Writing process

I'm sulking away in the edit cave. There are those who like polishing. I don't.

Preferences aside, I will admit I've gotten stuck in the editing phase and ground away endless days. Making no discernible progress, while obsessing over the placement of a comma versus perhaps a semi-colon or maybe two choppy little sentences. . .

The next story whispers seductively in my mind. You've learned so much. This one will be magic. It would be too - if I had the skill to transfer the brilliant scenes in my head onto the blank screen. Wonderful prose seldom flows from my fingertips - even when I think that's exactly what's happening. :(

Reality is plodding through an outline, character sketches, a first draft and then a second, a third - you get the picture. I don't keep track of the number of revisions before submission. It might discourage me.

Grudgingly, I'm coming to the conclusion writing the synopsis before the first draft might be a good plan. I learn things about my story when I write the synopsis that weren't obvious when I was in creative mode. For me there are benefits to preparing a long and a short synopsis. Different tools, which yield different information about the story.

How about you - what's your favorite part of writing? How much do you polish?