Emma, i couldn't send you my whole MS could i, you'd do a brilliant job

some great ideas there...

Casey

Yeh, i've already done several 'specific strand rewrites' Kate and that's probably why i can't face another!! YOu're right though, i know it won't take that long - i suppose i was just starting to cheer because i thought i was near the finishing line...

Casey

Hi Casey, take deep breaths, nice and slow

Now, why not take the section the person commented on, make sure you're alone in the house, and read it aloud to yourself just as Emma mentioned? Then take another section from a completely different part of the novel and see what you can hear. If there is a small problem in one section (and of course it's fixable) it doesn't automatically mean you've got a problem throughout the entire MS. We write at different times with different things going on in our lives which can affect what we've written from one day to the next (I think, although I'm not the expert ).

If you're getting fed up with it at the moment, Casey, put it away. I know how much you want to finish it but perhaps getting on with Acacia for a while can give you a chance to clear your head of Charley so you can go back to her with fresh eyes in a few weeks. There really is no point in labouring it especially if you're losing the enjoyment of it.

Don't forget - deep breaths.

Sharon
x

Lammi's right, the prospect of going through the whole damn thing again is very disheartening, but it can be pretty quick when you're only looking for one thing.

If you're reading it aloud, you might find it easier to do from hard copy, sitting in a comfortable chair away from the computer. You'll not only pick up this particular problem but about a zillion others, all in one pass. But don't try to re-write as you read, just mark what kind of work it needs, and then do it on screen.

Emma

Thanks, Sharon, that's very level-headed, sensible advice. I have to admit i haven't read much of this scrip out loud and maybe i've reached the point where that would be really beneficial.

You know, those deep breaths kind of remind me of giving birth and that's quite an appropriate analogy really - maybe i've been having a few Braxton Hicks as regarding finishing the rewrite, when actually my baby still needs a few more weeks to grow...

Thanks Sharon

Casey x

Yes, now hard copy would give me a break from the screen - think i'll do that, Emma.

cheers.

Casey

We write at different times with different things going on in our lives which can affect what we've written from one day to the next (I think, although I'm not the expert ).

I think this is very true. When I'm writing a first draft, and it's coming out boring - you know, doing the job, but flat - it's usually because I'm tired or depressed or preoccupied with something else in life. In that mood all inspiration evades one, and going on reworking it only seems to make things work. Instead I'll just make a note and move on that this paragraph/section/chapter is a placeholder for what really ought to be there, which I'll find out in revision.

Emma

Casey, I know exactly how you feel. Psychologically, TWH was finished almost two years ago. To have to start restructuring the backend of the plot was almost more than I could swallow. It’s taken six months before I felt up to tackling it… and, you know, it’s not so bad now that I'm into it.

We are writers and we CAN do this. But don’t start until you’ve psyched yourself up to it, then come at it with a fresh eye.

Incidentally, I think you should finish the rewrite you're doing before starting on this, otherwise that last chapter might stick out a bit.

Good luck

Dee

And I'll reiterate, it may not be an isue at all. I'm possibly over-sensitised to anything slightly like repetition because I spend a lot of time trying to avoid it (not always successfully!) in my own work. Get some more reader reactions, see if anyone else picks up on it.

Yes, Dee, fortunately i finished what i thought was the last rewrite late last night - so at least i can look at this aspect of the whole thing from the start again, without it bugging me whilst i finish the rest of the last rewrite - if you see what i mean.

I'll try not to go too mad then, Kate! - but my instincts tell me that you are spot on.



Casey

TWH was finished almost two years ago

BTW, Dee, have to say how much i admire you, not giving up on your baby like that.

Casey

Instead I'll just make a note and move on that this paragraph/section/chapter is a placeholder for what really ought to be there, which I'll find out in revision.

Emma, I'm glad you said this because I'm in that exact place with my current chapter. It has to be there - well, something does, as it's acting as a kind of link. I just cannot get excited about it. I think I simply need to tweak a little of what comes before but as this is a draft I'm going to put it all down, make a note that I'm not happy with that bit, and move on.

I know this question has come up before but do you think it's acceptable to have small parts of the plot that you, as the writer, can't be as excited about compared to the rest of it? Should I be excited about every single line? I'm guessing the answer is yes but is that possible?

Sharon
x

Thanks, Casey. To be honest, it’s almost an obsession. I have a couple of other novels that I have given up on because I know they're simply not good enough. But I can't abandon this one.

Sharon, it depends what you mean by exciting. The storyline needs quieter moments among the drama, otherwise it would all be too exhausting. As the author, I think it’s important you like these passages and that you have no doubt that they're necessary to the story. If you suspect they're superfluous, they probably are. If you find them boring or dull, then you can just about guarantee that readers will too. But beware – don’t confuse this with the fact that you’ve read it so many times it begins to pall. Leave it for a while and come back to it in a later draft.

Dee

Thanks, Dee, I will.

x

Dee, you put it brilliantly.