Foiled

[pjthompson]

So chapter 16 was in the can as of late last week and I'm circling back to chapter 7 to look it over before posting it to the 'shop. And I realize it's been made partially obsolete by the way the story has developed since chapter 7. I'm not talking major rewrite here, but I will have to do a serious rethink. Ninety-five percent of it will work just fine, but the pesky five percent that won't work added nice drama to the chapter. I'll see if I can find something equally dramatic in the next few days that will work.

Such is the fate of an organic life form. Adapt or die.

In other news, I was a complete bum this weekend on the writerly front. I've been going nonstop for weeks now, either writing or critting or talking about writing and I really needed a break. Plus I was exhausted because we've been down two people at work. I did a serious veg thing this weekend, staring at the TV with my mouth open, drooling.

Okay, maybe not that bad. But almost. I even played computer games, which is the ultimate in "turning off the think machine" for me.

It is necessary and desirable to turn off the think machine now and then. Otherwise the smoke starts coming out of my ears.

Comments

[kmkibble75.livejournal.com]

Which video games? :-)

[pjthompson]

Well, actually not plural. Riddle of the Sphinx II. Which makes me use my brain to puzzle things out, but in a relaxing way. If that makes any sense.

[pjthompson]

And of course it just clicked into my non-thinking machine that I didn't play video games at all. *blush*

That shows you how much they are outside my frame of reference. I need to get a virtual life.

[kmkibble75.livejournal.com]

What kind of game is it? I do remember you mentioning it before.

(not to pester you, but now you've struck my curiosity...)

[pjthompson]

It's one of those puzzle games where you collect clues and try to figure stuff out. They have all these real but mysterious places you visit: Stonehenge, Chichen Itza, Easter Island, Bermuda Triangle...uhhhh.....uhhhhh...there's one other, but I've effectively turned off the thinking machine and can't remember.

It's fun. Have collected a great number of clues but haven't solved anything major as of yet. I don't think.

[kmkibble75.livejournal.com]

Those are the games that always drive me batty... I need things to kill or touchdowns to score. I will solve their riddles vicariously through you for now :-)

Myst is still sitting on my shelf, completely unsolved. I should crack that open someday and give it another shot.

[pjthompson]

Myst is still sitting on my shelf, completely unsolved.

Hey, I've never gotten off that fricking island. Of course, when you only play these things a handful of times a year, it does take a long time.

One of the things I like about ROTS II is that there are a lot of different places you can travel to and even if you aren't solving a damned thing, you have the illusion of progress. :-)

[maggiemotley.livejournal.com]

Veg time is important -- I'm glad it came with the drool and the games thing. The most serious veggers *insist* on those :-)

Are your sick people back at work now? I hope they realise how much stress their sickness is causing others.

[pjthompson]

Are your sick people back at work now?

One may be back by the end of this week but the other will be out at least another couple of months. We've got a terrific temp in helping out. I'm so hoping we can keep her until the 2 month person gets back.

[frigg.livejournal.com]

Such is the fate of an organic life form. Adapt or die.

That's the part of being an organic writer that I dislike. You write all this cool stuff, only to have to edit it out later, and it takes ages to finish a novel because of the countless rewrites.

Vegetating is good. Sometimes the brain just needs to refuel. :)

[pjthompson]

You write all this cool stuff, only to have to edit it out later, and it takes ages to finish a novel because of the countless rewrites.

Which is why I usually don't circle back until I've completed the whole ms.--no rewrites until the end. I find it makes those rewrite decisions easier for me--what stays, what goes--when I have the perspective of the whole book. But when posting to the shop and realizing something's obsolete there isn't much choice.

Also, the last novel I did a much tougher rewrite schedule--I simply did not allow myself to drag it out too long. I used a technique Holly Black advocates. She does only one rewrite. I couldn't manage that, but I thought the "tough love and move on" approach was much more sensible, more conducive to producing a body of work. My first two novels went through a million rewrites and I don't think they were any better for it.

[frigg.livejournal.com]

My skill level is, unfortunately, still too low for just one rewrite. I've basically been learning how to write by writing this novel. It certainly wasn't the brainiest thing I've ever done.

I agree with writing the whole ms. before starting the rewrite. I used to rewrite after every chapter, but it's usually just a waste of time.

[pjthompson]

I've basically been learning how to write by writing this novel. It certainly wasn't the brainiest thing I've ever done.

But that's exactly how we learn to write novels. I don't think it's a skill set anyone can teach you except in a general way because everybody's different. For the most part, it's a learn-by-doing sort of occupation.

[frigg.livejournal.com]

You just made me feel much better regarding my multiple rewrites. I guess they have been necessary on a learn-by-doing level. :)

[pjthompson]

My skill level is, unfortunately, still too low for just one rewrite.

Oh, and as to that: I didn't mean to imply I'd gotten it down to one rewrite. Holly Black said she did that. I doubt I'll ever get it down to one. But I did get this book down to three drafts before sending it out. I'm not saying it doesn't need more, but it was the best book I could have produced at the time.

[frigg.livejournal.com]

Ah no, I didn't read it as if you were down to one rewrite. Three drafts is pretty good, especially for an organic writer.