I’ve been following your journey for years now, and I’m so excited that you’ve made it to this milestone! Congratulations, Sara. I think this is my favourite video you’ve made yet!
Timestamps: 0:00 Intro To Why My Book Took 7 Drafts To Write 0:55 The Idea 3:10 Draft 1 7:52 Draft 2 9:50 Exploring Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park 13:09 Deleted Scene From My Book 15:03 Draft 3 20:00 Beta Readers 21:38 Draft 4 22:12 Draft 5 23:33 Draft 6 27:09 Draft 7 29:03 What I Would Do Differently
I have also discovered that I love editing/revising... I LOVE writing and drafting, I do, but i have *always* had issues actually completing projects. & now that I am almost completely done revising a project (1 that I originally wrote a 1st version of back in 2021... it took me 4 "versions" to be happy with a "draft 1" tbh) & am at that state where I'm removing words and phrases, and making sentences stronger, it's just soooo much fun to have that fully written project and now i get to watch as it becomes GOOD
Great combo of travel video with the feelings we all encounter going through multiple drafts. I'm pushing my way through "final" revisions of my fourth novel, which is by far the longest so far. By the way, silly question, but, does that cabin have a corrugated metal ceiling, or is that an uninsulated roof?
I had a similar experience. My first book took me 1.5 year to draft. 1 year to do the 2nd draft. 3rd draft only one person gave me proper feedback and that took a while to implement 1year. 4. 5 years roughly later I finished my 4th draft and waiting for my 2nd round of beta reader feedback. The second noveI I started is sooo much easier to draft it's a process❤🎉
Those Colorado vistas are always the bomb! This will be an unpopular opinion, but rabbits are scarier than bears. With bears I apply the very simple solution of leaving them alone. If one of them wants to sniff around the area, I don't care, I sidestep them and go about my business elsewhere. There's mutual respect. Rabbits are not as predictable. Walking the streets at night, rabbits have charged me 20x more often than any human mugger has crossed my periphery. 26:22 Deer are silly buggers. I will deal with 10 deer before I dare deal with 1 moose. (Moose are like rabbits, but bigger.)
In my Screenplay class for my MFA, the professor stressed that each project is different and how one goes about it. I found this to be true for myself, though it is not going to be true for everyone.
Excuse the immediate bird walk (1:16), but what are your thoughts on character evolution as author iteration? By which I mean, character's interpolation is influenced by your own experience. Like, I love how the initial idea became the VILLAIN's backstory (as opposed to the hero's). More broadly speaking, how do you feel your view of your characters have evolved from that initial Pinterest viewpoint toward the "I've finished Draft 7 of DE" viewpoint? Also the notion of "living in different documents" resonates HUGELY with me! Any tips? I've thought about Canva to help organize thoughts. Also also, you mentioned your voice/writing style changed - how do you contend with that? (16:04) I feel like your up-to-date videos don't go before Draft 3/4. 17:05 Petrichor :) 28:25 Latin? Or other naming convention? 30:19 HOW would you change your beta readers? No shade. Final thoughts: Thank you for your perspective on this illusive process. Over the past 4 years, it's been amazing to see the change and growth and development! And especially in the last few months! I've asked a plethora of questions, and thank you for taking the time :)
I'll do my best to answer your questions! Without giving away the plot of the story, I thought the story that became the villain's backstory was much more interesting as a revenge plot line and exploring some darker themes than a hero story because I wasn't sure how to provide conflict for a hero if I had given them that backstory. More broadly for my characters: the POV characters have remained largely the same, just have become much more fleshed out as I wrote/edited. Also can't really get into their development without giving things away but I learned a lot about them in book one that will influence their behavior/experiences in books two and three Different documents - I've heard Scrivener is great for this because you can have different documents and notes within one file and I've heard it's really helpful but haven't tried it yet! Voice/style changing - Rewriting to update the voice into my current writing ability. My videos from earlier drafts are older because this book took me a while to finish :) Petrichor - totally. An amazing word Naming - I just struggle with choosing and giving my characters placeholder names until I actually have to name them works for me! Then I have like 18 baby name websites to try and figure it out lol Beta Readers - I asked my friends. Non writers and writers and would simplify that in the future. I would ask the person who read my whole book to read the next one but then I would ask around and gauge interest before I actually sent it out to people. Would basically just be choosier with who I was sending it to!
Can I ask how you found beta readers? I'm wondering how to find ones that aren't my writing friends, but also aren't super expensive (beta reads ive seen can go up to 1000 dollars)
You don't name your characters for multiple drafts! How? It bothers me so much if a character doesn't have a name. I often can't even get more than a page or two into a project without a working title. Sure, I change things down the road, but I always need something to start with. And I'm not even good at coming up with names!😭
Sara I loved this format. I love seeing more of your travels and it feels like we are taking this celebratory trip with you.
I love that one Pinterest pic can inspire whole book!! I love writing 💖💖
Totally!! Anything can spark an idea! Writing is the best 🥰
I’ve been following your journey for years now, and I’m so excited that you’ve made it to this milestone! Congratulations, Sara. I think this is my favourite video you’ve made yet!
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro To Why My Book Took 7 Drafts To Write
0:55 The Idea
3:10 Draft 1
7:52 Draft 2
9:50 Exploring Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
13:09 Deleted Scene From My Book
15:03 Draft 3
20:00 Beta Readers
21:38 Draft 4
22:12 Draft 5
23:33 Draft 6
27:09 Draft 7
29:03 What I Would Do Differently
@@SaraLubratt now it's time to read after I heard soooo much about project DE.
