Wednesday, February 18, 2009

work ETHIC (Novel Update)

Yikes have I been slacking.

It's not all my fault--Leah's new work schedule means that we spend out nights together...meaning I now have to try even harder to stay on task. I'd like to think that I have a pretty good work ethic when it comes to my writing, but the sad truth is: I don't.

I work in spurts. Tonight I did a little more work.

I've decided to completely axe a whole, separate plot thread (the lame one). This, as you can imagine, requires a new ending (the old one tied them together--it was weak). It's also taking the page count down a bit (I've yanked out 23 pages, and I'm only 75 pages into the edit). Still, I think the second draft, once a new ending is attached will be readable.

Not that I'm going to let anyone read it until AT LEAST the third draft.

Ugh. It's going to be awhile.

Okay, here's what I'm going to do: work on it tomorrow night...take this weekend off...then HIT IT HARD next week. I'm talking seriously hard...like when I hit it, my fist will come out the other side (thus ruining the paper). Hmm...maybe not THAT hard.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'll never forget how I was asked to axe the last 5-6 episodes of my manuscript and that was AFTER I'd sold it. Really created a lot of anxiety, not to mention Writer's Block.

Jason said...

Holy crap!

I guess I'd be so happy that I'd let them do it (initially). I've never worked with an editor before, so I'm not sure how I would react to something like that...

By the way, I'm still waiting for that person in Indiana to mail me your book--but when they do I'm going to put Pynchon down and read it.