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Before I started messing with my manuscript, I went through the whole thing, copy-editing and making plot notes. There were many times in the drafting where I just wrote like a mofo, hopping through POVs depending on what suited my fancy at the moment.
This is not the best way to do that sort of thing, I know. But for several reasons it was the way I needed to do it. I have kind of a Thing about finishing what I start, and getting overwhelmed. I'm also a trained in literary criticism and copy-editing, so I had to find a way to hogtie my inner critic. So what I did was ignore structure and everything, and just wrote it in a big chunk. When I was stuck, I wrote anyway. People made themselves cups of tea and wandered around until I found something for them to do.
It was simply how I got through the process.
But then, going through the manuscript, I realized it was choppy and that I really needed to organize it into single POV chapters. I *knew* that in doing that I would horrendously complicate my chances of finishing in time to the Suduvu Writing Contest, but the important thing was to make it better, right?
So, it's taken me almost a week to re-write/edit the first 200 pages (more or less) of my 468 page draft. That's actually a pretty awesome pace, for major revisions, but I may well not be finished by the contest deadline. Such is life.
I'm still going for it, mind you, but I have made peace with the idea that it is going to be so very much better than it was, either way.
The thing about attempting something well out of your comfort zone/core competence is what you learn from it. Thinking in new ways about things, you know?
I merged two lackluster minor characters into a completely new guy that is so much more fun than either of the others. I've identified draggy parts and cut the heck out of 'em. I've added scenes that set up the tension earlier and introduce characters in strong ways. I ... it almost looks like I know WTF I'm doing.
I will still need another pass after this, at least. A sentence-level pass. But I've totally leveled-up.
I really need to attempt the impossible more often. It kind of rocks.
This is not the best way to do that sort of thing, I know. But for several reasons it was the way I needed to do it. I have kind of a Thing about finishing what I start, and getting overwhelmed. I'm also a trained in literary criticism and copy-editing, so I had to find a way to hogtie my inner critic. So what I did was ignore structure and everything, and just wrote it in a big chunk. When I was stuck, I wrote anyway. People made themselves cups of tea and wandered around until I found something for them to do.
It was simply how I got through the process.
But then, going through the manuscript, I realized it was choppy and that I really needed to organize it into single POV chapters. I *knew* that in doing that I would horrendously complicate my chances of finishing in time to the Suduvu Writing Contest, but the important thing was to make it better, right?
So, it's taken me almost a week to re-write/edit the first 200 pages (more or less) of my 468 page draft. That's actually a pretty awesome pace, for major revisions, but I may well not be finished by the contest deadline. Such is life.
I'm still going for it, mind you, but I have made peace with the idea that it is going to be so very much better than it was, either way.
The thing about attempting something well out of your comfort zone/core competence is what you learn from it. Thinking in new ways about things, you know?
I merged two lackluster minor characters into a completely new guy that is so much more fun than either of the others. I've identified draggy parts and cut the heck out of 'em. I've added scenes that set up the tension earlier and introduce characters in strong ways. I ... it almost looks like I know WTF I'm doing.
I will still need another pass after this, at least. A sentence-level pass. But I've totally leveled-up.
I really need to attempt the impossible more often. It kind of rocks.
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