#drafting tips

I do it so damn often and I think it's fitting to say as a first post:

The minute you finish a story, don't dive right into the editing. For God's sake, spare yourself the heartache. You're fresh off the marathon, give your legs time to rest.

I write a lot of horror short stories as I'm working on a debut collection. This flow has saved my life:

Draft story 1 → finish → take a day or two off → get obsessed with story 2 → finish story 2 → rest again → then edit story 1. Don't edit as you go, no matter how much that little gremlin on your shoulder is hissing:

"You used an adverb here, you misspelled this, consult the thesaurus there's a better word for that, what if this isn't any good, what if the nukes fly tomorrow, what if you forgot to save, what if you-"

No. What if nothing.

What if you finish the story?

What if this is the one that gets you published?

What if you zip that lip and let your newborn breathe?

The What-If Gremlin is a double edged sword.

It gives me story seeds, and then it tries to spoil them. My fingers rush to type as I write through nausea, doubt and hellfire. It does you well to remember you're not a sailor, you're the captain. Steer the ship to port, then rest.

If it's a short story, a few days off can work. A novel? Weeks. Take weeks. Go live. You can't write honest fiction, or edit it for that matter, if you aren't also living. Sometimes the most honest thing you can do is step away so the inner critic can't cannibalize you both.

You could:

Lose yourself in another story

Listen to your favorite albums and go for walks

Go to an art museum

Find inspiration whistling through the days you spend in the sun

My short story "Tender" was born at a Barbecue joint with family, and writing was the furthest thing from my mind.

The steam from my morning coffee curls around the edges of my laptop screen as I scroll through a document labeled “Dazey Dreamy – Draft 1.” The margins are cluttered with comments like “This makes NO sense” and “Delete this entire paragraph,” while highlighted text screams in yellow across half-finished sentences that trail off into ellipses. My first drafts often look like spilled coffee on…

Shot from "Drafting Tips" by Pennsylvania State University

TIPS FOR INK ON MYLAR

I have actually never used rapidograph pens, so I am going to leave the specifics of the use of this drawing instrment to everyone else.

Anyone have any suggestions?

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Here are some General Ink on Mylar Tips:

1. Work from one side to the other - The main reason you smudge is because of the ruler or your hand touching it.  If you start on one side of the page and work your way to the other side without skipping around you will minimize the opportunity to smudge.

2. Use Construction lines in Pencil (Use a very hard lead) - Plan out your drawing.  By the time you are inking on mylar, your design should be pretty close to or completely finished.  Get all of the designing done on trace or buff paper first.  When you are ready to do the final/presentation drawing on mylar, draw out the foundation of the drawing with construction lines in pencil.  This will make it easier to work from one side to the other.  

SIDE NOTE: Know the difference between Presentation Drawings and Working Drawings: Presentation drawings are done as a final showcase of your work, working drawings are where you figure out the design.

3. Use a blow dryer or fan - As you draw the ink onto the mylar it takes a while for it to dry to the paper.  If you use a blow dryer (on a low setting) it will speed up the drying process and allow you to move faster between lines.

4. Take your time - This one is self explanatory, but it has to do more with how fast you pick up your ruler.  Never pick it up towards the line, always away from the line.

5. Get an electric eraser with an ink erasing tip (usually blue) - If and when you do mess up or draw too far past where you meant to draw, an electric eraser will shave off the mistake and leave it pretty clean.

6. Don't blow on your drawing - When you blow on stuff, spit flys out of your mouth and gets on it.  Even if it is not big blots of spit, the moisture builds up and can really get things pretty wet. 

7. Use a ruler with an Inking Edge - Make sure you are using the proper tools.  Use a ruler with a rubber or cork backing so there is a gap between the ruler and the paper.  This way the ink does not catch to the ruler and bleed under it.

8. Angle the pen correctly - When you draw, make sure the pen is angled so the ink is coming out at a steady rate.  Usually if your pen is straight up and down the ink will clot up, and if it is angles too much the ink will come out in an inconsistant stream. (This will vary per writing utensil)

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