Friday, April 09, 2010

I write like a soap opera amnesiac

Finally worked through the last major edit of the current WIP. An edit I thought would take a week, maybe two max and here I am four weeks later and i'm re-writing the ending.

And I still have one more read through of this bloody book.

Every book, I tell myself, I won't make the same mistakes and every book I get a little better, but the same problems crop up with every manuscript.

Inevitably, I race towards the end and finish it in ten pages, really abruptly, when it should be drawn out, savoured, satisfying. Hence the re-write.

I always write too short. Some people have to cut back on their word count. Not me, I struggle to get to single title length. EVERY single time. Even with six POV's... seriously.

I always underestimate how long it will take me to do the final edit. Always. This time by four weeks.

I always plan to write faster, so that by the time I get to the end of the book, I'm sick to death of the story, and have lost all perspective on it.

Maybe with the next book, I'll fix these things, but I'm guessing I'll be going through the same pain on the final edit of that book as well.

7 comments:

Stephanie Doyle said...

Sinead - please do what I never do. Put the book down. Walk away slowly. Do not look at it. Do not read it. Do not think about it.

Start working on the next idea. Whatever your process is. Just thinking about it. Outlining it. Whatever.

Read some books.

Then on June 10th - pick it up again.

I've made the mistake so many times when I've just wanted to be done where I've rushed through the end. And it cost me. I think it cost me with the witch book. Why put all this effort in - not to finish it right. And the only way to really do that - is to give yourself perspective.

The publishing world will still be there in June. Take a break. Let it simmer. Then go back. You'll have new eyes and what is hard to finish now will be easier then.

Just my 2 cents as someone who has been where you are.

Eileen said...

Oh, Sinead, I feel your pain. I always write short. I always rush the ending. I always think it will be different. Maybe we should both take Steph's advice.

Karen W said...

Sinead, I so second what Stephanie says. It's so amazing when you look at something after time has passed and you can see it much more clearly.

Anonymous said...

Steph that advice is great. And sadly, this is me looking at this book after taking time off.
Not leisurely time off, more like having a baby, forced time off.

But the advice is great. I should write the rough draft of the next book, and then come back to this one, when editing looks appealing again.

Maureen McGowan said...

LOL. Love the title of this post.
I think I write like a soap opera amnesiac, too. Or an insane person.

Definition of insanity: repeating the same actions expecting different results.

We are who we are... even as we learn and try to evolve our process, certain things will remain the same.

Anonymous said...

than you

Anonymous said...

thank you

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