The Odd Method of Rewrites

As a follow up to the last post, I'm starting to think my method of rewriting a scene is a bit tedious.

Step 1) identify problem scene.
Step 2) outline how things should happen
Step 3) take the problem scene and paste it into a new Word Doc. 
Step 4) write out the new scene either on paper or in a different blank Word Doc.
Step 5) tweak scene just before and after new scene to improve flow.

I used to just edit and rewrite in the original draft. It was faster but the new scene felt jumbled and repetitive.  It takes me physically longer to go this way, but it has yet to fail. In a separate page I can look at it as a whole instead of each line I'm on. I used to just rush to meet deadlines but I'm stopping that.  The story has to matter first.  If I miss a deadline,  I'll just send it elsewhere. 

Plus, nothing inspires me more than a blank page. 

To Keep or Not to Keep?

I am sure I have rattled on plenty of times about my issues with word limits. It means a lot of trimming of the original idea, but every writing advice I've received states "kill your darlings". I don't like it. My novels and stories would never end if I had the choice. But that often drags down the pace and looses a lot of the exciting tension that keeps readers going.

Today's example is a nearly finished short story due by the end of the week. The cap is 4,000, which I just hit. However, there is just one scene left to write. Bryan keeps going back and forth, dancing between arguing with a side character and plunging his blade through a monster's heart. To keep it short, I may have to cut the entire scene I wrote this weekend in half. But what would make a better story? That is the important question.

In my mind, the back and forth was supposed to dig into Bryan's conflict with his desires to follow after his father. This story takes place right before he leaves England, so in the front of his mind he is ready to part with hunting all together. I wanted Bryan to see it would not be so simple for him to walk away, when he knows what he wants deep deep deep deep deep deep down. It was also supposed to introduce more of the Fae Activists. But it does slow down the action. Who really stands around and chats while monsters destroy a drawing room?

Time for rewrites!

An Experiment in Serialization

I have decided to try a little experiment here. One of my writing exercises has been this odd little crossover between my two Victorian series. When I can't write anything else or need to just stretch my mind, I dabble with what would happen if the worlds collide. It has been helpful, but I doubted it would amount to much. Then it occurred to me to just try and put it out there. 

 If you click on the "Grey Jewel" tab above, you can see this story unfold. It isn't very much now, but I update it every now and again. Chronologically, it takes place sometime after the first book of each series. While neither have been published, it seemed somewhat odd to share it with the world. Then I thought, why not? It can't hurt. 

You don't really need to know the details of the books to read this. Any substantial knowledge has already been mentioned in my rants here. Consider it an AU fanfic...of my own writing.  

I hope you enjoy!  

Business or Pleasure?

Today, at my regular day job, one of my co-workers asked me about my writing. She commented that she sees I always have some notebook open with scribbles next to me--not that I'm avoiding doing my day job, it's just that I get ideas at any moment and need something to write with. She then asked if I just did it for fun. Seeing as I just read a thought provoking blog post by Kameron Hurley, I thought I might answer that in a little more detail.

I told her that writing was my passion, and I did dream of becoming a professional and published author one day. But of course it is fun! It's the most fun thing I do all day. Like I told her and many others, I'm full of these stories that just need to come out. I literally get twitchy if I have gone a while with writing something.

With an inbox of rejections looking back at me, I've been wondering lately if that big dream would ever come about. I'm starting to come to better terms with leaving all the worrying aside and having some faith and hope. How can I get published if I'm worrying and not writing? Writing has to be fun, or it only results in an awful pile of garbled words. No one wants to read that. I certainly don't.

I recently had to put a short story on hold because it stopped being fun. I knew I had to finish it by the deadline, but I had no idea how to fill in the plot holes. I stared at the blank screen for hours, all while other ideas tempted the back of my mind. When I tried to force out anything, it became a chore and the story suffered. By working on the "fun" ideas, I was able to recharge and actually think of a better idea for the story on hold. While it means finishing it in the distant future, I feel better about not forcing out something I didn't like. In that time, I finished two other new stories.

But I have to think of the business side too, which also played into the reason for putting that story on hold. The semi-original plan is to have prequel short stories being out before or right after Resurrected Thief comes out. Now waiting on answers and not knowing when anything will get accepted does often cause issues with that plan, but it hasn't changed my motivation. I have to brand or establish my Victorian fantasy to publishers and the world. Unfortunately, stories about dragons and elves sent thousands and thousands of years earlier, doesn't exactly help. Nor does the fact it doesn't all make sense without a glimpse at my master plan.

Like I said before, I don't want to pigeon hole myself. At the same time, I want to show that this alternate world of mind is world worth investing in. I'm not quite in any of the established genres yet, but I have to show that isn't a bad thing after all. But I have to do it while having fun, or there really isn't much of a point to it.