tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post6098501595904625887..comments2024-03-20T02:49:17.606-07:00Comments on Between Fact and Fiction: The Rewrite: In HindsightNatalie Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09978251567306345129noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-5247033882888697022010-08-28T14:36:31.201-07:002010-08-28T14:36:31.201-07:00Thank you sooo much for this post! I am rewriting ...Thank you sooo much for this post! I am rewriting MY ENTIRE NOVEL and I'm about 1/3 the way through. I've gone through those emotions too. I was scared, I felt stupid, I felt like a failure. Then I thought it was so amazing. Like oh my gosh my book is acutually good now! Last few days, I've been experiencing the whole, what am I thinking? emotion and worrying that I'll be destined to rewrite everything over and over again for the rest of my life. BUT, I think after a lovely weekend with hubby, I'll go back in with a bang!<br />time for that much needed break from writing.<br />Do you agree that rewriting is cause for extra breaks?Dayana Stockdalehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03732725838165251900noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-18709260224724705362010-08-28T13:01:27.042-07:002010-08-28T13:01:27.042-07:00OMIGOSH! I'm feeling these things and I'm ...OMIGOSH! I'm feeling these things and I'm just on my FIRST DRAFT. I'm so toast. Or maybe I'm getting it out of the way now so I won't have to deal with those feelings later.<br /><br />Good on you, Natalie, for getting through it. Emerson said "The best way out is always through." Thanks for teaching that today.Janiel Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06602421917187944457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-17527567747268407992010-08-27T20:09:05.242-07:002010-08-27T20:09:05.242-07:00Congratulations! I started from scratch on my curr...Congratulations! I started from scratch on my current WIP, but I had only about 20,000 words at that point. I can't imagine deleting an entire manuscript! Yipes! You are awesome!Lizhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10648005142462223746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-51121561129175144552010-08-27T05:21:42.048-07:002010-08-27T05:21:42.048-07:00"...your book will be better," is always..."...your book will be better," is always worth it!<br /><br />Congrats on "seeing" your way through! (Sorry, I know it's corny. I just got home from the first night of pulling the neighbourhood float for the town festival. My brain is fried :( )Claire Dawnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14354840714847021685noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-81405785429226885942010-08-26T20:42:20.241-07:002010-08-26T20:42:20.241-07:00I feel the same things. Sigh. Currently in the mid...I feel the same things. Sigh. Currently in the middle of the same kind of start with a blank page rewrite. Congrats on finishing your! Woot for you!Hermana Mawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15743516008894676257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-85625427026618264202010-08-26T19:35:14.223-07:002010-08-26T19:35:14.223-07:00Good point, Nat. Got a fantasy I've been think...Good point, Nat. Got a fantasy I've been thinking about for umpteen years. Alternative history story with ninjas (I call them Kage, which means shadows) and oni (demons) and lots of mythological Japanese creatures turned real. Needs a rewrite. Only have 45,000 words right now, but needs a rewrite. Well, I really need to sit down and start over. After I finish the book I'm working on. #7 got accepted last week.<br /><br />Charlie WhippleChuckTyrellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02609200010767178944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-23786329938585378272010-08-26T14:47:26.460-07:002010-08-26T14:47:26.460-07:00Thank you! That was exactly what I needed to read...Thank you! That was <i>exactly</i> what I needed to read today. Last night, after everyone was asleep, or at least pretending to be, I sat down to work on the third revision of my MS and couldn't. I was questioning the whole story and where I was going. I have a disconnect early in the novel and have tried a couple of ideas to glue things back together. I was ready to give up.<br /> <br />After reading our struggles I thought, maybe that's what I need to do, re-write and not edit. This time I know where the story is going, I know my characters, etc. <br /><br />Thank you again!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-71669636434002053722010-08-26T14:28:57.416-07:002010-08-26T14:28:57.416-07:00Yeah, some days I'm not sure I believe it eith...Yeah, some days I'm not sure I believe it either.Stephanie McGeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16507025637411479409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-37286028872104409332010-08-26T12:16:30.161-07:002010-08-26T12:16:30.161-07:00I'm happy to hear you got through it. I'v...I'm happy to hear you got through it. I've recently finished rewriting my book and I understand each step of your process. Editing and rewriting are completely different things and should be experienced by every writer. Way to go on finishing and good luck with the next steps.Patricia A. Timms-McGeheehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08989800584001861716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-32930428489846437022010-08-26T12:15:55.168-07:002010-08-26T12:15:55.168-07:00THANK YOU!
