Novel Update #18
Revising Memories:
I apologize for so few posts this month.
I am currently in the midst of the next overhaul of my manuscript. I believe it is Draft #3 but have seriously lost count.
I am working toward a deadline of my first 20 revised pages due at the end of the week to my editor.
I was having some difficulty though once I had begun writing again. I had lost my zing, you know that writer groove, that mode you get into where everything just comes tumbling out effortlessly? I felt like I had fallen off the track and couldn’t find my way back.
But I can honestly say I’m in much better shape now.
The problem in writing so many drafts and revisions is that as a writer you can recall each and every version that came before. It’s like carrying around these extra memories that you actually have to let go of in order to continue.
To place your character in a room you’ve revised for example, takes not only skill but also a reconfigured mindset.
He’s not “leaning against a white counter.” Now he’s “standing facing a black counter with a blue cabinet beside him.”
Silly little details can actually influence what You’re feeling and in turn what you infuse into your character at that very moment.
I have had to re-imagine scenes and remove people or conversations or points raised, to get it right. But I still hear the chatter in the background.
I must stay focused and clear-headed in tackling the next draft and establish some vibrant new memories.
Well, back to the pages.
Stay tuned for further updates and do have fun strolling around the Café while I’m away. Cheers!
Paula Antonello Moore, The Novel. Copyright: Monday, October 26, 2015.
Image: Cropped from Loneliness of Autumn by Leonid Afremov.
I never really thought of that before. I like how you say the old scenes are like memories. Yeah, it really WOULD be difficult re-imagining the details. And I would think it would be hard to hang onto a particular feeling or point that you wanted to make…I wish you the best, Paula. Keep going – sounds like the momentum is returning!
Thanks for the encouraging words. Now you know why it’s such a long haul…:)
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