Day one hundred seventy-five of my 365 Day Writing Project.
Words for Days 173, 174 and 175: 1,800
I started the book I am writing over six months ago. Now that I am approaching the end of my first draft, I am having some difficulty circling back to previous moments in the story. I can remember generally what happened, but I have forgotten many details.
My most recent chapter has a lot of blanks and notations to consider when I’m in the revising/re-writing mode. Until then, I am following my strict policy to not go back and read previous chapters. As you may know from earlier posts on the subject, I’m an obsessive reviser. I can spend ridiculous amounts of time re-working one sentence or one paragraph, let alone a whole chapter. I used to go back to read and re-write before moving on to the next chapter. That was crippling. When I started this Project, I finally figured out that I can’t let myself do that or I’ll never finish a draft.
For now, when my memory doesn’t serve I will leave blanks in the text and notations to come back to when the time is right.
orienting details 
That shows some willpower, Id struggle not to head back for and reference!
Are you working to a plan or winging it?
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Kind of both. I had an outline but things have developed organically to the point where my outline is moot at this point. At least it got me started. I just know how I can get, so cutting myself off from reading earlier chapters is necessary. So far, it has worked!
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I agree, this must take a lot of self-control! I love going back over what I’ve written…sometimes I think it helps me get back into the mood of the book. But it is the enemy of getting my first draft done quickly! This is a good challenge, though!
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It works! I was able to keep on track all the way to the end. The downfall, I’m discovering, is that the first draft needs a lot of work since I never went back to refine it before. I haven’t yet decided which scenario is better!
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