I love writing new words. It's taken a long time to get to that place, meaning I don't slather over words already written. I want to revise those old words, but I have forced myself not to. I do go back and read what I have already written to put myself back into the story before writing and that helps and I make notes and the like, but until the story is done I'm not changing a thing.
Revisions are a glorious thing. It is the molding stage of a story. Where you go back and make sure all things have been wrapped up. Making sure that you don't have any loose ends dangling, ensuring that if your character kicked off her shoes in Chapter two that she has, at some point, put shoes back on. While that is fine for people in real life to go bare foot all the time, it makes a reader wonder....(finger to chin) what about her shoes? Another revision to look at word choice, description, action/re-action/emotion--to make sure it all happens in the right order, and above all to make sure you don't call your character another name midway through your story. (Guilty again)
Still, as a writer you can revise too soon. (raising hand--guilty--if revising doesn't stop your forward movement then certainly ignore this post. I am, after all, only talking about myself.) It can stop your forward movement. Then you think, I need to fix this, and this, and this, and before you know it four months have gone by and you're still revising. You look at your calender and cringe. You'd hoped to have that manuscript finished within four months hadn't you?
Revision can be a form of procrastination which can stem from a lot of different things, for me anyway. I really haven't done my homework and have no idea where the story is going next so instead of writing new words--let's revise...yeee haw. My other forms of procrastination have perfected themselves very well. i.e. laundry, children's homework, research, surfing the net,etc.
Now please do not get me wrong. I'm not saying you shouldn't revise that story until it shines. You should. You should not quit revising until it is the very best you can possibly make it. But what I am saying is don't let the little things stop you from writing.
I'm going to coin a new phrase. Writers write new words. After all if the story never gets written what will you revise then?
Revisions are a glorious thing. It is the molding stage of a story. Where you go back and make sure all things have been wrapped up. Making sure that you don't have any loose ends dangling, ensuring that if your character kicked off her shoes in Chapter two that she has, at some point, put shoes back on. While that is fine for people in real life to go bare foot all the time, it makes a reader wonder....(finger to chin) what about her shoes? Another revision to look at word choice, description, action/re-action/emotion--to make sure it all happens in the right order, and above all to make sure you don't call your character another name midway through your story. (Guilty again)
Still, as a writer you can revise too soon. (raising hand--guilty--if revising doesn't stop your forward movement then certainly ignore this post. I am, after all, only talking about myself.) It can stop your forward movement. Then you think, I need to fix this, and this, and this, and before you know it four months have gone by and you're still revising. You look at your calender and cringe. You'd hoped to have that manuscript finished within four months hadn't you?
Revision can be a form of procrastination which can stem from a lot of different things, for me anyway. I really haven't done my homework and have no idea where the story is going next so instead of writing new words--let's revise...yeee haw. My other forms of procrastination have perfected themselves very well. i.e. laundry, children's homework, research, surfing the net,etc.
Now please do not get me wrong. I'm not saying you shouldn't revise that story until it shines. You should. You should not quit revising until it is the very best you can possibly make it. But what I am saying is don't let the little things stop you from writing.
I'm going to coin a new phrase. Writers write new words. After all if the story never gets written what will you revise then?
4 Comments:
I'm trying Miz Witch. I'm trying.
*grin* I'm going to need more than luck. I'd settle for 24 hours of uninterupted time at this point.
Hey, chick, I have offered you ideas on having such time away. I'll just keep plugging at you until you cave. Or just hogtie you and drag you to the mountains for a writing retreat. mwahahaha
Very true, Lynn. Unfortunate as it is, time away is extremely hard to get. I just need butt in chair time at this point. LOL But writing in the mountains is such a temptation.
tempt tempt tempt
Post a Comment
<< Home