revision decisions

SO I read the aborted sequel--which really needs to be a stand-alone mystery--making notes, slashing out big sections of mind-numbing telling-not-showing scenes and in general getting really excited again about the whole story. In other words, having fun. Then I went through the draft again, putting all the major scenes on sticky notes in "shorthand". Next I cleared the all-purpose table of Christmas wrap, newspapers, the fruit basket, coffee cups, tape dispenser, stapler, scissors, etc., etc. and wiped it clean. The sticky notes got laid out in order so I could study them and then change the order of events if it seemed wise. It did, a little. Next came color coding. I got out my colored pencils, choose different colors for different characters and settings so I could see who came into the story where and add scenes when too big a lapse came, for example, between the appearances of a certain character or a certain setting. (This is really difficult to explain but I hope you're getting the idea.) My attempt was to externalize the whole process--take it out of my brain, which pops up scenes and ideas in any order it chooses, and see it in front of me. I'm tring to be objective about the whole thing. To see it as the reader would. Killed some real darlings in the process and they're staying dead. Now I need to write a whole new opening and feeling a little nervous about it. I'm putting it off by writing this, by checking my email, by sitting in silence and listening to the rain.

Me? A multitasker??

I've never been able--or never chosen to--work on more than one project at a time, but I'm really tempted to today. On my brain-charging walk yesterday I was thinking about the aborted sequel to my first novel when a new first line dropped out of the sky straight into my lap. Well, into my cell phone which I sometimes use as a tape recorder. So now I'm printing out the "sequel", which probably doesn't work as a sequel, so I can take it to my favorite coffee shop (at the moment Peet's downtown), have a cappucino and luxuriate in the reading of my own good (well, sometimes mixed) stuff.

Or is this all an excuse not to finish Millie?

Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to --write!

the vampires of envy

Bleak view of all things writing this morning. I don't want to be a "quiet" writer any more. I want to be sizzling loud and controversial and, above all things, RICH. Ah, dear. The feeling is not unlike getting grabbed by the neck by one of those alluring vampires. As long as I can keep the thing from biting me, I'm safe. Right? Envy is death in this profession. But how do we avoid the vampires of envy and greed? Feels a little weird putting this out there. Like I'm writing in the nude.

Shredderlady

I am tearing apart a middle-grade novel that didn't make the grade and realizing how timid I am when it comes to revising. I'm not afraid to lose the original work because, after all, it's still on the hard drive so I guess my timidity (timidness?) comes from fear--I can't really do it, or do it well. I'm not as good a reviser as I thought I was. Theoretically and practically, I know how to do it. But when it comes to actually doing it, I freeze. This particular novel (I'll call it Millie) I can see now goes in too many different directions and doesn't really come together in the end. This has been my problem with every novel that didn't cut it (the three or four in my boneyard). So it makes sense to write down all these separate threads, see which ones really cohere, and dump the others. Okay, so far. BUT then I really need to dump whole scenes, whole chapters and write new ones. Killing my darlings, always hard. Still, there's a little pleasure thrill when I start to dream up new scenes, which is the real joy of writing for me. When it's dancing in my head as if on screen and I haven't written it into life yet. Yes!

How do you go about revising a "finished" piece of work?