Hacking

[brownnicky]

I haven't addressed the big issue yet of restructuring this novel, instead I am piddling around at the water's edge reworking the first few chapters. Each time I read it, I hack away a bit more. I think I may end up with about a sentence a chapter at this rate

Comments

[ex_triciasu]

I have a tendency to spiral into the crazy if I try to deal with too many problems at once, so I'm with you on putting everything else down for now.

It sounds like you're warming up to the work--and hacking out what you don't need is important to make room for the new. I like to work in really bold, decisive strokes, but sometimes things can't be done in one fell swoop and I find this hard to accept. I always feel like I'm not really working when doing that waters-edge stuff...but speaking more objectively, I know it's just as important as the big visionary action.

And you're working. Me, I'm procrastinating fiercely these last couple of days...

[brownnicky]

I usual go in with the axe too but this is gentler and less scary. The book is written in alternating first person sections so I have to change the way the characters talk to make it less wordy and more immediate and I'm hoping that will change the pace and oblige me to rejig events accordingly. Who knows? I don't know why I wrote it like this in the first place - nobody writes like this any more for teens!
As for the procrastination all I can say is I have cleaned out a lot of cupboards lately...

[ex_triciasu]

I think changing the voice is bound to change everything else.

Re: cleaning cupboards, was just chatting with Kari Sperring about this very thing over on my LJ...it seems to be universal!