Friday, March 26, 2010

The Revision Diaries (3)

I've finished writing the new chapter two, but I've also decided to take two other chapters and expand them into three. This puts Temper at 18 chapters, three more than the first draft ended with.

Revising is going to take more time than I thought. But that's totally okay. I want to do this right. I plan to revise and polish my manuscript until I think it's ready to send to agents-- and then I'll send it to the betas instead.

I think most writers go through phases of loving their ms, then hating it. The only problem is I'm flipping sides every couple minutes. Earlier tonight I wanted to set my computer on fire because I was fighting with chapter two. Now I want to dance through a field of daisies with it. Maybe tomorrow I'll want to delete it again, but for now I am satisfied.

I've also found myself reading through these first five chapters over and over again, because they're shiny and I love them so. Chapter six is a mess. Chapters seven and eight are the ones I'm combining then splitting into three to improve pacing, so there's a ton of work to be done there. It's all very intimidating. So I just keep reading the ones that are done, because they make me happy, and the other ones scare me.

I also have a new idea. Well, not new new. It's one that I've already thought a lot about and wrote up a rough outline for. But I'm pretty sure I'm set on making this my next project. (It helped when I told my crit partner Ina my idea and her response was, "whoa, your brain is awesome.") Anyway, I'm itching to write it. First lines, and character traits, and intense moments are flooding my brain, but The Temper is demanding my editing attention. What a pain.

Well, five chapters down, thirteen to go.

*Sigh*

Better get cracking.

6 comments:

  1. I've been fighting with my WIP lately. It just doesn't want to cooperate with me. :(

    That's why I grounded it and it's now standing with it's nose in the corner. LOL. I had another idea strike me yesterday and I think I'm going to work on it until my WIP learns how to behave.

    Isn't it funny how one minute you can be IN LOVE with your wip and then... POW you're so mad at it? I guess it's the same for everyone.

    Good luck with yours!! :)

    I'm on a new idea high right now and I love it!

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  2. I won't allow myself to take on any other projects until I completely finish my current one. It would feel like I was cheating on my WIP. So I jot down the idea's in a notebook (you can never stop them from flowing) to re-visit when the time is right.

    That's just me, though. :)

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  3. You and I are in the same boat, wandering the waters of Revisionland. I totally get the love/hate thing. Last week I wanted to delete everything and send it to the depths of the Dead Story File. Today I'm feeling the love. I think it's just one of those writer things.

    Luck with the revisions!

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  4. I'm totally making that the new cool saying: "Whoa, your brain's awesome".
    Gold!

    And I totally pictured you running through a field with your laptop in your arms.

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  5. Me again, I have something waiting for you over at my blog. :)

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  6. Hi Kat! I'm a new follower. :)

    I'm with DL. I have 3 books in my head (2 are sequels to my current WIP and 1 is totally different genre), but I can't even begin to think of writing them until I've sent my first one out into the world.

    I've been working on rewrites for 3 months now and I do the same thing you do - I read my shiny chapters over and over...and over. You're right. They TOTALLY make me happy. Of course, I always end up changing at least one thing each time, which makes me wonder...will I ever read it and be 100% satisfied?

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