A week or so ago I decided to ignore Stephen King's advice - no, not the bit about adverbs, she typed defiantly, but the bit about leaving your first draft for a month before looking at it.
I know it makes sense, and I intended to turn my energies to The Ash Grove but that was delayed for various reasons, and I'd had some feedback on The Malice of Fairies that I wanted to deal with. So at the end of last week I plunged into the printed copy, going through it and making notes, trying to switch one or two scenes, and making notes on what I wanted to write.
As usual, I noticed a number of things: the sections I knew had been pure slog "I - am - writing this - be-cause- I -have - to..." scenes, generally needed more work than the "pure inspiration scenes" many of which came out perfectly formed and needing virtually no editing. This was gratifying. Slightly worryingly I felt the book fitted together, and though Anna said she didn't want to stop reading, I thought it both rounded the story since we saw how Deirdre had changed, and also left the possibility for a future book.
Today I wrote and edited and proof read all day and finished the second draft. I am happy to change things, if necessary, and to take professional advice, but otherwise, it's largely agent ready. And I feel happy and successful, the repeat of the sensation I had when I completed the first draft, the feeling that this is good, and enjoying the idyll before I start submitting it, and getting back rejection letters! I submitted it to a "new" agent yesterday, one I've never submitted to before. Exciting! But I should also submit to the rave rejectors of the past. Once I have flung in a few submissions I can sit and cower with misery - or get on with The Ash Grove.
I know it makes sense, and I intended to turn my energies to The Ash Grove but that was delayed for various reasons, and I'd had some feedback on The Malice of Fairies that I wanted to deal with. So at the end of last week I plunged into the printed copy, going through it and making notes, trying to switch one or two scenes, and making notes on what I wanted to write.
As usual, I noticed a number of things: the sections I knew had been pure slog "I - am - writing this - be-cause- I -have - to..." scenes, generally needed more work than the "pure inspiration scenes" many of which came out perfectly formed and needing virtually no editing. This was gratifying. Slightly worryingly I felt the book fitted together, and though Anna said she didn't want to stop reading, I thought it both rounded the story since we saw how Deirdre had changed, and also left the possibility for a future book.
Today I wrote and edited and proof read all day and finished the second draft. I am happy to change things, if necessary, and to take professional advice, but otherwise, it's largely agent ready. And I feel happy and successful, the repeat of the sensation I had when I completed the first draft, the feeling that this is good, and enjoying the idyll before I start submitting it, and getting back rejection letters! I submitted it to a "new" agent yesterday, one I've never submitted to before. Exciting! But I should also submit to the rave rejectors of the past. Once I have flung in a few submissions I can sit and cower with misery - or get on with The Ash Grove.
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