Blogger hates me and my original post has apparently imploded. Most of you are probably reading Mockingjay today anyway (please don't tell me what happens as I won't have time to read it until next week), so I'll keep this brief. (I'm Team Gale for the record)
I decided to spend the past few weeks revising my YA ms after some awesome feedback from my crit partners, and those revisions turned into something else--a major rewrite--as in the entire last half of the book. I said I'd have it done by this Wed. and I've never missed a deadline in my life. If I'd known several weeks ago just how much sleep I'd lose and all the scenes that I'd delete and redo, I would've cried. Luckily, I didn't realize it until I was in too deep, and then I was on a mission to finish. And now--I'm done. Woo hoo! I'm doing one more final read through because I'm compulsive like that.
Have you ever started minor revisions and realized in the midst of them that you crossed the line into extensive rewrites? How did you cope? I've used a heck of a lot of chocolate ice cream and coffee this week!
Starbucks...that's how I coped. I just did the same thing with my ms and my beta doesn't know how much her favorite character has changed. Boy is she in for a surprise!
ReplyDeleteBut I say if it makes the book stronger, good for you for going for it! Congrats on finishing! And I promise, no Mockingjay spoilers on my blog!
Chocolate works!
ReplyDeleteI hear you on crossing the revision line. I started on revisions and ended up adding three chapters and rewriting the end. lol.
ReplyDeleteAs for Mockingjay. I'm going to read it when my copy gets here. But no spoilers, promise :)
OMG my copy of Mockingjay from Amazon won't get here until tomorrow so I'm avoiding the net like the plague!
ReplyDeleteI'm in the midst of a major rewrite myself so I feel your pain. I wish I had your diligence though. If I did I'd be done by now!
I cope by avoiding writing, lol.
My first book...and I haven't exactly tackled it yet. Instead I went ahead and wrote two more. One of these days I'll go back and fix the first one. For me - I think I needed distance from it, before I could see it clearly.
ReplyDeleteMy latest WIP I just finished, I won't be so seditary and plan on doing revisions soon. I'll let you know how that goes (winks). (Hugs)Indigo
If it's anything like starting a blog and then abandoning it (one million times) because you want to go in a different direction, then I can sympathize! :) But I believe that every last word in those abandoned blogs was necessary to get to wherever I'm going. Let's just hope that if I ever get to where I'm going, I won't realize that I was completely wrong in that assumption. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteJenny-I so believe that every word is necessary to get you where you're going. Let me know if you start a new blog--I'll read it! :)
ReplyDeleteI completely approve of the chocolate ice cream and coffee technique. I've been revising too. Two different manuscripts and I'm finally at a pausing point. I say pausing because you're never really done.. Good thing I enjoy it all so much!
ReplyDeleteYay!! for rewrites! Can't wait to see how it's changed and congrats to you for finishing it so quickly!
ReplyDeleteI'm spending the whole day reading Catching Fire and then Mockingjay, lol! Oh, pics form the launch on my blog!
Lisa--I've reached many a pausing point with this ms. lol
ReplyDeleteLacey--can't wait to see the pics and Catching Fire was awesome. Mockingjay will have to wait a few more days. :)
Gasp! and Yay!
ReplyDeleteI have done that so recently that the memory of it still haunts me. I lost a lot of sleep, I paced and I cried... a lot. I was so mad at myself. I trudged through it and came out a better writer with a better story. It was a needed change.
Thanks Michelle--I haven't reached the crying stage yet, but it's only 9pm here so the night is still young. :)
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