First Draft Relief

After weeks of wading through rewrites and debating the value of one particular word over another, it's a great relief to allow myself to just write again.

There's an adrenalin rush at the starting point of any project. When you're within the first 10,000 words you believe anything is possible. You wait for the characters to find their voices and their stride. You wait for your own stride to set its pace. You get to know all these new people and gradually turn back into a human being. The editing process can indeed be enjoyable, but sometimes it can suck the life right out of you.

This stage of a project is the most exciting for me. I'm 2000 words in and loving the sight of words growing on the page. In fact, I'm on the brink of singing about how happy I am in that particular area of my life. I can't wait until seven o'clock comes when I can swap my PhD hat for my writing hat.

How long will the excitement last? Well, maybe until I hit that first plot stumbling block that makes me realise plunging along with this draft is a bad idea. Or until my characters stop talking to me and I discover I'm floating in the middle of an ocean in a leaky boat. Or maybe the excitement will last at least until the first draft is finished and I'll enthusiastically look forward to the rewriting process.

Hmm, I won't hold my breath that it'll last beyond the point I start rewriting...

To celebrate my good mood - here's Liza. Who, incidentally, I'm seeing at the Royal Albert Hall in June. Can't wait!