Dear Novel, I Still Like You

To paraphrase Shakespeare, the outline's the thing!

Yeah, I'm outlining the remainder of Part One of my huge rewrite, and it's a VERY EXCELLENT IDEA. I went into this thinking "I'll just start over and see what happens" and that might not've been the BEST decision ever. I'm at the point where I need to marry my new material to my old material. I realized I CAN still use some of the scenes I've already written, and that I'm trying to make THIS story better, not write a completely different one. So that was an encouraging realization!

I've only been working on this outline for a couple days, and I almost have it sorted enough to start writing/revising again. I'm excited! I can do this!

I STILL LIKE THIS NOVEL!!!!!!

This Writing Thing

Well, September is upon us! I'm slowly pecking away at the novel rewrite, and—as usual—being frustrated and encouraged in turn. I'm finally beginning to get a vision of how I want it to go, but there's so many decisions and possibilities it gets pretty confusing. But I'm gonna push through!!

I keep having to re-realize that, for right now, I can't worry about:

… whether or not it's too long

… whether or not there will be a market for it WHEN I finally finish

… whether or not my writing is perfect

… whether or not I'm being as creative as I aspire to be

… whether or not I'm ever going to make it past the first few chapters


I can, however, focus on:

— Plot!

— Characterization!

— Pacing!

— Structure!

— Doing the best I can with where I am right now

— Enjoying the freedom that comes with re-imagining the story

— Working on it EVERY DAY


At least I have something to semi-distract me from compulsively checking my email every two minutes and the miniature heart attacks brought on by seeing a reply to one of my queries in my inbox.

Yeah…

This writing thing, I tell ya.