Actually started

[marfisk]

Well, yesterday I started the edit. I read all my notes, I dithered, I moaned, but I did start. For a sum total of 776 words. I'm hoping for more today so I won't post this until that hope has gone the way of the DoDo, but even besides a ton of real life issues, this edit is difficult for me.

I write largely organic despite my outlines and character notes. Rewriting then becomes complicated and this one is worse because this will be the third or fourth (I've lost count) version of the first two chapters. While I always edit, rewriting essentially from scratch is not familiar territory at all and my mind is balking. However, I've never let that stop me before and I don't plan to let it stop me now :).

And now at the end of the day, I did manage a little more. My rewrite stands at 1931 words. It brings up many new elements (ones that were left out of the previous versions) and seems to carry the voice. What I don't know is if it stands alone or feels more like an info dump. I guess I'll figure it out when I get to the end again :).

Comments

[marfisk]

Aww, thanks :).

And the answer is somewhere in between. As far as the confidence, that comes from the organic part of me. I know I'm a strong storyteller and have been since I was very little (I started writing at 7, but before that I told stories that people enjoyed). The rest, especially editing and marketing, are harder for me because I can't rely on gut instinct but rather have to acquire actual trained skills :).

As I write, I craft, which may mean that I go very slowly or rewrite lines a couple times before I'm ready to move on.

However, I don't consider that editing at all.

I try to wait at least 3 months or another book before I edit the first draft, then I send that second draft to critters and then edit again based on the feedback that resonates. This is that third draft edit (though I think it's actually a fourth at least of the first 3 chapters).

Does that answer your question/make sense?

Cheers,
Margaret