Thursday, January 22, 2015

Road Work Ahead

Yep, I'm revising. This is revision number I don't have a clue, but it is the one just after a writing pal did a good ole crit on it and just before I send it off to the writer/teacher who has agreed to help birth this big old baby. I figured out that I needed to do about 30 pages a day and I'm way ahead of my schedule, doing more like fifty pages a day. This is good because it means I will be able to stop and really work some of the bits that I have to. Right now I'm more or less just responding to what my pal wrote on the page - 'this needs more' 'this is redundant' 'this doesn't fit the character' sorts of things. But there are some bigger fixes she suggested and I'll be able to go in and work these very shortly. I want to have this all gone to my mentor in a week - less really as this time next week I'll be in Halifax and not working on any writing I don't think!

Here's the thing - I'm truly liking this part - I truly love revision. I don't know why I forget that. It is so delightful to go into something that is all there but needs some bits shined up or uncovered. I'm thinking of Stephen King's analogy - that we are like archaeologists - the story is there and we need to unearth it carefully. Well, it's on the laboratory table and I've got the fine brushes out, sweeping the last bits of sand away and seeing what I've got.

And you all?

Here's a photo of the crazy snow we got. This is our fence post after I've attempted walking in snow shoes to it. Too deep and fluffy for snow shoes. Yes. But never again so pristine. Please note level of snow to fence post. ha.


4 comments:

Hart Johnson said...

So glad you're enjoying the process! I have some revisions I really love and others that are miserable. Depends on how easy it is to figure out what the fixes are and whether I have flashes of insight. Those flashes really make the experience, when I feel like YES! That is EXACTLY what was missing!

Liza said...

I like revising, too. Although in truth, about the 17th revision, I get a bit tired. . .

Anonymous said...

Jan - Revising is such an interesting process, isn't it? You can feel your story getting polished and cleaned.

Patricia Stoltey said...

Wow! That's a lot of snow!

I like revision, too, Jan, but sometimes I don't know when to stop and declare a novel finished. I have five versions of one book, and I can't even decide which one I like best. Good luck with your revision process!