![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
more on revision
Jun. 5th, 2008 04:00 pmWhat do you do when you're percolating ideas? What helps you when you need to let it sit for a while to work out the details in your revision?
I'm getting closer to the end of this round of revision--I have to do it in layers because I can't hold it all in my head at once. This is the plot/protagging layer. I'm alarmed because the ms is growing, not shrinking, but DH says not to worry, just worry about the story first. I can go back and tinker afterwards. I'm sure he's right. I just need to stop checking my word count. Anyhow, I'm at the point where the focus of my story has shifted enough that I'm left with several lovely chapters that don't quite fit anymore. There are bits from them that I still need, but I don't know where to fit them, and of course it's sad to cut stuff that was working before. (Don't worry--it won't keep me from cutting. I wish there was MORE I knew I could chop, actually.) Plot is hard, you know? Especially with a mystery. You're so concerned about discovering the backstory that it's hard to get the right balance with the frontstory. Anyway, I've got to pinpoint one more way that my MC can get what she wants that succeeds where her previous attempts have failed, so she can throw it to make the harder, but right-er choice in the end. And I've got to figure out what to do with these intervening chapters. I know I should back off and let it gel for a bit, but I'm also feeling the time pressure of our dwindling stay here, the moving pressure, etc. I'm excited to read about so many LJers who are coming to the end of their revisions. I wish I was among them!! Some day.
On hold at the library:
The second book in Guillaume Prevost's Book of Time series. The first one wasn't one I'd study for help in protagging. I'm interested in the second one, but I don't think I'll be buying it at the moment. Still, it was sufficiently entertaining to try the second.
The Golden Compass film. I'm hoping that some of the extreme messagey-ness gets edited out by Hollywood.
The first Percy Jackson in German, for son's book presentation at school.
What I want to read but what will have to wait:
Sarah Prineas's Magic Thief
Stephenie Meyer's Breaking Dawn (these two I will read before I leave here, though!)
Ingrid Law's Savvy
Elizabeth Gilbert Murdock's Off Season and Princess Ben
Jessica Day George's books that have all come out since I've been gone
Shannon Hale's Austenland
Linda Urban's A Crooked Kind of Perfect
all of the Newbery and Caldecott awards from this year (I have the Caldecott winner, but have missed all the others)
and several books by LJ friends that aren't even out yet. Waa.
I'm getting closer to the end of this round of revision--I have to do it in layers because I can't hold it all in my head at once. This is the plot/protagging layer. I'm alarmed because the ms is growing, not shrinking, but DH says not to worry, just worry about the story first. I can go back and tinker afterwards. I'm sure he's right. I just need to stop checking my word count. Anyhow, I'm at the point where the focus of my story has shifted enough that I'm left with several lovely chapters that don't quite fit anymore. There are bits from them that I still need, but I don't know where to fit them, and of course it's sad to cut stuff that was working before. (Don't worry--it won't keep me from cutting. I wish there was MORE I knew I could chop, actually.) Plot is hard, you know? Especially with a mystery. You're so concerned about discovering the backstory that it's hard to get the right balance with the frontstory. Anyway, I've got to pinpoint one more way that my MC can get what she wants that succeeds where her previous attempts have failed, so she can throw it to make the harder, but right-er choice in the end. And I've got to figure out what to do with these intervening chapters. I know I should back off and let it gel for a bit, but I'm also feeling the time pressure of our dwindling stay here, the moving pressure, etc. I'm excited to read about so many LJers who are coming to the end of their revisions. I wish I was among them!! Some day.
On hold at the library:
The second book in Guillaume Prevost's Book of Time series. The first one wasn't one I'd study for help in protagging. I'm interested in the second one, but I don't think I'll be buying it at the moment. Still, it was sufficiently entertaining to try the second.
The Golden Compass film. I'm hoping that some of the extreme messagey-ness gets edited out by Hollywood.
The first Percy Jackson in German, for son's book presentation at school.
What I want to read but what will have to wait:
Sarah Prineas's Magic Thief
Stephenie Meyer's Breaking Dawn (these two I will read before I leave here, though!)
Ingrid Law's Savvy
Elizabeth Gilbert Murdock's Off Season and Princess Ben
Jessica Day George's books that have all come out since I've been gone
Shannon Hale's Austenland
Linda Urban's A Crooked Kind of Perfect
all of the Newbery and Caldecott awards from this year (I have the Caldecott winner, but have missed all the others)
and several books by LJ friends that aren't even out yet. Waa.
