Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Writing is Rewriting. And Rewriting Again. Yet Again. Arrrghhh!

Writing is weird.  In my novels I write a scene, and go over it the next day.  Fix.  Fix.  Then I go over the scene once more and take it to my writing group.  Bring home.  Fix.  Fix.

Onward.  First draft is finally done, a big achievement.  Listen, there is a reason why first drafts are called, "the shitty first draft."  After a suitable interval, time to tackle the scenes again.

Print the novel, and get out the red pen.  Yikes!  How did this scene already get four rewrites?  It well, it sucks.  Once again, with feeling.
More printing, more red pencils.  Cut them useless words!  Slice!  Dice!  Now we're cookin'.

One would think that everything would be perfect, and one would be wrong.  Where is le mot juste?  Le paragraph juste,  even the scene juste?

Hey, it must be perfect now.  Back to the writing group who hasn't heard it for lo, these many months.

Oh, no!  Back to the drawing board. 

Arrrghhh!  Writing is rewriting. 

Grapeshot

If you're looking for a Kindle novel that must have been rewritten 20 times, here's the link.  Cheap introductory price.  Lots of words for the money.   



Here is a map of the island where the book is (mostly) set.  Learn about an interesting place you probably never heard of.

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