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Writing a Novel– via iAuthor

I’m going to start on the third draft of my WIP soon.

I’m hoping it won’t involve major structural changes. The mists have cleared, and I can see the world in my story quite well, thanks, in large part, to some on-location research.

I do feel some trepidation, but nothing can match the confused elation of the first draft, that feeling of being lost yet excited.

Over the years, I’ve grown to love revision almost as much as the first creative burst. And I think the fun I’m having while making cuts has shown results on the page. My new high these days is the joy of finishing a story, writing ‘the end’ in my head– making sure each word needs to be there, each comma, every fullstop.

What gives you your high while writing? The first draft? Revisions? Reviews? As a reader, do you ever try to imagine when and how an author wrote a scene?

Damyanti Biswas

Damyanti Biswas is the author of You Beneath Your Skin and numerous short stories that have been published in magazines and anthologies in the US, the UK, and Asia. She has been shortlisted for Best Small Fictions and Bath Novel Awards and is co-editor of the Forge Literary Magazine. Her literary crime thriller series, the Blue Mumbai, is represented by Lucienne Diver from The Knight Agency. Both The Blue Bar and The Blue Monsoon were published in 2023.

I appreciate comments, and I always visit back. If you're having trouble commenting, let me know via the contact form, or tweet me up @damyantig !

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25 Comments

  • Hi human, Damyanti,

    Okay, sorry, I know how you've been eagerly waiting for a comment from me, the celebrity dog!

    This might seem strange to you, my dear friend. I don't revise or edit. In fact, I don't even do word counts. My paws would get too tired from counting on the words 🙂

    Pawsitive wishes,

    Penny

  • Sarah Zama says:

    I love both the first draft and the revison, and what I like the most is when the revising process makes all the ideas of the first draft click into place.

  • It's great that you're feeling energized, and ready to start your third draft! Good luck, and thanks for the inspirational quote!

    Julie

  • Mine is when I realize something about a character that I must have known all along on some level, but didn't "see" until now. For example, I just realized that one of the characters I've been working on for a decade is gay. It explains the jealous fits he's been throwing. It explains his lack of interest in women. This one realization and I'm like, "oh… duh." It's so obvious to me now that I wrote him as gay, but never really explored his love interests deep enough in the story to have it slap me in the face. It seriously answered twelve of my "why" questions that I had been asking myself.

    • D Biswas says:

      This happens to me too. Sometimes it puzzles me, what a character goes and does or says, and then I'm like, what does this dude want? 🙂

  • Birgit says:

    I am glad you are feeling energized. You have your ideas down and can go from there…it must be exciting

  • I agree with Peaches Ledwidge that writing the first draft is fun because the words flow without structure. It's interesting seeing the outcome before the task of editing.

  • I love writing the first draft because words are flowing and I don't think about structure. Revision, I don't like. It is tedious and then I have chop or add more words. I can sense how you are feeling – when the project is near completion.

  • P V Ariel says:

    Great Going Damayanti,
    Keep Going!
    All good wishes
    T C
    PS:
    Hey As a reader, do you ever try to imagine when and how an author wrote a scene? – See more at: http://amloki.blogspot.in/2014/11/whats-your-high.html?
    Hey hey, I never thought of it! Now I think the time has come to think on that line LOL
    Thanks Daya for all the like at G+
    ~ Phil

  • Wendy says:

    Firstly, that quote is spectacular.

    And my high, without a doubt, is the research whilst getting the story together in my head. Then, of course, writing 'The End' 🙂

  • Denise Covey says:

    I get a bit panicky with the first draft, wondering if my story has enough oomph to get through to the end. I love revising and editing though. I do far too much! All the best with your new story and thanks for playing the writing game on my blog today.

    Denise 🙂

  • Lexa Cain says:

    I don't do drafts exactly. I edit as I go, and my "high" is when I know I've completed a perfect chapter. (No, it's not really perfect – my CPs will comment and I'll do little revisions, but only of prose.) On the down side, it takes me a while to craft each "perfect" chapter so it usually takes me a year to write and revise a novel. But it doesn't matter how you do it, as long as you still love that novel when you finally finish. Good luck on your third draft! 🙂

    • D Biswas says:

      Thank you, Lexa. I wish I could prefect as I wrote. If I look back on what I've written, I develop this mega case of writer's block!

  • Nas says:

    Sounds awesome. All the best!

  • Definitely revisions. I loath the first draft. It's not until the words are on the page and I can see them that I really know what to do with the story.
    Glad you had your breakthrough and are charged again.

    • D Biswas says:

      Thanks, Alex. I now like both first drafts and revisions, for different reasons. But the joy of finishing something is my current high in writing 🙂