Comments on: Blood, sweat and tears http://writerunboxed.com/2009/01/08/blood-sweat-and-tears/ about the craft and business of fiction Sat, 11 Feb 2012 02:26:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Ivy http://writerunboxed.com/2009/01/08/blood-sweat-and-tears/#comment-98745 Ivy Thu, 15 Jan 2009 05:26:09 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/01/08/blood-sweat-and-tears/#comment-98745 I love the picture leading this entry! Cat's always find the best spots in a house to settle. As for me, I could call myself a mixture of the two. The last large work I finished, progress was interrupted by other projects, and I found the breaks helpful. I liked the change in pace from one thing to the other, and it gave me chance to mull multiple things over, and to start anew with fresh ideas. There are other times, however, that working on many projects turns out to be torture. Hard to concentrate, without a clear sense of the character's psyche's or speaking patterns or anything when I wait too long to go back to something. As for rewrites: the second, third revision, etc, is when I start to hate the work and everything about it, have got five other ideas for new things and am eager to get some 'fresh air' with work. I actually love the first round of rewrites, though, filling out things that seemed weak before, adding in ideas I hadn't thought of the first time. My best lines almost always come in a rewrite, so I really can't begrudge them much. Good luck with your rewrites! Major restructuring is a huge challenge! I love the picture leading this entry! Cat’s always find the best spots in a house to settle.

As for me, I could call myself a mixture of the two. The last large work I finished, progress was interrupted by other projects, and I found the breaks helpful. I liked the change in pace from one thing to the other, and it gave me chance to mull multiple things over, and to start anew with fresh ideas.

There are other times, however, that working on many projects turns out to be torture. Hard to concentrate, without a clear sense of the character’s psyche’s or speaking patterns or anything when I wait too long to go back to something.

As for rewrites: the second, third revision, etc, is when I start to hate the work and everything about it, have got five other ideas for new things and am eager to get some ‘fresh air’ with work.
I actually love the first round of rewrites, though, filling out things that seemed weak before, adding in ideas I hadn’t thought of the first time. My best lines almost always come in a rewrite, so I really can’t begrudge them much.

Good luck with your rewrites! Major restructuring is a huge challenge!

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]]> By: Melissa Marsh http://writerunboxed.com/2009/01/08/blood-sweat-and-tears/#comment-98655 Melissa Marsh Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:41:27 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/01/08/blood-sweat-and-tears/#comment-98655 Total immersion, otherwise I get very lost and have a hard time getting back into the story. I keep a specific journal for whatever novel I happen to be working on, and when I can't write that day for whatever reason, I try to write something in my journal or look over my notes - anything to keep me in touch with the story. Total immersion, otherwise I get very lost and have a hard time getting back into the story. I keep a specific journal for whatever novel I happen to be working on, and when I can’t write that day for whatever reason, I try to write something in my journal or look over my notes – anything to keep me in touch with the story.

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]]> By: Juliet http://writerunboxed.com/2009/01/08/blood-sweat-and-tears/#comment-98415 Juliet Sat, 10 Jan 2009 00:23:15 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/01/08/blood-sweat-and-tears/#comment-98415 Ray, I also take some pleasure in the recreation - even though I'm aware of time ticking away, I'm enjoying writing the totally new scenes, especially the ones that crank up the romantic tension. So it's not all angst. God and Adam - yes, Satima, right now I have a lot of sympathy for both of them. My protagonist is prone to nightmares in which she revisits traumatic episodes in her past. I'm experiencing a similar phenomenon, waking at 3am with my mind churning over one plot point or another. Must cut back on coffee ... Ray, I also take some pleasure in the recreation – even though I’m aware of time ticking away, I’m enjoying writing the totally new scenes, especially the ones that crank up the romantic tension. So it’s not all angst.

