Friday, July 24, 2009

Rewrite Rash



Someone asked me the other day if this was the first time I'd faced rewrites.

It's not. It's just the first time they matter. A few rashy hives are to be expected.

Most novelists don't churn out publishable material their first time out of the gates. There's a learning curve that requires dedication, persistence, hope, faith, blinders, and even moments of blindness. In fact, intense hard-headedness served me well—both in terms of utter stubbornness, and believing I understood varying concepts. When it became clear that in fact, I understood nothing, the door opened to learning. And has stayed open ever since.

I have previous efforts where I inflicted more pain than grace on the page. Those stories, and many of the characters, were my sacrificial lambs.

This one could actually become a book.

The rewrite process has begun. It feels a little intense right now, but in a good way. To me, the hard work is finished. The story has been formed. Now I get to make it captivating.



CR: The Dead Whisper On by T.L. Hines.

It's all better with friends.

4 comments:

  1. I love your quote:

    The story has been formed. Now I get to make it captivating.

    What an interesting concept. . . and challenge. This is absolutely what I need to keep in mind as I rewrite. I have to give my story the power to fascinate an editor. Thanks, Peg.

    BTW, your blog is captivating! I keep coming back for more and I always learn something. Keep writing!

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  2. The story is formed and the journey begins. We're all standing in the background, cheering you on. We can't wait to watch your story morph from rough draft into perfection. God bless!

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  3. Oh yea, you should go visit my blog. I mention you! http://calltolove.blogspot.com

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  4. As you guys know, writing is a pretty lonely experience. It does my heart good to know that so many of us are connected, supporting each other every step of the way.

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