When a story's done
What do you do when you've finished a story? I remember a college creative writing prof recommending we bury a story in a drawer for three months and then come back and rewrite it with fresh eyes, which isn't all that different from what I do typically. Usually once I finish the first draft, I give it a day or so and then do one quick polish of the story before posting it for peer critiques. Then I'll let it sit for a while--not always the full three months, but something like that--before I return to it for whatever revisions are necessary. Then I have both fresh eyes and the comments of critiquers.
I finished a story about a week ago...but I haven't gotten around to that second step of a rough polish and posting. Am I suddenly having a bout of over-protectiveness? Does some part of my brain recognize that the story still needs something else before I can get helpful critiques? Am I just feeling lazy about writing? I don't know, but I thought hearing what others do might be interesting and helpful.
What do you do when you've finished a story? I remember a college creative writing prof recommending we bury a story in a drawer for three months and then come back and rewrite it with fresh eyes, which isn't all that different from what I do typically. Usually once I finish the first draft, I give it a day or so and then do one quick polish of the story before posting it for peer critiques. Then I'll let it sit for a while--not always the full three months, but something like that--before I return to it for whatever revisions are necessary. Then I have both fresh eyes and the comments of critiquers.
I finished a story about a week ago...but I haven't gotten around to that second step of a rough polish and posting. Am I suddenly having a bout of over-protectiveness? Does some part of my brain recognize that the story still needs something else before I can get helpful critiques? Am I just feeling lazy about writing? I don't know, but I thought hearing what others do might be interesting and helpful.
Comments
Generally though I finish a story and submit it that night. But some I know just need a second hard look before they can go out into the scary world of slushpiles.
Thanks--I like to see how various people approach such things.
And than the real work starts; including a line by line edit with Elements of Style open and by my side... literally. Writing is easy. Editing is a freakish nightmare.
(Oh and "Hi!" I just randomly got here and felt like sharing my .02)