I've done quite a bit of revising over the past week, and it seems that I have finally found my comfort zone. Perhaps it's more appropriate to say that the story has matured to the point that "it is what it is." All of my ideas about changing it seem to dissolve in the context of the actual scenes. I find that I am just rearranging words on the page, nitpicking over structure. Should I put the "said" tag before or after the dialogue? Should the speaker be standing or sitting? Who the heck cares?
It seems that there comes a point where the story becomes bigger than the author, and truly does have a life of its own. I know that I could change it if I had to, but it would be like performing surgery on a loved one. I don't see any need to at this point. As I've said before, it's all about confidence in our words and in our vision. Whatever I might think this story should be, it has already decided on its own what to be. I have gone from being an author to being a recorder of events. And that is a very, very good place to be.
To read a brief excerpt, and post one of your own, visit The Writer's Hole: A Grand Day to Be Braggin''.
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2 comments:
Thanks for the link. I feel like this with my chapter 1 right now. I just keep staring at it trying to change things and everything falls back to the way it was. I think taking a break may help.
Thanks!
Hi Christine! Gotta love someone with the same beautiful name. :o) Aren't first chapters the worst? I seriously think I have spent at least as much time rewriting my first few chapters as I have spent on the entire rest of the book. Any excerpts to share?
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