Thirteen to go!
Chapters, that is.
One of my goals in getting back on track this week was to get back to my writing. It's hard enough to find time to it do these days, but the fact that I'm now in the editing process makes it even harder. Forget what I said about sort of liking editing, I think I hate it. It's just uncanny to me just how many times I can re-write a sentence before I like it finally. Or even worse, when I have to just completely erase sentences. Though I appreciate how much it improves the flow of the writing, it just irks me to completely delete something.
Anyway, I've been going through my printed manuscript (still love that word) with a pen, making corrections and additions here and there. I'm still amazed how many bloody typos there are! Sorry to any of you who have read my rough draft! I feel like such an idiot when I come across them, but I guess it's just a sign that I get way too caught up in the writing and sort of miss the trees for the forest. Or something like that.
I'm only about halfway through the manuscript, but I also have begun editing my word document of my first chapter. I have a serious love/hate relationship with my first chapter. I like the fact that it is the opening of the story, the introduction of the characters, but hate the fact that it has little or no plot and is slightly boring. I don't think there's anything I can do about that, the story does pick way up in chapters two and three, so I guess it's okay.
For some reason it doesn't seem to fit, hopefully the re-writing will help. I think part of the reason why it doesn't seem to fit is simply the fact that my writing skill just evolved so much over the course of writing this novel. As it should. But remember when I started I was coming of a long hiatus, so it makes sense that the first chapter is a bit lackluster. At least in my opinion.
I was actually getting a bit depressed by all the editing, and feeling as though I was starting to dislike the story and my writing. But then I sat down and read my last two chapters. At the time I wrote them I really felt as though I was forcing it out, because I simply wanted to finish! But now when I read them I can honestly say it's some of my strongest writing ever (however full of typos it was). I got excited all over again for this whole project. I think telling stories is one of the most fun things ever, that's why I love writing so much.
So I guess I'll keep on. To whatever end. Just for the fun of it.
