I am sorry for how many of you I have killed.
I made the decision to revise by hand before I realized that this draft would be 85% new material. (I am also sorry to all the pretty colored pens I have depleted, but that is another blog post.) I don't know why my brain thought it would be easier to keep track of everything this way. It doesn't look terribly efficient in this picture, does it:
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| I am sorry that this isn't even the extent of the damage of draft 2...that it is missing another 1/4 of the draft that did not yet exist when I took this picture. |
And...sorry for not making a single plot note in a word document, and instead writing them all down in notebooks.
Please forgive me for the thirty pages I'll waste tomorrow. For the packet of 500 sheets that I bought at the store and went through without a second thought.
And, if you can, try not to think about what draft 3 is going to be like.
If it makes you feel better, I recycle everything. And I'm usually too lazy to buy paper towels, so I end up using dish cloths, which does not kill any of you.
Please do not drop a large branch on me while I am out walking.
With sincerest regrets,
A.S.
HOLY CRAP ON A CRACKER. That is one big MS! But I'm sure the trees would be proud to know they died in the name of art. :)
ReplyDeleteHaha, many of the chapters are printed multiple times. I think there are nine versions of chapter eleven, for example. But yes, it's quite heavy...
DeleteHAHAHAHA - just so you know - I am this close to following in your footsteps (I've drafted on paper before and the switch up might be nice)
ReplyDeleteAnd no worries...think of all the paper authors used to go through. :)
I've been moving so much stuff around, being able to lay all the pages out on the table has been really helpful. It's less overwhelming somehow. I think you should go for it. :)
DeleteIt could be worse. You could be doing all of this on that thick foamboard with Sharpies that send toxic fumes into the air. Using regular paper and pens practically makes you a saint!
ReplyDeleteTrue that! (And I don't know how people can use sharpies with any sort of regularity. Having one uncapped for more than about 30 seconds gives me a massive headache.)
DeleteI don't print out every draft but if I put it all together it would make a few trees weep. I haven't recycled but only because I havne't thrown them away. I've got them all in a stack as a visible representation of my work. Someday when I'm published and famous they'll be worth something right????
ReplyDeleteOh I never throw away my drafts once I've printed them. They go into boxes which I won't let anyone touch. I recycle things like paper towel tubes and spam snail mail. ;)
Deletehaha! Great post! I'm a new follower from the campaign - - but I feel like I already know you from YA Confidential. :)
ReplyDeleteI will print out my ms at certain points to achieve a specific purpose. There's just something about seeing the words on paper that causes your brain to process the information differently. I find it very helpful.