big revisions

I feel like my brain has been taken apart and I'm trying to reassemble it. Ie, I'm doing major structural revisions, and...let's just say that next time I'm going to write a very simple book. Maybe in haiku. I'm currently trying to trim 3 chapters into one, and the fact that they are not consecutive doesn't help. They represent over 9000 words, though, and let's just say it would be...significant if I could condense them. Go, brain, go!

On the other hand, I have one scene that nearly everyone who's ever critted my book has commented on in a positive way. I must say, I've revised it very little since its original creation. I think this was one of the ones that I went ahead and wrote out of sequence (as opposed to using it as a dangling carrot to keep writing), simply because the muse appeared and spoke to me. There are other scenes that I was burning to write, but I made myself wait until I'd reached that point in the novel, and I don't know if I was ever able to completely recapture that fire. So my advice to you all today is to write those scenes with emotional content when you're feeling it; capture them now and they'll serve you well.

Okay, break over. Back to squishing.

word high

I'm feeling rather delirious with words right now. No, I haven't had any responses to my queries lately; there's no great news to share. (I did sell an article to the SCBWI Bulletin recently, which is the first time I've ever been paid for my words. But even without that I'm feeling that words-are-good-all's-right-in-the-world high.) In the past two weeks, I've had two amazing full-body critiques, I've critiqued the first volume of an awesome story, and I've read a (published) book more satisfying than I'd expected, another one whose characters sucked me in and haven't quite left me yet, and another whose multi-POV puzzle piece structure (not to mention amazing language) have me still marveling. In addition I'm reading Rules aloud to my kids, and they are delighting in the story. In addition, I get to read occasional samples from friends' Teaser Tuesday selections, all of which are so unique and wonderful and strong. And, I'm in an absolutely awesome crit group as well.

Most of the people behind these experiences read this blog (except for JKR), so thank you, one and all, for feeding my word and writing hunger!