I never, ever thought I’d say this, but I think I might like the editing process even more than the first-draft writing process. I love the pell-mell pace of writing fast, but this tidying up suits me. (I plan on getting this novel all cleaned up and pretty by October 20th, so My Agent can send it out to the world while I take ten days to plan the next one, which will be thrown against the page starting November first in a mad Nanowrimo rush.)
I have a sheet of paper next to me when I work, covered with pink Post-its with things that I know I have to work on/work in, and I move them around a lot. I’m gobsmacked every other day when two of the Post-its collide and make a new one, or when something on a Post-it gets handled in a way I didn’t expect.
There are the Trouble Post-its, yes. The ones I look at and wonder how on earth I’m going to get them onto the Done pile.
But this is kind of obscenely fun. I never, ever thought I’d say that. I thought I wasn’t a rewriter. What’s next? Frogging sweaters?
Hell, no. I’m not THAT different.
Someone likes it when I work listening to classical music:
Miss Idaho likes to perch on pillow-tops.
Hehehehehe. Welcome to the dark side.
Sounds just about perfect to me.
That is an extremely cute picture.
That’s one thing I like about poems. It doesn’t take long to get a draft down (if it’s short). Then, you can tinker, and tinker, and tinker, reading it aloud over and over again to see how the words feel in your mouth. I just love that.
Can I send you my 13 drafts of my play and you can make the final draft?
Joke. Kinda. Seems like in playwriting at least, editing is more work than actually writing the thing.
That said, since my production in March I have been bone dry and have hardly written a word. . .
I find that the different color post it tags are good actually.
Good luck though.
love to you and animals and La,
Moira
Hi Rachael!
A long overdue thank you ((!!!)) to you and Lala for helping us out at the Mystic show a couple weeks back. I am bummed I didn’t find you!
(never did get a third ticket so we didn’t stay long, as one of our party was left waiting for us at the bar next door)
We are going to Smiley’s tomorrow night and showing up early so we know ALL three of us will get to see the show this time. Can’t wait!
Love to all of you!
-Christine
Woo hoo for another NaNo writer! What’s your user name?
Hooray for editing! 🙂 (Full disclosure: I’m an editor.) Seriously, there’s nothing quite like playing with words, especially when they’re your words. There’s something LEGO-esque about it.