This is like a continuous loop that I'm stuck on - like Groundhog Day or something! But I'm at it again. Re-writing Maloney Boys!!! You'd think I'd be over it, wouldn't you? But the lure of publication keeps me working away. I have my fingers crossed that it's right this time.
I've capitulated and gone to third person. I know I said I never would, but I have. I think it was when it was explained that my writing in first person, present tense was 'less accessible' to readers, that I realised I needed to change. I had probably realised before that because I spent January and February changing another story from 1st (I did this) to 3rd (She did this).
I learned when I changed the other one, that I get myself tangled in tenses and point of view when I try to do a direct changeover. I wasted a couple of weeks trying to work my poor fried brain out after I tried to do a search/replace. I'd been told that was easiest...I'm pretty sure that's wrong. Or it's wrong for me anyway. I had to rewrite each sentence...and that was painstaking when I couldn't remember what was present or past tense; first or third person!
This time I'm re-writing from scratch. On a nice clean shiny paper I've started. I know this book almost inside out and backwards, so it hasn't been too tricky as yet. And I've decided today I'm going to read a chapter the night before I start to re-write it, just so it's fresh. Because yesterday I remembered I had a great line I wanted to use. I pulled up the old manuscript and copied the line to re-write it. Except, then I wrote the next 2 paragraphs in first person. Not the best move!
If I read the night before, I hope I'll remember most things and transfer them across easily enough. I hope (cross fingers and toes). And I'm aiming for re-writing about 10K a week. I think that's do-able most weeks, unless the day job goes crazy. So for 100K, I'm looking at 10 weeks. Then editing time, so maybe 3 more months.
The book was started in 2009, so what's another 3 months? What's another re-write between friends!?
I hope I don't resort to drink! Although, I could add a few new rooms to the house - like this classic!
I've capitulated and gone to third person. I know I said I never would, but I have. I think it was when it was explained that my writing in first person, present tense was 'less accessible' to readers, that I realised I needed to change. I had probably realised before that because I spent January and February changing another story from 1st (I did this) to 3rd (She did this).
I learned when I changed the other one, that I get myself tangled in tenses and point of view when I try to do a direct changeover. I wasted a couple of weeks trying to work my poor fried brain out after I tried to do a search/replace. I'd been told that was easiest...I'm pretty sure that's wrong. Or it's wrong for me anyway. I had to rewrite each sentence...and that was painstaking when I couldn't remember what was present or past tense; first or third person!
This time I'm re-writing from scratch. On a nice clean shiny paper I've started. I know this book almost inside out and backwards, so it hasn't been too tricky as yet. And I've decided today I'm going to read a chapter the night before I start to re-write it, just so it's fresh. Because yesterday I remembered I had a great line I wanted to use. I pulled up the old manuscript and copied the line to re-write it. Except, then I wrote the next 2 paragraphs in first person. Not the best move!
If I read the night before, I hope I'll remember most things and transfer them across easily enough. I hope (cross fingers and toes). And I'm aiming for re-writing about 10K a week. I think that's do-able most weeks, unless the day job goes crazy. So for 100K, I'm looking at 10 weeks. Then editing time, so maybe 3 more months.
The book was started in 2009, so what's another 3 months? What's another re-write between friends!?
I hope I don't resort to drink! Although, I could add a few new rooms to the house - like this classic!
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