Week #2 Revisions
"I am hard at work on the second draft...Second draft is really a misnomer as there are a gazillion revisions, large and small, that go into the writing of a book."
-Libba Bray
Hi, everyone! How did you do with your goals for last week? I admit, I wasn't as good as I should have been.
But remember:
I noticed a number of you are working on revisions so I thought I'd make that our theme for this week.
Is this you?
Do you dread revising?
Or do you have revision angst?
I'm kind of in the middle. I've been known to spend forever just on one paragraph to get it right.
I love this other quote:
"I've found the best way to revise your own work is to pretend that somebody else wrote it and then to rip the living sh*t out of it."
-Don Roff
In the book THE WRITER'S BOOK OF WISDOM
101 RULES FOR MASTERING YOUR CRAFT by Steven Taylor Goldsberry:
Rule #94
Trust the Muse of Revision
...keep your mind open to alternatives. And dedicate your heart to the process.
William Butler Yeats said, "Months of rewriting. What happiness!"
What are some ways you get around the revision angst so you don't even up like this:
L.S. Taylor
Email me at ixtumea@gmail.com and let me know which galley you'd like!
And finally:
Comments
This time around, however, I'm doing a lot more hacking and stitching, unwriting and rewriting. And I think it is working! :-)
Almost done with the second brand new chapter, and after all the sickness and other distractions, I'm amazed.
So thanks for the inspiration, wipsters! Those tweets and nudges really help!
I love revising, especially when I have excellent feedback and specific goals. It's like pulling weeds and replacing them with flowers. The challenge is not getting attached to the weeds. ^_^
I spent this week recovering from my exhaustion post-ConCarolinas, then hosting a writing houseguest who'll be here until tomorrow. Her visit coincides with another mutual writing friend moving away, and my 30th birthday. We've had a few writing sessions, but my frenetic mind hasn't entirey settled down. The blog post I finally completed last night for this morning, on age and motivation and perspective, was the first real forward progress I've made in awhile.
However, it's a new week, and I feel like today will be much better, progress-wise. I've had my vacation and my parties, and now I'm ready to get back to work. 'Cuz as I said last week, I am so freaking ready to be done with my revisions, because I'm ready to move onto other projects on my personal horizon. :)
My revisions are going swimmingly - but even though I'm a mere 20 pages from the end of my 1st pass - I already know it's time to go back and rip shred the beginning. Motivations still aren't clear according to my writer's workshop classmates.
This week I'm leaving town and headed south to Alabama for my high school reunion and my birthday. No, I won't tell which one. For either.
I'd hope to be able to send out to whole manuscript beta readers, but I think that goal is probably more end of the month at this point. But that's okay.
Happy writing all!
BTW I loved the quote about pretending you're reading someone else's story. Perfect!
Great post and pics!
Also, I'm working on some video editing this week, and can't wait to be able to show these videos I'm working on. I'm seriously pumped up this week, and I'm not sure exactly why, but I'm not complaining!
This morning I hacked away at almost 2 chapters. Yes, it can be painful but I tell myself there is a diamond underneath it all.
Thanks for commenting and also for your own encouraging nudges!
I admit, revisions isn't my favorite thing but I do love to see how much a sh**ty first draft can blossom from doing it.
And I so know about getting attached to those weeds.
I don't get revision angst, it's more like revision exasperation. I actually like revising... until I've been at it so long my eyes are crossed and I begin to hate the story and all its characters.
The past week turned out to be filled with people and happenings that didn't include a lot of writing, so I'll have to regroup this week. BUT, I did send in my registration for this fall's Surrey Int'l Writers' Conference, so I'll be taping the receipt up as motivation to keep moving ahead with my goals.
You're welcome!
I'm glad you're here!
I so know about the house guest thing. I live in Southern California and it seems every summer I have someone or the other staying with us which makes it crazy to get any writing done.
Last year I ended up going to a Starbucks and just writing for a few hours every day while son was at either a soccer camp or art lesson. It did help.
I'm at that stage where I go backwards in age. LOL. It did really help my ego when the make-up lady at Bonnie Brown cosmetics at Nordstorms didn't believe me when I told her how old I was.
Thanks for stopping by!
Have fun in Alabama!
Let me know if you need any help with your launch, ok?
Thanks so much for stopping by. You're so encouraging and supportive of me. I really appreciate that!
Yay, you! I love the excitement you're generating in your comment!
I'm on track to finish my second draft by the end of this week. Feeling like I need some extra oomph for attacking the third draft, so I just ordered Cheryl Klein's SECOND SIGHT.
Also, working on promo for my fall release. So much to do and the kids get out for summer break soon.
I'm learning to love revisions, learning to take the time I need to get things RIGHT. But sometimes I wish 'the time I need' wasn't so long...
Very cool on Surrey Int'l Writers' Conference. I've heard great things about that conference!
I also get the revision exasperation. My problem is I tend to revise a chapter until it's 'perfect' and never go on from there. MG author Kate Messner told me if she did that she'd never get any books finished. I'm a little better now though I still hear that negative internal editor telling me otherwise.
CONGRATS! That's a huge accomplishment! Way to go!!!!
Do share more on Cheryl Klein's SECOND SIGHT. I've heard great things about this book!
What book will you be promoting this fall?
Shaking my cheerleader pom-poms. You can do it! Yes, you can!!!!!
I like revising -- love it sometimes. Here's one tip that sounds so basic but I still have to remind myself of: do the big stuff first! I can get caught up with tweaking stuff (because I do love finding the perfect word and the perfect rhythm!), and that same stuff might end up getting cut for some reason. So, big stuff first! ;)