God and Adam – yes, Satima, right now I have a lot of sympathy for both of them. My protagonist is prone to nightmares in which she revisits traumatic episodes in her past. I’m experiencing a similar phenomenon, waking at 3am with my mind churning over one plot point or another. Must cut back on coffee …

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]]> By: Satima Flavell http://writerunboxed.com/2009/01/08/blood-sweat-and-tears/#comment-98318 Satima Flavell Thu, 08 Jan 2009 22:58:15 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/01/08/blood-sweat-and-tears/#comment-98318 At least all the editors saw the same problems and were willing to work together to help you improve the ms, and I have no doubt that the end product will be a wonderful book, as all yours are. I think immersion is always the best way to create anything, but in this case it's essential because of the continuity issues. It's immersion on two levels, isn't it - being there with the characters and also being the all-seeing eye from above, ready to pounce on inconsistencies. A tall order, playing God and Adam both at once:-) Heart's Blood, it seems, is demanding some of yours in sacrifice! At least all the editors saw the same problems and were willing to work together to help you improve the ms, and I have no doubt that the end product will be a wonderful book, as all yours are.

I think immersion is always the best way to create anything, but in this case it’s essential because of the continuity issues. It’s immersion on two levels, isn’t it – being there with the characters and also being the all-seeing eye from above, ready to pounce on inconsistencies. A tall order, playing God and Adam both at once:-) Heart’s Blood, it seems, is demanding some of yours in sacrifice!

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]]> By: Ray Rhamey http://writerunboxed.com/2009/01/08/blood-sweat-and-tears/#comment-98314 Ray Rhamey Thu, 08 Jan 2009 21:04:56 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/01/08/blood-sweat-and-tears/#comment-98314 I just finished a structural rewrite of one of my novels, and immersion became necessary. I was able to do the first half in pieces, changing things to lead to the coming new narrative, inserting chapters to create a new pov character...but just couldn't think about the harder part, the reconstruction of the second half of the novel where most of the changes were needed. So I took a week off from the day job, dived in, and had it done within that week. I think it works (waiting to hear from a couple of beta readers) and to polish. But I have to say that I enjoyed, in many ways, the recreation. I changed the arcs of two key characters, introduced a new and interesting one, deleted two, and ultimately feel like I have a better novel as a result. But then, I'm not the best judge, am I/ I just finished a structural rewrite of one of my novels, and immersion became necessary. I was able to do the first half in pieces, changing things to lead to the coming new narrative, inserting chapters to create a new pov character…but just couldn’t think about the harder part, the reconstruction of the second half of the novel where most of the changes were needed.

So I took a week off from the day job, dived in, and had it done within that week. I think it works (waiting to hear from a couple of beta readers) and to polish.

But I have to say that I enjoyed, in many ways, the recreation. I changed the arcs of two key characters, introduced a new and interesting one, deleted two, and ultimately feel like I have a better novel as a result.

But then, I’m not the best judge, am I/

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]]> By: annie http://writerunboxed.com/2009/01/08/blood-sweat-and-tears/#comment-98306 annie Thu, 08 Jan 2009 19:35:52 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/01/08/blood-sweat-and-tears/#comment-98306 I multi-task but only because I have other writing commitments. I don't find it hard to write short op-ed or column stuff while working on manuscripts but I do find it hard to work on two fiction pieces at the same time regardless of length. This was a really interesting look at that editing process for me. Thanks for sharing. I multi-task but only because I have other writing commitments. I don’t find it hard to write short op-ed or column stuff while working on manuscripts but I do find it hard to work on two fiction pieces at the same time regardless of length.

This was a really interesting look at that editing process for me. Thanks for sharing.

