Saturday, August 30, 2008

Revision Woes

So now I know why all my writer friends say they hate revising.

I used to love revising because that was all I would ever do. Now and then I'd write a few pages, but most of the time I would read through what I already had written and adjust it here and there. My husband always said I should quit doing that because I tended to edit all the life out of anything I wrote, but I enjoyed it---so there. Even if it did take me seven years to finish a novel that way.

Now I am trying a new method. Write it all, and then revise. On Friday I spent HOURS revising my first chapter, and I HATED it---the revising AND the revised first chapter. It got two pages longer and made less sense than it had before. So today I started fresh with the original chapter and tried to change AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE. It still took me an hour to get through the first five pages. At this rate it will take me twice as long to revise as it took to do the first draft.

3 comments:

Kimbooly said...

That's often the way I am when I edit things I've written. I want to add more, and sometimes water down the meaning by saying too much. Good luck to you!

Unknown said...

Good luck! I think you're closer in your revisions than you think you are...a good spit polish and the thing will shine :)

Keri Mikulski said...

Urgh. Revisions. Good luck.