Month: October 2012

And Away We Go

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On October 6, 2012

In Organizing, Revision

I think a week’s long enough to wait before starting editing, don’t you?

I’m curious to know how people work with their document to edit it. Organization isn’t my strong point. I have a single Open Office document with my entire first draft written in it. Obviously I’m not going to edit directly onto that. I’m thinking about copying it in one- or two-chapter chunks into new documents and revising from there. Or maybe this is a good time to get Scrivener, since it chunks up your work for you? Maybe use the smaller two-chapter docs to edit and then paste those into a new, complete second-draft doc so I can see it all together?

The first two chapters present an additional dilemma because I’m planning on deleting 90% of them and starting from scratch. Maybe I’ll paste them into a new doc, and then start writing fresh below, pasting in the bits that I want to keep as I go. I’m starting to wish I had two monitors so I don’t have to keep going back and forth between the new and old versions all the time…

***EDIT***

Almost forgot I bought that highly recommended book on editing. Maybe I should read it and it will give me some tips. I’m really awesome sometimes.

Gratitude

By

On October 3, 2012

In Things That Are Awesome, Writer's High

I am so very lucky to have the support of friends and family in my writing. They make it possible for me to find the time to write, encourage me when I’m faltering and provide feedback as I go along. So, a few thanks:

My husband, who for the past seven months has left me completely alone in the only room with a TV even though I know lots of times he wanted to watch Jimmy Fallon, so that I could write on the comfy couch. Besides that, he never complained when I chose writing over housework or went on overnight writing retreats, and even took our kids camping for a weekend so I could have the house to myself. And while he hasn’t read it, he says he will even though I know it’s not his thing. I’m a lucky girl.

My three early readers, who have accepted my story a few chapters at a time and have provided valuable feedback. You catch the things I miss and point me in directions I would have never thought of.

My parents, who have encouraged me since I was a kid, and told me over and over again that I could do it if I tried, until I finally believed them. Knowing that my family believes in me has been so instrumental in overcoming the fear of starting.

All my other friends who’ve cheered me on along the way, and who don’t mind when I bug them with weird questions about aspects of their lives or interests that I want to include in my story.

I love you all.

xoxoxo

Well This Is A Good Sign

By

On October 1, 2012

In Things That Are Hard, Writer's Low

Good to know.

So it’s been all of 48 hours and already I’m missing my book. Last night after I put my kids to bed I kind of wandered around the house, saying, “what do I do now?” to myself. And today all the time I usually spend thinking about what I’m going to write later that night felt like the same thing. There’s a book-shaped hole in my heart right now. I don’t like this advice to sit and wait for awhile before starting to edit. I’m not sick of writing. I don’t feel like taking a break. I feel like jumping right into the second book (my cliffhanger ending is apparently most vexing, even to the author who knows what comes next).

At the very least I want to re-write the first two chapters. That’s not considered editing, is it? That’s, like, writing things better than they were before. Totally different. Right?

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