This will only hurt a little bit

I’m still in the thick of rewrites on the new book, Whispers of a Thunder God. I decided that I would extract one character and completely rewrite his narrative. If you think that’s akin to removing your transmission in the living room, you wouldn’t be too far off. Maybe elective open-heart surgery is a better comparison. But, scar-tissue aside, I’m loving the new chapters.

A writer far more experienced than I once told me, “A real writer isn’t afraid to dump pages and start again. A real writer knows he will always have more words, better words, a never ending supply of ideas.”

He’s right––a tough lesson to learn, but true, nonetheless.

And how’s your writing going?

Comments

[Ca.ll.y]

Bless you, Jamie Ford. Just exactly what I need to hear. I guess I should stop dinking around on the internet and get back to those huge rewrites that I only realized were necessary late last night.

[Jamie]

Just jump in and do it. It doesn't hurt as much as you think...

[Laura J. W. Ryan]

I'm finally in the midst of a new work and doing the same rewrite process...it's part of the fun of being a writer... and often the bravest thing we have to do. Gotta love it!

(I found my way here through Publisher's Marketplace...)

[Lydia Sharp]

Well, that is something I really needed to see. Honest. My first novel (a sci-fi, first written nearly two years ago) is still undergoing major revisions. The first one is a learning experience, yes, but that doesn't mean you should give up on it. Ever. And I think we learn the most about our craft when we struggle through the trial and error of repeated rewrites.

In the meantime, I'm also working on some other projects, one of which is my first attempt at a YA novel. This is more than a little scary (I never thought I'd write for teenagers, even when I *was* a teenager), but so far, it's been fun, too. :)

[Eric Stallsworth]

While we're all eager for your next book, it's great that you're seeking to make it the best it can be. I used to hate the idea of revising anything, until I wrote a story, put it away for a while, and came back to it. Seeing the glaring mistakes I'd made really helped me understand why this is necessary (and a good thing to do). Have fun with them Jamie; I'm sure we will all enjoy whatever final product you end up with.

[Madeleine]

I'm about to start toying with a new idea, which is always exciting, of course. On the other hand, I have to start editing my WIP soon, so that quote there? Yeah, I can use it. :D Good luck with the rewrites!