Not a stellar week for me in terms of output. I only worked through 20 pages of WHEN THE FALLEN ANGELS FLY since last Wednesday, but I was off the mark when I said that this is a re-read and light edit. It’s practically a re-write. The 2/3rds finished manuscript started at 45K words and now it’s up to 47.5K. So I’m adding to it as I go along, sort of three steps forward, two steps back. Mostly I’ve been fine-tuning Richard Carroll’s motivation. He’s almost halfway through his journey to become an angel and still coming across as a whiner. But I had a little breakthrough last night. Right now, Richard, rematerialized as a middle-aged Manhattan psychotherapist, is teaching himself the trade so that he can help the witness to his murder who’s a heroin addict and self-injurer. I’ve got about 50 pages to go until I reach where I left off with this manuscript five weeks ago.
The most exciting news is that I got some really encouraging feedback from a reader of THE REGISTRATION. It totally made my week. Enough to reconsider going through the manuscript one more time and sending it out to agents and small houses again. This is my goal for early 2010.
So other than that, I set up profile on GLBT Bookshelf and skulked around a few writers on-line communities. I’ve got some vacation coming up from work when I can dedicate big chunks of time to writing. I can’t wait!
I think re-writing is a bigger challenge than writing. At least for me. “Aw, crap, I gotta re-read this. Blegh!” So kudos to you for slogging through and having the wherewithal to revamp. It’s definitely good to deepen your characters, so it sounds like time well spent.
Thanks Kev. Yeah, I really envy those writers who can turn out a first or second draft in great shape and never look back. My first drafts are full of good intentions and self-delusions. “It’s fantastic!” “Everything is working!” “The pace is perfect!” Then I go back to read it and am like “Wha?” I have to find the reference for this, but some wise novelist once said: “For most writers, 75% of the first draft will be pure crap. 25% will be pure gold.” That’s me for sure.