Writing is frustrating! Very frustrating. I read through The Husband Hunt last week and thought I'd worked out how I wanted to edit the first three chapters. So I copied the word doc and started playing with the cutting and pasting tonight. So far all I've managed to do is change it all and then and put it back to almost how it was before I started.
Now I've done a chapter breakdown and think I just need to switch two events around.
Well, technically that incorrect. As well as switching the two events around, I also need to go back and layer in lots more sexual tension. That is definitely missing.
However, I'm having a slight panic attack right about now. I'm thinking maybe I can't write and this ms is really just a pile of poo. I just logged into my gmail account and read an email that my first ever crit partner (hi Amanda!) sent me after reading the original first chapter for this ms. She liked it. Of course, that was quite some time ago because I did originally start work on this ms in 2004.
Maybe I should just make the two changes, switch the laptop off and come back to it again tomorrow to layer in the sex stuff and see how it seems.
Or maybe I just need to be ruthless and cut anything that seems rubbish. After all, it's only words and I can write more.
Of course, I'm also panicking because I should have done an assignment this weekend. I went to the library on Friday (day off) and Saturday so I have read through the lessons for assignment three and four. I just haven't finished assignment two. Maybe tomorrow.
Or maybe I just need to send my chapters to my current crit partner for some feedback. I assume she must have read through the three chapters last year before I sent them to a US publisher but I don't remember. However, I'm not sure she's around at the moment - school holidays and things.
As I said, ARGH!
4 comments:
I feel your pain. Editing is hard, and it's difficult not to second-guess yourself, especially without direction or feedback.
Good luck with it, and when you get too frustrated, do take a break--distance helps.
Julie, thanks for your support! I've stayed away from the wip all day. Instead, I cleaned and cleaned and cleaned. And while I cleaned, I thought. I came to the conclusion that I'm stalling because I'm waiting to hear back from Richmond on my revised full before I commit myself to any particular direction. Why? Because up until Tarts, everything I wrote was aimed at Tender, so the Modern X ms was something new for me. I know it was ok-ish because I got the revisions and full request but... On the otherhand, I'm dying to write the sex scene for the current ms, partly to prove to myself that I can write another one! So, I'm going to write it. I have a feeling that the rest of the ms will start to fall into place once it's done!
I remember that first chapter. I liked it a lot because the heroine seemed very feisty and quite specific about her goals. As for trying to second guess yourself, I do this to myself all the time and just put it down to being part of my process (btw, my process sucks!). Anyway, good luck with it because it was a great premise!
Yes writing is frustrating..... all the time!!!!
We all doubt our ability, it's just something you have to work through. Send to your current CP and I bet it will be fine!
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