As I finish my tenth and last draft of my novel, I've come across this Checklist for Authors. I don't know how it came to me, but I do know it's a product of WritersWrite, a site that is all about writing and writing advice. Check it out. I know I will the next time I write a book. And, you know, in going through this list again, I think I've covered most everything on the checklist already - especially Number 21: Have I rewritten my novel at least five times? I guess I'm in good shape to stop at ten. … [Read more...]
It’s time to start rewriting again
March 4, 2017 By Leave a Comment
I apologize for taking so much time off from Choices. My temporary day job has been exhausting and as such has given me little time or energy to write here. However, I'll be free of it early next week and look forward to getting back to my writing work. That said I attended a rewrite seminar last weekend to hopefully help me get revved up to work on my novel after a long hiatus working a proposal management consulting job. Some of the contents of the seminar were familiar I learned a lot about rewrite and revision while working proposals in the aerospace business and some things discussed gave me some new nuggets to incorporate in my work. Here I'll try to give you ways to tackle your own drafts. The two-step process for writing a book are: Step 1 write the draft Just get it out Don't hang up with editing Don't go to the Thesaurus to find a word. Lay all your cards on the table as fast as you can. And avoid tendency to write in chronological … [Read more...]
Hemingway on writing and revision
January 20, 2016 By Leave a Comment
I've been reading Brain Pickings a couple of years now. It is full of wonderful information about authors, artists, and the whole world of creativity. This past week's issue was particularly interesting to me since I'm rigorously working on revising my novel. Arnold Samuelson, who spent a year with Ernest Hemingway in 1934, left a book called, With Hemingway: A Year in Key West and Cuba discovered by his daughter in 1981 after Samuelson's death. The book contains the very valuable writing advice that Hemingway related to him. I'll share some of Hemingway's writing advice here, but please go to Brain Pickings for the real meat or read the book: The most important thing I've learned about writing is never write too much at a time¦ Never pump yourself dry. Leave a little for the next day. "The main thing is to know when to stop... When you're still going good and you come to an interesting place and you know what's going to happen next, that's the time to stop. The … [Read more...]
Am I going to take a creative U-turn?
July 15, 2014 By 5 Comments
Today is the day I asked my novel beta readers to send me their comments. So far I've received two sets. And of course I'll very patiently await the rest. I feel my readers are doing me such a huge favor that whenever I get their comments will be okay. My dilemma now is with the two conflicting sets of comments I already have. One set says my novel is amazing, well written, and gives my writing lots of other kudos. The other set suggests major rewrite, reorganization, and more work shopping before I send it out again. This second set of comments reminds me of Julia Cameron's section on Creative U-turns in her book, The Artist's Way. It makes me want to stop working on this novel altogether because the task is too deep and too tall. I fear that I don't know how to pull it off. Cameron says: We usually commit creative hara-kiri either on the eve of or in the wake of a first creative victory¦.Creative U-turns are always both from fear fear of success or fear of failure. It … [Read more...]
