Angela Scott
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Editing, Rewriting, and Gutting Fish--Not much difference.

5/16/2011

13 Comments

 
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When I was a junior in High School, many moons ago, my best friend, Jeanette, and her boyfriend, John, decided that it would be a marvelous idea if I dated John’s best friend Mike. Then we could go on couple dates together—movies, skating, school dances! Yippee! Fun, huh?

In theory, the idea worked. Mike was super cute (hubba, hubaa) and we seemed to have a TON in common (okay, not really. We both played the clarinet in band and that was about it. Uber nerds, I know). So, under pressure, both Mike and I agreed to go steady.

From the very beginning, I knew that even though Mike was cute and played a mean clarinet, something wasn’t right. He was nice enough. He opened doors for me and paid for our dates. We talked on the phone at night and laughed and laughed, but whenever we were together, in person, everything became awkward and weird.

As a sixteen-year-old girl, I had no idea what was wrong. Everything looked right—he was cute, I was cute (if I do say so myself), we held hands, he went to a dance together—but something just didn’t mesh.  The chemistry just wasn’t there. He was more like a brother to me. Our first and only kiss during our weeks of “dating” ended with him leaning in, missing my lips, and kissing my chin. I was standing on the porch step and so I figured that was the reason for the mishap, so I let it slide. No big deal. It happens. But I never pushed for a second kiss and he never offered. Not once.   

After awhile of going on like this, we broke up with each other. It was a mutual decision. No hurt feelings. I think we were both actually quite relieved.

But our friends wouldn’t let it go. “You’re perfect for each other,” they’d say. “Look how cute your dance pictures are! Adorable!”  And they nagged and hounded until we agreed to try it one more time.

It lasted only two weeks before we called it quits again, much to our friends dismay. Mike and I were always friendly to one another after that, but we no longer dated. It wasn’t until years later, that through the grapevine, I was told Mike was actually gay.

No wonder our relationship didn’t work.

On the surface, we looked like a happy couple. We looked like a typical girlfriend and boyfriend doing typical girlfriend and boyfriend things—except kissing and making out. But underneath all of that facade, we were both miserable. We were trying to be something we were not. No amount of peer pressure was going to make the relationship work. 

How does any of this tie into writing, you may ask? Well, it ties in like this: Sometimes a story or storyline just doesn’t work and no matter how hard you try to make it.

This is where I am right now in my writing. The first draft of my zombie western romance book is done, and now I’m in the editing stages. Or, I should say, I thought I was in the editing stages. Actually, it’s more like a rewrite-the-whole-darn-thing-from-the-beginning-to-fix-plot-holes-and-amp-up-the-tension. And boy is it tough. It’s overwhelming to say the least.

I love the story. I’ve had a blast writing it, but there are problems with it that need corrected. There are story lines that just don’t work. I’ve had this pointed out by my critique group and they are right, darn them. My group gave me excellent ideas on how to ramp up the risk, and how to fix the story to make it more powerful.

The ideas are perfect, IF I can implement them correctly.

BUT, it’s going to be a ton of work. It won’t be easy at all and I like easy. Editing is one thing, rewriting is another, and it’s going to suck big time.

So, my book is floundering, just like a fish on the end of a hook. As I figure it, I have two options:

1)     
Remove the fish from the hook and slip it back into the water, set it free, and move on. There are other stories in my head begging to be written. I can put the zombie book to bed and start an entirely different story. Sometimes, that’s the best option.

2)     
OR, I can slip the fish from the hook, gut it, remove its bones, fry it up in a pan and serve it with tatar sauce and lemon juice. It will be delicious. I’m certain of it. But it will also be messy. Have you ever gutted a fish? It’s gross.

Depending on the day, I flip-flop between the two options. Sometimes I want to chuck the whole thing, give up, and at other times, I love my characters and their story too much to walk away. I know it can be fixed. I know it. I just want to whine about how tough it’s going to be.

So what do you do when part of your story doesn’t work? Do you put on your hardhat and get to work? Or do you whine like me and threaten to kill off all the characters and call the whole thing off?

13 Comments
Krisseev
5/16/2011 06:25:57 am

I put my hard hat on every time but there are occasions when I have to jump tracks and start writing a chapter or two of a new book to get me excited. Then I tell myself as a reward, I can keep working on it when I finish my current WIP.
Best of luck to you!

