Day 212
A post shared by K.A. Wiggins | �������� bookaholic (@kaie.space_author) on May 11, 2017 at 6:22pm PDT
It���s always terrifying looking back at the last day���s work, especially when I think I���ve done something brilliant, something that had flow or inspiration attached, mainly due to the risk that I���ll discover it was useless tripe that needs to be redone. ���Cause that���s never happened before���
Anyways. Working through the plot in another format proved to be the right move, even if it was retreading ground I���ve passed over before. I���d like to think that I���d be smarter next time, more efficient, more streamlined��� but I���m suspicious that the process has to be like this, iterative, a redoing and rehearsing, a niggling of elements and thoughts and tiny and great changes again and again and again��� Or maybe I���ve just been making trouble for myself. Hard to say. Either way, it seemed to finally come together this time. I was able to state the story in as close to brief point form as I ever have done. There���s an arc, a continuity of motivation and resolution that I couldn���t quite purify out of the mass of complexity before. Irritatingly, it���s at the final hour, so the actual draft probably still has a great deal of confusing, but part of the trouble all along has been that I refuse to simplify right down to a single motive force. There���s always more complexity in people, in stories, in life, than that. However, distilling and teasing out the main story thread for readers is almost beyond me; it���s in there, but making it easy to see amongst all the words and switchbacks and angst in general is��� well, it may or may not have actually happened. Planning to review the plot and story forms today, do a last scan over the last 10 chapters to refine things one last time, and I should probably go through and do a form for every scene, or even macro scene (shudders), but we���ll see. The appeal of just shipping it all off to the editor is immense at this point, but if I���ve learned one thing, it���s that, indispensable as they are, editors are not magic and they don���t do all (or, really, any) of the work for you. Such disappointment. Sigh.
I���ve written these things several times now, the ���here we go again��� and ���thank goodness it���s done��� journal entries. This won���t be the last - but it���s bittersweet and painful and joyous each time. It���s nearly done. I have a list of dozens of things to accomplish this month, at least two thirds of which, if past lists are anything to go by, won���t even come close to getting done. I need to freelance and make money. There���s that stupid side business that I should really actually launch. I need to record an audiobook preview of BtE and get it up as a newsletter incentive - and get back on track with the marketing and platform building. I really ought to plot out the BtE sequel and my sadly neglected Wattpad WIP pile as well, but most likely I���ll try to see friends and family, maybe get a tiny bit of a breather, angst about turning 30 because there���s a whole new load of trauma, and muddle around until the next deadline starts breathing down my neck. #writerslife, lol.
Sunday
Start Time: 3:45 pm
Location: Abbotsford; home; chair
Drinking: Nettle, mint & chamomile tea
