Editing is painful

After much angst and many struggles I decided I need to rewrite some of the early chapters of my manuscript. It was painful for me to have to tear apart the words I had written and polished several times over, but it was necessary.

After some chocolate to strengthen my resolve to cut and splice my work sat down at the keyboard….

What happened?

I just couldn’t change it that much. So what I did was start something else. Yep I tinkered with another writing project. This got the plot bunnies bouncing. After toying with the outline for what will hopefully be a sequel to the first one. Still I could do nothing towards the editing.

Life went on and my husband had corrective eye surgery, so writing took a back seat. I was in the waiting room with him when it struck. A flashback was the answer to my issue.

Creative use of a flashback would give much needed backstory while at the same time allow me to move the novel forward.

It’s a compromise between totally rewriting the beginning of my novel and ignoring the advice of a professional in the publishing industry.

well back to stitching it all together…

Stitching together the old and the new.

My Pinterest

I am challenging all of my followers to pin what inspires you to my new pinterest page. Writers and non writers alike we are all inspired by something.

Writing the new chapters

After being informally asked by an agent to have a peak at my manuscript just for fun it was brought to my attention that a bit more setup was needed. So some new chapters had to be added as well as a few plot line changes.

I have been working hard on accomplishing this. I have finished the first of the new chapters and am more than half way through the second new chapter.

I will be sending them off to Dad in a few days. The new chapters are short but contain valuable information that the reader will need to fully understand the plot line in the novel. I am thankful for this agents input.

Well back to writing.

The day the lights went out

I was happily working on chapter 9 when the doorbell rang. I went to the door to find out that they were installing an electric meter and our power would be out for about 30 minutes. Okay 30 minutes is not that bad. Unfortunately something went wrong.

One on the breakers that controls the power to the house broke and needed to be replaced. The maintenance staff didn’t have the part in stock. They called around and eventually found the part. By this time I was antsy and wanting to back to my dear plot bunnies. This was not to happen until the power was restored. To make matters worse I had gone grocery shopping this very morning.

My new activity became pacing I wanted to write…..

My dear fur babies took the outage in stride, but then lack of electricity is no reason to stop a cat nap.

Finally 5 hours and 30 minutes after the power went out the part arrived. I watched them install it, having been all but abandoned by my dear plot bunnies. So I went about the job of restarting the numerous devices in the house.

Then dinner time arrived. I hope that after I have filled my tummy the dear plot bunnies will return.

Working hard vs Hardly working

writing, lets make that clear. I spend hours at the keyboard every day. I just sent chapter 7 off to my dear Dad for his wonderful editing assistance. Why my Dad?

It’s simple he is a well respected foreign language professor, and willing to help me. He is also a published author in his own right, albeit in french.

Now back to the main topic is all this time at the keyboard work or am I hardly working?

Well since I love what I am doing, it doesn’t feel like work, despite the hours I am putting in. I think it’s the perfect mix of working hard without feeling the drudgery of work.

Does it ever feel more like work?

Yes if I said no I’d be lying. Those tend to be the days when I feel uninspired and needing motivation. What then? I turn to those around me, the veterans I volunteer with, the soldiers helped through soldier angels and many other sources.

Sometimes i find myself reading to my cats, yes I said cats. While they cannot give feedback, at least not the constructive or grammatical kind, they give support. They provide cuddles, snuggles, purrs and meows. Yes the felines of the house are often the first to hear my freshly minted prose, but I don’t want them to be the last to indulge in the stories I craft as I sit at the keyboard.