Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
Sorry, but I had to share this with other writers, since only you will know how this feels...
For the last few weeks, I've felt so completely down about writing. I thought I had a final edit for my WIP (after many, many rewrites, spanning many, many years), only to find that it was about 80,000 words too long for today's market.
I spent the past few weeks consoling myself with the fact that I would just have to have my own "director's cut" and the "publisher's cut." I got myself to the point where I could begin the billionth rewrite without feeling too jaded and bludgeoned and just plain worn down and disillusioned by the whole "publishing rollercoaster ride from hell...and how did the industry ever evolve to end up like this...woe is me etc..."
(Aka, I needed time to get over having my considerable ego bruised...)
I went through the, "Is my writing really any good?" thing. I went through the, "Maybe I just suck and I don't know it?" thing. I even considered the "Just give up on it," thing. (Luckily, my characters are handy with swords, and my mind soft and unarmed, so I didn't linger there too long...)
Then...cold reality struck me. I realised I would have to completely alter my plot, if I was going to cut out 80,000 words and make it work. This was surprisingly gut-wrenching for me, since I really was happy with the edit as I had just finished it.
I held my breath and ploughed in. I cut 20,000 words pretty easily. Then I wrote myself into a corner. I reached that moment of, "If I complete this paragraph, I'm going to have to rewrite the entire thing from scratch, and not just do some sort of cut-and-paste miracle-of-plastic-surgery thing and hope that no one sees the bandaids."
But then...a few minutes ago...rapture!! My brain (and yes, I'm as shocked as you to discover that I have one) just figured out another way!!
I can't even begin to describe this feeling. It's just...utter joy. I feel like I have my world back again! I was so lost without it. It's like this huge weight just lifted off my shoulders. (Now, if I could only work out how to move it off my ass...)
Anyway...sorry for my entirely self-centred little post...but I knew you guys would understand!
Sorry, but I had to share this with other writers, since only you will know how this feels...
For the last few weeks, I've felt so completely down about writing. I thought I had a final edit for my WIP (after many, many rewrites, spanning many, many years), only to find that it was about 80,000 words too long for today's market.
I spent the past few weeks consoling myself with the fact that I would just have to have my own "director's cut" and the "publisher's cut." I got myself to the point where I could begin the billionth rewrite without feeling too jaded and bludgeoned and just plain worn down and disillusioned by the whole "publishing rollercoaster ride from hell...and how did the industry ever evolve to end up like this...woe is me etc..."
(Aka, I needed time to get over having my considerable ego bruised...)
I went through the, "Is my writing really any good?" thing. I went through the, "Maybe I just suck and I don't know it?" thing. I even considered the "Just give up on it," thing. (Luckily, my characters are handy with swords, and my mind soft and unarmed, so I didn't linger there too long...)
Then...cold reality struck me. I realised I would have to completely alter my plot, if I was going to cut out 80,000 words and make it work. This was surprisingly gut-wrenching for me, since I really was happy with the edit as I had just finished it.
I held my breath and ploughed in. I cut 20,000 words pretty easily. Then I wrote myself into a corner. I reached that moment of, "If I complete this paragraph, I'm going to have to rewrite the entire thing from scratch, and not just do some sort of cut-and-paste miracle-of-plastic-surgery thing and hope that no one sees the bandaids."
But then...a few minutes ago...rapture!! My brain (and yes, I'm as shocked as you to discover that I have one) just figured out another way!!
I can't even begin to describe this feeling. It's just...utter joy. I feel like I have my world back again! I was so lost without it. It's like this huge weight just lifted off my shoulders. (Now, if I could only work out how to move it off my ass...)
Anyway...sorry for my entirely self-centred little post...but I knew you guys would understand!
