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Oh The Revisions!

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Hello Everyone,

Welcome back from the Labor Day Weekend. Hope everyone had a safe and great time. Mine was peaceful, which is just fine by me.

Recently I've received the first chunk of edits for Surreal back from my editor. Earlier this year I realized a valuable lesson: edit as you go. Either after finishing the first 3 chapters, begin the edits or go chapter by chapter. It will make the load of revisions lighter and give you a sense of already "polishing and buffing" before an editor or critique partner gets a hold of your story.

Rewriting can be rough, but it's a fact of a writer's life. Writers write the first draft, go back, fix mistakes, rewrite, rewrite, rewrite, then begin the process all over again until the project is polished, buffed and as good as they can make it. You want to send your best work. Not your first draft.

After having spent almost a year of hardly looking at Surreal, I realize how much I've learned about writing since having completed the draft. I can now apply what I've learned to the first draft and other projects I have going, which includes Conjure A Man and one other novel I've got started.

It's nice to have a completed work. However, even better is when you know you've done your best by rewriting, editing, shining, and fixing it up so that the story is ready to send to an agent or publishing house.

I've only completed some work on revisions for the prologue of Surreal. Already I think it's better than the original draft. I'll probably have to go back over it again and again. But at least its on the road towards readiness.

So, how are revisions for you? Do you have a method you follow? Do you have a sense of accomplishment once it's all finished? Or are you more nervous than you were before?

Have A Terrific Tuesday!
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Comments

Regina Quentin said…
I feel like revisions are the real writing. You go back through your work and your able to say "oops, why did I say that like that" 2,000 times and also to say "man, I really like this scene"

sometimes it's not until revising that I find out if I'm really in love with my story

its the cool part and the hard part.
Tuesday, 08 September, 2009
Bethany said…
Regina,

I second that. LOL Thanks for the comment.

:-)
Tuesday, 08 September, 2009
Marsha Sigman said…
Hi Bethany! Great looking blog! I revise as I go along which sometimes seriously slows the process and makes me feel as if I am not progressing fast enough, but I cannot help it. I need to reread what I have written so that I am immersed in the story again before I continue...then I have to stop and fix things that I notice are glaringly wrong.
I'm so happy that you like your writing group! That is still something I have to figure out/take care of/find.ha
Tuesday, 08 September, 2009
Bethany said…
Marsha,

Thank you for commenting and visiting my blog, I appreciate the compliments. By the way, great idea to reread what's already written to re-immerse oneself in the story. Maybe I should do that more. I have a tendency to just want to go, go, go. LOL. I need to slow down and re-read to make sure I connect all my dots and engrossed in it.
Tuesday, 08 September, 2009
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