Polish First or Just Post?

[vapidink]

It's definitely possible there were several drafts. Some authors have projects they work on for years because they're just passionate about it. I have a book that took me about two years to write just because it was a very personal project, but I only did one draft. It was picked up by Wattpad for it's Paid Stories program.

But yeah, I would advice you worry more about getting the story written down first. What you do next really depends on what your goals for this story are. If you're looking to query you're going to do a lot of editing and rewriting. If you're looking to post online you don't really need to do that much and should put a little more energy into marketing.

[Freeman]

Well, I get what you're saying, and I want to be clear. I'm not asking because I want to make a living from this story. No, it's just that I really love it. And when I start something and take it seriously, I feel like I need to do it the right way and give it everything I've got. That includes making sure the story's quality is as strong as I can make it.

Right now, I’ve outlined Volume 1. It’s around 104 chapters. I already know that once I start writing, I’ll expand on it even more. I also have a clear idea of what happens in the rest of the story and how it all ends. Volumes 2 and 3 will be even bigger than Volume 1. Volume 1 is really just the foundation: introducing the characters, the world, and setting the stage.

Anyway, from everything I’ve learned from you gentlemen, the best first step is to practice writing. Short stories, even short scenes. Then start the real work. Write the whole story from start to finish, and then, depending on my goals and how much I love the project, I can decide how many drafts I want to do.

Haha, I'm already wondering how awful my first draft is going to look like, but I guess that’s just part of the process!

[kyupol]

I'd post away...

This was my skill level when I first posted comics online

[HarryM]

Writing some smaller stories will actually help with world-building, too. It's a win-win! You'll learn A LOT about your craft and your voice as a creator. Try to get in a headspace where it's something you want to do and not necessarily something you feel you have to do to get to the "real" thing.

I'm currently reading Manga Theater, by Akira Toriyama. It's a collection of all the one-off (published) comics he did before (and during) his first hit Dr. Slump, which was before his BIG hit, Dragonball. It's over 600 pages long! A lot of it is rough and slapdash and his editor let him know it - but he kept working at it. He definitely never looked back and polished things after the fact. He wasn't able to!

I don't want you to think everything needs a dozen drafts. You have to decide for yourself what-of-that you want the world to see. The culture is different today and I think that's where your question lies, but in my own opinion professional, good-quality work tends to save the early-drafts and sketches for back-matter in a book collection. Or a patreon, I guess, haha.

But if you're a hobbyist, I dunno, don't overthink it. See if you enjoy the act of writing. If you do, see if you can do it habitually. A short story makes that easier. If you want the quick dopamine hit, post it. Then write some more.

[Leyelle]

I definitely polish it as much as I possibly can before posting. I'm a professional author and artist, so everything I create, even the things I don't get paid for, are a reflection of my work and weigh in on whether people will want to hire me for other opportunities

[thepenmonster]

It's not really an either/or. You post what you made, look at what sucked, improve what sucked, apply that to the next one.

[Freeman]

Thanks for your point of view. So basically, you write the whole story from start to finish, then start polishing it, maybe even write a second draft and fix the plot holes.

I have one question though, how much do you actually polish before posting? Do you just write the first draft and start posting while polishing along the way? Or do you polish the story very well first, then start posting while just adding descriptions and small touches as you go?

[Freeman]

I think this approach works well for pantsers, since they write and discover the story as they go. But for an outliner like me, I plan everything ahead, the plot, character beliefs, climaxes, downfalls, and so on.

For me, the part where you really start seeing the problems is after the whole story is written and shared with beta readers. That’s when you can catch plot holes, remove unnecessary parts, and make the story stronger.

I know it’s a big dream, but I want to create something on the level of Lord of the Mysteries, Shadow Slave, or other top-tier stories.

To get there, I need to deliver both consistency and good quality.

[Freeman]

Ok, I’ll start by writing a short story, then post it, get feedback, and improve from there.

This advice actually reminded me of something Brandon Sanderson said, how some writers get famous from their very first book, like Harry Potter, and he wondered how much better those stories might have been if the authors had practiced more before writing their big hit.

[HarryM]

On the one hand, it's hard to argue against someone who literally became the world's first billionaire by writing books. On the other hand, it does kinda seem like the HP books have been withering as they've gotten more in-depth, literary review - of which I'm disregarding the hate she gets for her divisive politics.

Good luck, though! Have fun! It's a lifelong marathon, so enjoy the journey, etc. etc.

[Leyelle]

I write the whole plot outline, synopsis for every episode, then I write several drafts of each chapter and run them past my editor, then I post. I don't have the whole book written in advance tho

[CarltonIsaac]

So you mean I should put my main story aside for now and write a short one to practice? That actually sounds like really good advice, and I’m totally willing to try it!

JRRTolkien published The Hobbit in 1937, and the rest is history.

[skullforceagents]

I’m not Polish, I’m American. So I just post.

[NGChloe]

Its good to polish first. What I do if I get moving with writing, is that I just write multiple chapters in a row, then go back and edit them one at a time

[Freeman]

Oh, I really like your method! It sounds super organized and deliberate, which I respect a lot. On my side, I’ve got a full outline done for the first volume like, all the major beats and how things play out, but for the rest, it’s mostly rough ideas and a clear vision for the ending that leads into the next volume.

I’m still figuring out my own workflow, honestly. I’m leaning toward doing things volume by volume, outlining deeply, then polishing like crazy until I’m proud of it before I publish. It’s slower, but I feel like it gives me more control over the tone and mystery elements in the story.

Anyway, your process definitely gives me something to think about. Thanks for sharing it!

[Freeman]

What does that even mean

[Freeman]

Yeah that makes sense, especially if you're discovering the story as you go. I kinda work the opposite way though, I like to plan out everything first, at least for the volume I’m working on. Once that’s complete, then I move on to the next. Helps me feel more in control, especially since I’m still figuring out my writing rhythm.

[Humbug]

It's just a silly pun.

[clem_sword]

I took the polish first route and was thankful I did.
Heading towards midplot, I felt the need to refine some early aspects of the story which, if i hadn't gotten so far, I would have never thought of improving.
The subtle changes made a world of difference for me when I compared to my earlier drafts.

Granted, my novel is perhaps 40-ish chapters against the 100s i've seen posted here.

[MK-AKA-Morgan]

I'm a newer comic artist- so I don't want to put my feedback in as a creator- but I thought I'd share some thoughts on it as a viewer. Before- Tapas and Webtoon was created- I was reading webcomics on Hiveworks, there's this one called Hazy London (just looked, and looks like they'll be leaving soon unfortunately) that's been posting for a VERY long time, and the first chapter looked a LOT different than the more recent ones because of how much they've improved- and they took a year long hiatus to rework the pages and make them better while the worked on writing future pages. Remember that if you don't like how it turns out now, you can always come back and fix it later- or remake it all together if you want. You could even use it as a rough outline in the future!