Some of you might recall my Insecure Writers Support Group post from last week where I bemoaned the prospect of writing a chapter from scratch in order
to have something to submit to my crit group. For the past six months, everything I've shown them has been material I'd already hammered away on for a year, words that had undergone countless rewrites. I dreaded the thought of handing these writers a chapter I'd only worked on for a few weeks.
Turns out they thought this chapter was my best one so far. Either I'm getting better at rough drafting, or else all the rewriting I do is actually
making things worse. Sigh... We'll see what my other crit group agrees.
Anyway, have a great weekend and enjoy the links!
Chemistken
How to get a great book contract in 5 steps
Royalty Clauses in Publishing
Deals: How (& How Much) Authors Get Paid
3 Things We Can Learn From Marvel’s
Civil War
Plot Obstacles: Too Easy, Too Difficult, or Just Right?
Don’t Accidentally Give Your Characters a Time Out
How to Write Characters Who Don't Sound Like You
Secrets to Turning Your Facebook
Page into an Epic Marketing Tool
Website of Ken Rahmoeller -- fantasy author, chemist, and lover of all things Hogwarts (Photo Courtesy of Scarluuk)
Maybe you work well under pressure?
ReplyDeleteSometimes when we just write, without too much thinking, we do produce our best stuff. When I wrote the last chapter of my first novel I spent at least a month on that one chapter. My beta-reader told me it let down the whole novel. It was too strained. Naturally, I was disappointed in myself. I sat down immediately and re-wrote it from scratch in about an hour. Beta-reader called me up just before midnight and said - 'Where did this come from? - it's brilliant'. We'll see if my editor thinks so when I get the script back :) Too much thinking isn't good. So pleased your writing group enjoyed your chapter.
ReplyDeleteGreat job at getting something written quick, and woot for your group liking it! I've had similar experiences. My group said the 6K I busted out in a few days was their favorite so far.
ReplyDeleteWe should swap! I'd love to read your chapter, even if it is out of context.
All that hard work is paying off. Way to go, Ken. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnna from elements of emaginette
Thanks for the links!
ReplyDeleteI would guess that your writing is getting more awesome because of the time and practice you've put into it.
However, I did kill a poem with re-writes once . . . and it was super frustrating. I think three revisions are usually enough for content.
Sometimes we can really work a story/chapter to death. Rewriting is great, but only if you take it so far. Constantly rewriting something can hurt it. But I do think you're hard work has paid off, and that you're getting better as a writer. :)
ReplyDelete