important. Be ruthless.

I have half an hour (about) not time to look at the thing for you but if you want to email me very short plot outline (no more than three short paragraphs) bob it over. :)

[myz-lilith.livejournal.com]

Sent to your yahoo address as I couldn't remember which one you use!