Second draft blues
I'm not sure how other writers handle it, but the second draft of my second novel is so much harder than the first one. The first, for me, concerns story, so you're lay out the skeleton of the book, deciding who lives or dies or loves or seeks revenge. So far, good. But in the second, you're sculpting muscles and tissues, determining memories, adding landscape,charting backstory and future plans, in other words, you're playing Dr. Frankenstein.
My characters keep changing, especially at 3am, when sleep is nowhere to be found and all the mistakes of the day's writing are dancing in my head instead of sugar plums (what are they anyway?). Being open to change is good, but when it continues night after night, is that a sign that I don't know which direction to take? Or does it mean I'm flexible and able to shift when necessary, when the characters demand it? But if they keep shifting, they may steer me right into a padded cell.
God almighty, will I survive to do a third draft?[image error]
My characters keep changing, especially at 3am, when sleep is nowhere to be found and all the mistakes of the day's writing are dancing in my head instead of sugar plums (what are they anyway?). Being open to change is good, but when it continues night after night, is that a sign that I don't know which direction to take? Or does it mean I'm flexible and able to shift when necessary, when the characters demand it? But if they keep shifting, they may steer me right into a padded cell.
God almighty, will I survive to do a third draft?[image error]
Published on January 24, 2011 10:52
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But until you do, you're on hold a great deal of the time, waiting, holding, listening to a cover version of some 70's tune or classical music with a lot of static. Still holding, hearing a message " your call is important to us, we'll be with your as soon as we can." Really? After long waits, do you find yourself screaming at recorded messages or Muzak? My cats have long ago decided that I'm insane, yelling at website that's not user friendly or a recorded message. But in service of my book, I do it. Hoping I will meet a human along the way. ...more
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