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Rene Peterson link
5/16/2011 08:12:29 am

Gut the fish. Otherwise it will always be the "one that got away."

You've got great support and ideas. What's a little work? When a story isn't coming together, I put on full body armor and become Lara Croft. If I'm going down, it's with both guns blazing.

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Winn Smith link
5/16/2011 08:19:06 am

Yes, gut the fish. But then maybe put it in the freezer until you want to eat it. I find that if something's not quite working, taking a break then going back fresh is often the make or break point. Often, it's make. Good luck with the rest of it.

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Juliana link
5/16/2011 08:21:33 am

Put on the hard hat! Gut the fish! It's damn hard work but so so worth it in the end. And I know how much you love this Zombie book, you talk about it all the darn time. Get to work!

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Violeta
5/16/2011 08:26:03 am

Yeap, the chemistry is vital! I've never understood writers who just write something that is not entirely interesting to them, but just to be published. Actually, I don't really understand people in relationships if their heart is not into it... However, i do understand the need to hold onto security and habit. In the end, however, I think we are all better off chasing after that which makes us happy. At any cost.
Sorry I got all philosophical, you made me do that! Thanks, Angela, for this wonderful post. :)

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Mandi link
5/16/2011 09:23:23 am

Maybe you should put your fish in the freezer and make something else for dinner...it'll keep! :)

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Nancy Lauzon link
5/16/2011 09:50:56 am

This is a tough question, one every writer at one time or another has struggled with.

I think the answer is, it depends (hard question, hard answer!)

The problems that need correcting might be causing some roadblocks that, once fixed, will get you right back on track, and voila, done.

Or, you might need a break from this story altogether, either temporarily -- start writing something else until you feel ready to get back to it -- or even permanently, depending on where your heart is now.

I have three finished manuscripts and two partially finished manuscripts in my desk drawer. They won't see the light of day, because they were very early works.

I sweat blood writing them, but really, they're very amateurish and had huge problems. I don't regret writing them, because I learned a ton. But at the time I was still figuring out who I was as an author. These novels didn't really represent my best voice. Once I found my voice, I was off and running, and I've published every novel that I've written since then.

I toy with the idea of dragging these old manuscripts into the light and revising them, but honestly, I just don't think it's worth it. I may as well write something fresh and new.

Hope that helps, and good luck, Angela!

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Diana link
5/16/2011 11:20:30 am

I went fishing with my dad and cousins once and saw one of my older cousins smack a fish against the boat to kill it and use it for bait or something. So I say do that. Smack it against the boat and force the other fish into canabalism.

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Mark Lidstone link
5/16/2011 04:45:30 pm

I mostly write short stories. For now. I've run into this problem many times. Sometimes I get an idea that I love so much but just can't make work. I've yet to give up on one though. When it's felt impossible, I've written something else. Sometimes a few things. But I always end up going back to the dead idea with a cleared head. The final product may not match the original exactly but I'm usually happy with how it comes out.

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Deana Barnhart link
5/17/2011 12:26:38 am

Well, I have to say I really hope you can find a way through it all because I would love to read this book.

If you can't I do understand. That, sadly, just happened with my last book. I wrote the darn thing all the way through and it wasn't right. So not right I had to start on a whole hew outline and start from scratch. Half way through and I had another idea simmering so I let the fish off the hook for the time being. Maybe I will revist it, maybe I won't. I just don't know.

I hope you perservere through this, because did I tell you I would really like to read this book:)

Oh, I'm not sure how you are with blog awards but I gave you a couple:)

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Elisa link
5/17/2011 01:53:37 am

Fry the fish :) I bet it will turn out awesome.

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Becka (stickynotestory) link
5/17/2011 03:56:25 am

Hard Hat Time! Your characters stuck with you through a whole first draft of you getting their story wrong - they deserve to have it told the way it actually went ;) (at least, this is what I tell myself when I re-write Fie Eoin over and over and OVER again!)

But I'm one of those people who would rather re-write than edit :P

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Brooke R. Busse link
5/18/2011 02:18:44 pm

I'm with Becka. I would much rather rewrite. I feel like I know what I'm doing then.

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