Your post was very timely for me. Mayb...THANK YOU! <br />Your post was very timely for me. Maybe now I an pull up my MS and do some more work. I stayed away for almost five weeks now.<br /><br />THANKS again!Taffyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11796711977284429278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-87065943605322694532010-08-26T11:57:37.418-07:002010-08-26T11:57:37.418-07:00Lyla, I really, really wish that's how it happ...Lyla, I really, really wish that's how it happened:)Natalie Whipplehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09978251567306345129noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-48265733740412537362010-08-26T11:55:52.672-07:002010-08-26T11:55:52.672-07:00I kinda have this picture in my mind of you in a s...I kinda have this picture in my mind of you in a space suit pressing the giant period key on the moon. Then bouncing up and down in slow motion, pumping your fists. Congratulations :)Lylahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10828965110399028753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-89801798686670580132010-08-26T11:35:17.553-07:002010-08-26T11:35:17.553-07:00It is hard to know when what you're changing i...It is hard to know when what you're changing is an improvement, but just remember, you've grown as a writer since you first typed the manuscript. Starting from scratch on the scenes that need help works the best for me, rather than just staring at the full manuscript. Like during surgery, when they cover all of you except for the bit they're about to cut into. ;)<br /><br />I just finished some major revisions that an agent (not MY agent...yet) asked for and at first the task was pretty daunting. But once I got over the fact that I would be changing things a lot, I realized how much stronger my writing is now than it was when I first "finished" the story in early 2009. <br /><br />It's been a long road, but hopefully this agent will like my revisions enough to offer representation. <br /><br />Fingers crossed!Tere Kirklandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13562750950130316280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-44455018232129881572010-08-26T11:10:11.088-07:002010-08-26T11:10:11.088-07:00THANK YOU!!
It's hard not to feel the Creepin...THANK YOU!!<br /><br />It's hard not to feel the Creeping Rot taking over. Some days I think the book has it, that it will be decent, and then other days, I think I'm wasting my time. But I have to keep going...<br /><br />I also like to take a break every once in awhile and write out summaries for another book idea. It helps. <br /><br />It's nice to know that other people feel the same way I do while rewriting.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-66066580845273495622010-08-26T10:31:53.303-07:002010-08-26T10:31:53.303-07:00It is a relief to a new unpub'd writer like my...It is a relief to a new unpub'd writer like myself that it's not easy for others. I decided on a lark to write my first book and it was FUN. Then I looked at the rewrites needed, the editing and got overwhelmed and discouraged. Then I read a bunch of fabulous books on writing and realized I'd made even more mistakes starting off the way I had. I wrote a few other beginnings (new books), but I could never picture the end like I had that first book. So now I'm rewriting from scratch. It's a lot harder and a lot more demanding but I can already see it's better even though the writing process has become somewhat painful and nothing of the fun adventure. Anyway, thanks for sharing that it's not always easy and congratulations on finishing!Syarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07176584273505728817noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-21939840780855412062010-08-26T10:30:05.641-07:002010-08-26T10:30:05.641-07:00Oh, I hear you. Rewrites are so hard - such a slog...Oh, I hear you. Rewrites are so hard - such a slog, and then you have that self-doubt thing. Congrats for working through it and finishing!Talli Rolandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04780882465745107715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-34993865798841410262010-08-26T10:04:59.047-07:002010-08-26T10:04:59.047-07:00That is so cool that once you wrote the first chap...That is so cool that once you wrote the first chapter again you just knew it would be better. I just finished rewriting a first chapter myself. It's amazing what I could see the second time around that I missed the first. Congrats on finishing.S.A. Larsenッhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06241633272588383935noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-31901319834756127332010-08-26T09:48:44.542-07:002010-08-26T09:48:44.542-07:00Is it bad that someone else's pain is encourag...Is it bad that someone else's pain is encouraging? This is a great breakdown of the emotional nature of writing any book, not just rewrites! Congratulations on making it through the struggle. It's helpful to know that there's life on the other side! :)<br /><br />Enter my blog contest to win The Hunger Games Trilogy <a href="http://mylifeismybliss.blogspot.com/2010/08/back-to-school100-followers-contest.html" rel="nofollow">here</a>!Tracy Loewerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03597464294035968706noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-45237825335676563962010-08-26T09:42:41.407-07:002010-08-26T09:42:41.407-07:00Stephanie, that's what they say, but I'm s...Stephanie, that's what they say, but I'm still not sure:P<br /><br />Ivy, you will be! All you have to do is keep going. I know, easier said than done.Natalie Whipplehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09978251567306345129noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-33885015593735501272010-08-26T09:41:36.973-07:002010-08-26T09:41:36.973-07:00I'm rewriting too. Those feelings are mutual.....I'm rewriting too. Those feelings are mutual...trust me! :). But I'm happy for you that you finished it! What an accomplishment! I WISH I was in your position...;)Rachelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17621247977765843278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-17945138276795433012010-08-26T09:38:57.313-07:002010-08-26T09:38:57.313-07:00I so feel your pain. My second novel that I wrote...I so feel your pain. My second novel that I wrote was really a rewrite. Well, partial rewrite. I'd written a bunch of the story but then abandoned it. When I went back, I decided to just start over. It's a pain, but it can be worth it.<br /><br />Congrats on finishing the rewrite. I know it was a lot of work and you struggled, but you survived. The things that don't kill us make us stronger, right?Stephanie McGeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16507025637411479409noreply@blogger.com