Back to writing
Well, I’ve been slogging away at my flooring job in between all the family medical stuff, but my brain simply froze up when considering doing any work on Marks of Repentance. As you may recall, I started working on third round revisions in January in anticipation of entering the first 25 pages in a contest. While I love the story, the past few months have really tested my patience with the whole process. I did enter the contest at the end of March (just as the crisis season began) and hadn’t opened the files since.
Yesterday I tried to figure out where I’d left off. I’d rewritten the opening chapters so many times it was hard to figure out. There were far too many files in the folder, because instead of deleting a previous version, I’d just open a clean document and start over again with my newest idea of how to introduce the darn thing. So the last modified dates were a big help in tracking myself, but it wasn’t the only issue. Some versions had made it further into the novel than others, and had later parts I wanted to keep even though I liked a newer opening better.
Sigh.
Yes, that took awhile. I finally made a new sub-folder to store all the rejects in, at least until I’m certain I gleaned all the right bits. Now there is only one version stored in the main sub-folder, so I shouldn’t have to go through all that again.
Today I actually made progress. One scene. Probably no more than a thousand words, mostly copy-pasted. But still, it IS progress. The next scene needs more than a minor buffing, though. It needs dynamite. Thankfully its fairly short so I should be able to rewrite it from scratch tomorrow. Today seems to have had enough progress already!
Oh, boy, do I feel you’re pain! That’s what I’ve been doing with Sword and Scabbard, and I have a co-author to deal with on that story which complicates my life further. I love him to death–he’s such a good friend–but he lives 800 miles away, which makes it harder to work with him. We’re getting measurable progress, but it’s like collecting maple sap to make syrup.
Good for you! I’m doing the same thing with The Misericorde.
I had to go back and read where everyone was.
I’ll be thinking about it and will try to at least do one scene like you.
Hugs, but it is progress.
I am glad I am not the only one who clutters up my files. I actually had a momentary pang the other day about using too many new pages, then I remembered they were electronic and I wasn’t wasting any trees.
I am revising my outline because I was getting lost. And I am working on switching to 3rd person instead of 1st. I think I can get a lot more description in that way. And a lot more words.
I find my characters a lovely retreat from the chaos. I am trying to write at least an hour a day, even if it is in ten minute increments.
Glad to hear you are still working on it.
oh cool Deb! I’m glad your story is still calling you!