It’s been a few weeks since my last post, but not much has changed. We have an editor lined up and a timeline until the end of June. I revised the last few chapters in my manuscript, and society survived the eclipse.
Based on comments from the publisher, I was inspired to revise a late chapter in my novel involving too much exposition intended to set up a possible sequel. It was a clunky chapter, and I was happy to massage it. As a result, I dropped about two-thirds of the words—1500 down to 500—and had to revise the penultimate chapter to fit the changes. It was a success, and I am pleased with the new ending. It’s been some time since I read it, and as a writer, when you’re forced to stop and ask yourself, “Did I write that?” you’re doing something right.
Art is the attempt to use something in the real world to interpret one’s imagination. Authors use two-dimensional fonts to describe multidimensional ideas. Sight, sound, smell, touch, emotion, and time—how can mere words convey all that? It’s hard to do—it’s even harder to do well. And even if you can write good—I mean well—are you capable of telling a story people want to read? I don’t know about you, but I see more poorly written stories with great ideas than wonderfully written stories that have a poor idea.
So where does mine fit in?
Somewhere in the middle, I hope. Returning to revise a couple chapters has made me realize how much better my writing has become since finishing the novel last spring. Since then, I have been working on the sequel and am nearing the halfway point of the first draft. It’s going well. I’m attempting to write it without stopping to revise or refine anything. I think getting the first draft out of your head is the hardest part. Once that’s done, the story starts to take shape with the second draft, where ideas get fleshed out, added, or dropped. That’s my favourite part of writing.
I can’t speak for others, but when I write something that I feel I’ve nailed, a wave of excitement or adrenaline washes over me. I’m proud and surprised with what I’ve accomplished, regardless of my limited education and experience. This story has been rattling around inside my head since the 90s, and I can’t wait to share it. And now, with the revised ending, I’m even more excited to see what the editor finds.
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