I have just completed my first draft of a novel - and a bit stuck - would it help to have mentoring support and where would I look?
Replies
Well done! You've written a whole first draft of a novel! Of course, this is where the picky part starts, where you look at it under a magnifying glass.
It depends on what you can afford, Gill. There are lots of people offering that kind of support, but not all are as good as they should be.
Do you have access to a writing mag, like the eponymous Writing Magazine? They offer a critiquing service which people praise highly, and which is very reasonable.
There is a huge amount that you can do yourself.
First of all, put it aside for a week or two and write something else. Then print off a paper copy, and go through it with a red and a green pen. Red is for typos and grammarly things, green for plot and character problems. Look for things you really won't see on screen: does your character arrive on a horse and leave in a carriage? (I had that one in my WIP). Does the hero have blue eyes one minute and green the next? Does the plot flow, do you write in one person POV or many, and does that wander within a chapter?
The advantage of printing off a copy - or indeed, putting a copy on your Kindle - is that you've changed what you're used to seeing, so you will notice more.
Look for balance: does more happen in the first three chapters than in the next three (a common problem)? Are there dull parts, or do you keep the pace going?
Are your characters playing the roles you intended? I had a problem with a first draft where the heroine was a wimp to whom things happened, when she should have been fighting back.
One thing I did was to write a chapter by chapter, scene by scene, progress report of who did what when; that threw up the fact that my first draft all took place inside the three longest days in history!
You have to be honest and a little brutal, and if you can't see your way forward after that, then ask for help. Good luck!
Hi Gill, congratulations on completing the first draft. :)
Depending on the state of your first draft, it might be too early to seek out mentoring services. This website does offer "Bespoke Mentoring". Just look at the page under the Editorial Services tab (as you can see, the prices are high... but you will have professionals looking at your work).
Perhaps you could elaborate some more on what you are having problems with? If it is plotting issues, for example, there is a lot you can learn on your own through writing websites like this one, books on writing, and showing your work to others (even just a synopsis) to be able to fix your draft on your own. Are you a member of a local writing group?
Well done! You've written a whole first draft of a novel! Of course, this is where the picky part starts, where you look at it under a magnifying glass.
It depends on what you can afford, Gill. There are lots of people offering that kind of support, but not all are as good as they should be.
Do you have access to a writing mag, like the eponymous Writing Magazine? They offer a critiquing service which people praise highly, and which is very reasonable.
There is a huge amount that you can do yourself.
First of all, put it aside for a week or two and write something else. Then print off a paper copy, and go through it with a red and a green pen. Red is for typos and grammarly things, green for plot and character problems. Look for things you really won't see on screen: does your character arrive on a horse and leave in a carriage? (I had that one in my WIP). Does the hero have blue eyes one minute and green the next? Does the plot flow, do you write in one person POV or many, and does that wander within a chapter?
The advantage of printing off a copy - or indeed, putting a copy on your Kindle - is that you've changed what you're used to seeing, so you will notice more.
Look for balance: does more happen in the first three chapters than in the next three (a common problem)? Are there dull parts, or do you keep the pace going?
Are your characters playing the roles you intended? I had a problem with a first draft where the heroine was a wimp to whom things happened, when she should have been fighting back.
One thing I did was to write a chapter by chapter, scene by scene, progress report of who did what when; that threw up the fact that my first draft all took place inside the three longest days in history!
You have to be honest and a little brutal, and if you can't see your way forward after that, then ask for help. Good luck!
Hi Gill, congratulations on completing the first draft. :)
Depending on the state of your first draft, it might be too early to seek out mentoring services. This website does offer "Bespoke Mentoring". Just look at the page under the Editorial Services tab (as you can see, the prices are high... but you will have professionals looking at your work).
Perhaps you could elaborate some more on what you are having problems with? If it is plotting issues, for example, there is a lot you can learn on your own through writing websites like this one, books on writing, and showing your work to others (even just a synopsis) to be able to fix your draft on your own. Are you a member of a local writing group?