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]]> By: Kathleen Bolton http://writerunboxed.com/2009/01/08/blood-sweat-and-tears/#comment-98295 Kathleen Bolton Thu, 08 Jan 2009 16:48:45 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/01/08/blood-sweat-and-tears/#comment-98295 "For some parts of this ms I’m finding it easier to set the original aside, think about what is truly essential to the scene, then write the whole thing again from scratch. This means a scary amount of the original is being discarded, which has the potential to cause continuity problems. " I'm in this situation myself. With my current WIP, I started a good chunk then had to break away six months for the CONFESSIONS project. The agony going back in was incredible PLUS I realized that several scenes I loved before weren't working. They have to go....but letting them go is breaking my heart. I think I'll just have to chuck them and start over. Heart's blood indeed. “For some parts of this ms I’m finding it easier to set the original aside, think about what is truly essential to the scene, then write the whole thing again from scratch. This means a scary amount of the original is being discarded, which has the potential to cause continuity problems. ”

I’m in this situation myself.

With my current WIP, I started a good chunk then had to break away six months for the CONFESSIONS project. The agony going back in was incredible PLUS I realized that several scenes I loved before weren’t working. They have to go….but letting them go is breaking my heart. I think I’ll just have to chuck them and start over.

Heart’s blood indeed.

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]]> By: Kristan http://writerunboxed.com/2009/01/08/blood-sweat-and-tears/#comment-98291 Kristan Thu, 08 Jan 2009 15:32:12 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/01/08/blood-sweat-and-tears/#comment-98291 <i>"For some parts of this ms I’m finding it easier to set the original aside, think about what is truly essential to the scene, then write the whole thing again from scratch. This means a scary amount of the original is being discarded, which has the potential to cause continuity problems."</i> DITTO. Unfortunately. And I find this to create a slooow revision process as well. Sigh. But I really liked this post and the way it's "just a day in the life of a writer" vs. advice. (Advice is good too, but I'm saying I like the variety!) I think for me I need to be focused. I used to think I could multi-task, and maybe someday I can, but right now I've realized that if I let myself work on too many projects at once, they all suffer. “For some parts of this ms I’m finding it easier to set the original aside, think about what is truly essential to the scene, then write the whole thing again from scratch. This means a scary amount of the original is being discarded, which has the potential to cause continuity problems.”

DITTO. Unfortunately. And I find this to create a slooow revision process as well. Sigh.

But I really liked this post and the way it’s “just a day in the life of a writer” vs. advice. (Advice is good too, but I’m saying I like the variety!)

I think for me I need to be focused. I used to think I could multi-task, and maybe someday I can, but right now I’ve realized that if I let myself work on too many projects at once, they all suffer.

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]]> By: Juliet http://writerunboxed.com/2009/01/08/blood-sweat-and-tears/#comment-98272 Juliet Thu, 08 Jan 2009 11:07:11 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/01/08/blood-sweat-and-tears/#comment-98272 Not at all! Working with the joint editorial report is actually heaps easier than my past experience, when I had different editions coming out at different times, and had to deal with each editor separately while trying to keep the end result as close to the same as possible. With Heart's Blood the three editors discussed their main points together, reached consensus on most of it, then one of them wrote the report on behalf of all three. With one or two points they've said 'X thought this, but Y and Z don't think it's so important.' Mostly it seems they had very similar responses to the ms. Not at all! Working with the joint editorial report is actually heaps easier than my past experience, when I had different editions coming out at different times, and had to deal with each editor separately while trying to keep the end result as close to the same as possible. With Heart’s Blood the three editors discussed their main points together, reached consensus on most of it, then one of them wrote the report on behalf of all three. With one or two points they’ve said ‘X thought this, but Y and Z don’t think it’s so important.’ Mostly it seems they had very similar responses to the ms.

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]]> By: Marsha http://writerunboxed.com/2009/01/08/blood-sweat-and-tears/#comment-98266 Marsha Thu, 08 Jan 2009 09:43:11 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/01/08/blood-sweat-and-tears/#comment-98266 Total immersion, definitely. I took a month break in the middle of a first draft once, and it was so hard to make the whole thing flow. I can't work on more than a project at a time. Total immersion, definitely. I took a month break in the middle of a first draft once, and it was so hard to make the whole thing flow. I can’t work on more than a project at a time.

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