I'm at the library. I'm driving myself nuts.
I am working on a really tough chapter to edit, trying to condense and strengthen an important scene. It's a kickball game, a hovering bullying threat, a lot of misplaced emotions and misdirected kick in the head.
You would think it would be easier to write than this. I've rewritten it dozens of times already.
Summer camps have let loose their wards, about the same age as the characters I am editing, in the stacks. They wander in small gaggles and pairs, some individually. It's like they all know I am right here and each has to walk within a foot of my work area.
I nearly gave up and packed it in for home, then I realized most of the noise was in my own head. I am too distracted these days. It's a painful process to be editing this same chapter yet again. But I read it, and it only works about seventy-five percent. The idea comes across, but it's a little flat. Until the kick in the head. I really need to build the emotional pressure a bit more concisely so that when the kick happens, it explodes like a ripe tomato thrown at a wall. Figuratively speaking, of course. There will be no murders in this book. But there really needs to be spike of the pressure that has been building through the book up to this point. This kick is a minor pre-release to the main confrontational event. It is a nail in bike tire, not the whole crashing flat that comes later.
I am definitely having a moment of why am I still working on this, but it will pass. It kind of is now, as the summer campers appear to dissipate enough that I can hear the air conditioning working overtime against the heat.
Back to it, Cath, that's it.
But first, I want to share something I read before I left home today to edit. It's an inspiring account of personal endurance. Grab a cuppa your favorite beverage and settle in. It's a tad long, but it'll do wonders, I promise. It inspired me to stick with this manuscript, to stick out this editing session, to stick out writing.
And that's the least of the inspiration. This is big Life Stuff. Thank you, Max. Vineman 7.3 2011
I am working on a really tough chapter to edit, trying to condense and strengthen an important scene. It's a kickball game, a hovering bullying threat, a lot of misplaced emotions and misdirected kick in the head.
You would think it would be easier to write than this. I've rewritten it dozens of times already.
Summer camps have let loose their wards, about the same age as the characters I am editing, in the stacks. They wander in small gaggles and pairs, some individually. It's like they all know I am right here and each has to walk within a foot of my work area.
I nearly gave up and packed it in for home, then I realized most of the noise was in my own head. I am too distracted these days. It's a painful process to be editing this same chapter yet again. But I read it, and it only works about seventy-five percent. The idea comes across, but it's a little flat. Until the kick in the head. I really need to build the emotional pressure a bit more concisely so that when the kick happens, it explodes like a ripe tomato thrown at a wall. Figuratively speaking, of course. There will be no murders in this book. But there really needs to be spike of the pressure that has been building through the book up to this point. This kick is a minor pre-release to the main confrontational event. It is a nail in bike tire, not the whole crashing flat that comes later.
I am definitely having a moment of why am I still working on this, but it will pass. It kind of is now, as the summer campers appear to dissipate enough that I can hear the air conditioning working overtime against the heat.
Back to it, Cath, that's it.
But first, I want to share something I read before I left home today to edit. It's an inspiring account of personal endurance. Grab a cuppa your favorite beverage and settle in. It's a tad long, but it'll do wonders, I promise. It inspired me to stick with this manuscript, to stick out this editing session, to stick out writing.
And that's the least of the inspiration. This is big Life Stuff. Thank you, Max. Vineman 7.3 2011
oh, how i wish i were one of those summer campers running through the stacks. hoping it comes together for you soon.
ReplyDeletethanks, kelly, i managed to finish that chapter.
ReplyDelete