Wispy to shiny: My stages of writing

Why, oh why did I not do this properly from the very beginning?! Dehydrating and knotting myself into a wad of neglected muscles, I spent hours this past week re-formatting my manuscript how agents expect. But along with punctuating inconsistently for 3 1/2 years, I also did some things well while writing My Glass Eye.  Are any of my stages similar to what you experience?

1. Wispy Stage:  Back when the novel was a mere twinkle in my myopic eye, I took classes at The Attic, ( Portland’s “Haven for Writers,” atticinstitute.com) on story structure, scene writing, and character development. The outlines, flow charts, and character studies contained my unformed ideas, like a safe basket where the emerging story could nestle. A vulnerable new novel needs this love and nourishment before getting pelted and dismembered.
2. Crumbly Stage:  At first, my characters were unlikable cardboard cut-outs doing odd things for no apparent reasons. Tantrums, false starts, and self-doubt abounded (mine, not theirs), but my writing colleagues stirred that mixture weekly with guidance and feedback. We held each other accountable, supported each other’s strengths, and nudged ourselves forward. I wrote all the way to a (very cheesy) ending. And celebrated!
3. Sturdy Stage:  I realized I wasn’t in total control, woo-woo as that sounds. This story existed Out There Somewhere and just hired me as its scribe. (But the salary sucked!) I began to whack and whittle at it. With new-found confidence and glee, I killed off characters, dug up their secrets, set them at each other’s throats. Now I wanted more feedback, as honest and critical as possible. Writing consistently became easier and (better and better) drafts piled up.
4. The Lull: Then I lost my way. Our writing group split up. I needed a new teacher. I couldn’t figure out the ending. I became pretty depressed about bad weather, chronic pain, loneliness, national politics, and not writing. Plain ol’ butt in chair would have shortened this stage. Maybe.
5. Shiny Stage: With a deadline, writing every day again, the novel raced to its finish. (Aided by a vacationing husband who delivered coffee, wine, and meals, then listened to me read aloud the day’s work. No, he’s not for rent.)  My consultant loved the new draft, and suggested I cut 10,000 of my precious 80,000 words. Earlier, that would have derailed me, but the story was clear enough to me now I could spot and lop off extraneous bits with minimum pain. I was surprised how that pruning revealed new and better plot connections and character details.

The next stages will likely bring additional eyestrain, revelations, and wine.  Please comment below how your own writing unfolds and what you expect will come next!