#read the effing draft😂
One of the most inspiring videos yet! I'm picturing what my future self will say about the work I'm doing now
I have also discovered that I love editing/revising... I LOVE writing and drafting, I do, but i have *always* had issues actually completing projects. & now that I am almost completely done revising a project (1 that I originally wrote a 1st version of back in 2021... it took me 4 "versions" to be happy with a "draft 1" tbh) & am at that state where I'm removing words and phrases, and making sentences stronger, it's just soooo much fun to have that fully written project and now i get to watch as it becomes GOOD
I loved this format of video!!! And hearing the process!! Gash this was amazing!!
This video was so inspiring, thank you Sara❤
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!
when you were filming near the cliffs, i genuinely got scared WE were going to fall 😭
😂😂😂 we were in this together
Great video. I'm excited to read the book
Excited for you to read it!
Great combo of travel video with the feelings we all encounter going through multiple drafts.
I'm pushing my way through "final" revisions of my fourth novel, which is by far the longest so far.
By the way, silly question, but, does that cabin have a corrugated metal ceiling, or is that an uninsulated roof?
Great video 🎉
Oh wow here early!!! Thanks Sara
Well done! A book will take as many drafts as necessary!
Thank you!!
I had a similar experience. My first book took me 1.5 year to draft. 1 year to do the 2nd draft. 3rd draft only one person gave me proper feedback and that took a while to implement 1year. 4. 5 years roughly later I finished my 4th draft and waiting for my 2nd round of beta reader feedback.
The second noveI I started is sooo much easier to draft it's a process❤🎉
Aloha I am impressed when you are finish your draft good job
What a victory lap this is
Those Colorado vistas are always the bomb!
This will be an unpopular opinion, but rabbits are scarier than bears. With bears I apply the very simple solution of leaving them alone. If one of them wants to sniff around the area, I don't care, I sidestep them and go about my business elsewhere. There's mutual respect. Rabbits are not as predictable. Walking the streets at night, rabbits have charged me 20x more often than any human mugger has crossed my periphery.
26:22 Deer are silly buggers. I will deal with 10 deer before I dare deal with 1 moose. (Moose are like rabbits, but bigger.)
In my Screenplay class for my MFA, the professor stressed that each project is different and how one goes about it. I found this to be true for myself, though it is not going to be true for everyone.
Excuse the immediate bird walk (1:16), but what are your thoughts on character evolution as author iteration? By which I mean, character's interpolation is influenced by your own experience. Like, I love how the initial idea became the VILLAIN's backstory (as opposed to the hero's). More broadly speaking, how do you feel your view of your characters have evolved from that initial Pinterest viewpoint toward the "I've finished Draft 7 of DE" viewpoint?
Also the notion of "living in different documents" resonates HUGELY with me! Any tips? I've thought about Canva to help organize thoughts.
Also also, you mentioned your voice/writing style changed - how do you contend with that? (16:04) I feel like your up-to-date videos don't go before Draft 3/4.
17:05 Petrichor :)
28:25 Latin? Or other naming convention?
30:19 HOW would you change your beta readers? No shade.
Final thoughts: Thank you for your perspective on this illusive process. Over the past 4 years, it's been amazing to see the change and growth and development! And especially in the last few months! I've asked a plethora of questions, and thank you for taking the time :)
I'll do my best to answer your questions!
Without giving away the plot of the story, I thought the story that became the villain's backstory was much more interesting as a revenge plot line and exploring some darker themes than a hero story because I wasn't sure how to provide conflict for a hero if I had given them that backstory. More broadly for my characters: the POV characters have remained largely the same, just have become much more fleshed out as I wrote/edited. Also can't really get into their development without giving things away but I learned a lot about them in book one that will influence their behavior/experiences in books two and three
Different documents - I've heard Scrivener is great for this because you can have different documents and notes within one file and I've heard it's really helpful but haven't tried it yet!
Voice/style changing - Rewriting to update the voice into my current writing ability. My videos from earlier drafts are older because this book took me a while to finish :)
Petrichor - totally. An amazing word
Naming - I just struggle with choosing and giving my characters placeholder names until I actually have to name them works for me! Then I have like 18 baby name websites to try and figure it out lol
Beta Readers - I asked my friends. Non writers and writers and would simplify that in the future. I would ask the person who read my whole book to read the next one but then I would ask around and gauge interest before I actually sent it out to people. Would basically just be choosier with who I was sending it to!
Can I ask how you found beta readers? I'm wondering how to find ones that aren't my writing friends, but also aren't super expensive (beta reads ive seen can go up to 1000 dollars)
Shouldn’t beta readers read for free? Because editors cost 💲…
What do you write? I can be your beta reader if you are mine
You don't name your characters for multiple drafts! How? It bothers me so much if a character doesn't have a name. I often can't even get more than a page or two into a project without a working title.
Sure, I change things down the road, but I always need something to start with.
And I'm not even good at coming up with names!😭
Was there a beta read sign up list? I would've finished it :D
There was not, I asked my friends to read it. I’ll consider a sign up sheet for the future tho!
@@SaraLubratt Keep me posted! I love critiquing other people's WIPs
Wow, a celebratory trip for finishing DE! How far along were you when you decided to celebrate in this way? 📗✍🏻💚