Finished Read Through of my Draft.

[SCARPA]

Just finished the read through of my draft. I have some holes to fill and some plot threads to take another look at. But overall I would say that I am happy with it. Now for the revision process to begin.

[comprex]

Bowing to peer pressure,  I finished the drink-through of my draft over the weekend.       

[SCARPA]

Good for you! God Bless peer pressure.

[comprex]

How are you going to know when to stop revisions?

[SCARPA]

The best direction I got was: Once you finish your draft, shelve it for 6 weeks. Take a break. Then take it down and read the whole thing out loud. Also have someone else who has written something read at least part of it. Take their feedback and apply to the whole thing. Look for basic grammar of course. Look for clarity within your story lines. At some point you just need to be mechanical about it/ Leave the emotions at the door. I started mine 7 years ago. Most of that time was me learning how to write. What I have now is a decent 281 page rough draft that needs to be about 320. But I know what is missing so hope to be able focus on that. I am trying to be done by May in time for our State Writers Conference. Tell em about yours.

[Kris_W]

It's good to tell the first reader that the only thing you _must_ know is 'Where did you stop reading'. No preassure reads go better.

[comprex]

Tell em about yours.

Mine?   I have been chronically incapable of stopping self-revision.

[meg_evonne]

Good for you! God Bless peer pressure.

  I like the beer pressure idea.

How are you going to know when to stop revisions?

  nicole bokat in class said, "When its published."  I know snark snark...  LOL

Mine?   I have been chronically incapable of stopping self-revision.

  I keep learning and growing, so when I go back to review---there's a whole new author working on it.  *sigh* 

[SCARPA]

As I write I am plowing forward on the revisions. Its more fun and much more precise / surgical than I thought it would be. I have been able to leave the bulk of it alone. Its towards the end that I will have whole sections to essentially write from scratch and insert where it may get dicey or not. With any luck it may just go like a knife through butter.

[belgarion]

I have one completed draft of a novel of approx 380 pages. I started the revision process after letting it rest for about 6 months (having read Swain and helped Linnea Sinclair with Hope's Folly in the middle) and threw the draft down and my hands up in disgust. There were so many holes in that draft that I've given up on that novel. Maybe I'll go back to it some time, but it seems like the revision process is/was going to take me the amount of time it took to write the draft in the first place (approx 3 yrs). I've since started on another WIP and I'm much happier with it. Of course, I've written my main characters into a corner (actually a cave) and am waiting for them to tell me how they are going to get out of it without serious casualty.

[SCARPA]

I am now on Chapter 4, having edited the prologue and first 3 chapters so far. Very excited. Chapter 4 is a more bit problematic. Problem / opportunity. I hope to strengthen the story line there without doing a complete rewrite of the thing.

Posted by: belgarion 
I've since started on another WIP and I'm much happier with it. Of course, I've written my main characters into a corner (actually a cave) and am waiting for them to tell me how they are going to get out of it without serious casualty.

Re: In case your work is fantasy, as mine is, I find the biggest challenge is to trust to story craft and not on pyrotechnics to get the hero to safety. Good luck!