The lengths I go to

[pjthompson]

Nice discussion of desired book lengths from editorialass and friends here.

The fantasy novel I am reslogging through is now tipping the scales at just over 121k (SMF). That will come down, but I just finished going over the horrific travelogue known as chapter 5 trying to make it work. I came up with a better frame to hang the travelogue on, cut a couple of pages of infoage, but added scenes which replaced the pages cut plus another.

And it's still a damned travelogue! ::sigh::

I need to rethink the entire thing, but I'm fresh out of ideas at the moment, so I'm pushing forward, hoping something will rattle loose as I go. I just hope I don't do my usual trick of "It's out of my sight so I don't have to think about it anymore!"

Comments

[windsong5.livejournal.com]

I totally understand. It's not the work that's bad, just the reworking that's hard. *sigh* Wouldn't it be nice if everything came out clean the first time?

But as hard as this process is, at least you can see where you need to make changes. It's difficult, but seeing is winning half the battle. And for the other half of the battle, if those words would all just sit still for a moment... :)

[pjthompson]

But as hard as this process is, at least you can see where you need to make changes.

True. I don't always see how, but definitely see the need. I have to have faith that the solution will present itself in time. That's how these things usually go for me.