Thread: Stuck near the end of first draft

I am near the end of a first draft for a new story. I have been on a roll up to now and enjoyed myself. Now I am stuck. My head has filled up with the various ways I need to re-write and I feel it is pointless to write the last part of the first draft.


Not sure what to do. Do you think I should write the end anyway, or go back and re-write? I could write the end with the re-writes in mind.

Write the end. Have the full thing more or less (less) finished, then go back to the start, take a deep breath, and rip it down to build it back up again. There's just a good feeling about knowing that it's complete, an assurance that you can edit it all day long and it won't be any less complete, a knowledge that most of the work is already done (even though it isn't).

Vertigo is spot on. Just finish that sucker, put it down for a couple of weeks to clear your head (maybe work on something new), then come back and do your rewrites. I'm sure some things will change, and maybe one of those things is the end. Then again, maybe it wont, but at least you FINISHED it. Not a whole lot of people can say that Good luck and congrats

It's always those last ten pounds (4.5 Kilos) that are the hardest to come off right? I have to agree with vertigo. Write an ending as close to the story as possible, let it fester for a couple of weeks then come back to it. In the mean time, an idea might pop out of nowhere (happened to me twice while listening to music), then you can fine tune it after that.

Originally Posted by Vertigo

Write the end. Have the full thing more or less (less) finished, then go back to the start, take a deep breath, and rip it down to build it back up again. There's just a good feeling about knowing that it's complete, an assurance that you can edit it all day long and it won't be any less complete, a knowledge that most of the work is already done (even though it isn't).

This. It's exactly what I did to end the first draft of Ex Tenebris Lux: Via, and I'll keep doing that until I'm satisfied with the story.

Hi all. Thanks for the responses. I have written the end. It is the ending I wanted but its very patchy and probably rubbish. For a first draft it is far too skeletal, not enough meat on it. But at least now I can start thinking about the re-write but I reckon its going to be tough.

Originally Posted by Robdemanc

Hi all. Thanks for the responses. I have written the end. It is the ending I wanted but its very patchy and probably rubbish. For a first draft it is far too skeletal, not enough meat on it. But at least now I can start thinking about the re-write but I reckon its going to be tough.

I'm sure I'm butchering the hell out of this, but I read somewhere recently that the first draft is to get the main elements of the story down, while the second draft is used to get the style (or meat) of the story, and the third (and however many after that) is finishing touches.

Originally Posted by squidtender

I'm sure I'm butchering the hell out of this, but I read somewhere recently that the first draft is to get the main elements of the story down, while the second draft is used to get the style (or meat) of the story, and the third (and however many after that) is finishing touches.

I reckon it depends on the writer. The last first draft I did was far too long and I had to cut out several chapters and several characters. This one I just wrote is too short and has too many gaps.

Take a break, work on something else - try to get some distance from it. When you go back, things will make sense and you'll find your direction. The next thing you know your conclusion will come bubbling up and out...and then on to the re-write.

Originally Posted by Robdemanc

Hi all. Thanks for the responses. I have written the end. It is the ending I wanted but its very patchy and probably rubbish. For a first draft it is far too skeletal, not enough meat on it. But at least now I can start thinking about the re-write but I reckon its going to be tough.

Now that you have the salient points of the story you might want to pull them out in outline form and look at possibly reorganizing some of the pieces.

Just keep at it. It may take more than one rewrite.

If you're playing a piece of music, do you only work at the first bit? No - you play it all the way through. Then you work with the whole piece, knowing what it is meant to feel like.

Finish your story. you can't work effectively with the rest of it unelss you're working with the completed thing. Otherwise, you'll think it's perfect, write the end, and think 'Oh, no, now I need to link that!' or 'That looks a bit rushed' and you end up rewriting again anyway.

Try reading at least the intro to 90 Day Novel by Alan Watts. His ideas about writing the first draft are right on. I have trouble finishing my first drafts but I like his idea. I have written my current project quicker than I have on almost anything I have in the past. And by quickly I don't mean sloppily, I have just gotten over writer's block/anxiety quicker than I have in the past.

Originally Posted by Notquitexena

Now that you have the salient points of the story you might want to pull them out in outline form and look at possibly reorganizing some of the pieces.

Just keep at it. It may take more than one rewrite.

I am sure it will take many rewrites. I will never be satisfied.