Thursday, May 01, 2008

Update and Meme

I feel brain dead and my eyes aren't too great either. Progress is happening. What had helped has been reading a friend's work and doing something of critique on it. This is not my forte - I find it hard to be tough on others. However I am learning and what I have learned I have brought back to my own work ( I have no problems being tough on myself!).

So I have cut twenty pages from the first 75 to up the pace. This so far has been the most successful part of the rewrite. In the first draft I needed to write all that in but the reader doesn't need it to understand the story - so byebye darlings.

I am cutting Mark's pov scenes as this can be acheived without being in his head.

I can see where I need to layer in the upping of the stakes - just need to do it now.

As Michelle Styles pointed out in the comments to the previous post. I need to focus on the donut and not on the hole!

What I realized on my last read through A Cornish House was once I got to the middle I didn't stop. The story compelled me along to the end (I cried and I laughed). This was good. Now I need to make the beginning worthy of the rest of the book......... head will go back down in a minute but Leigh has tagged me.

Nearest Book Meme
1. Pick up the nearest book.
2. Open to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people, and acknowledge who tagged you. (not tagging anyone but if you want to do it please enjoy!)

Out of my handbag came When Gods Die - A Sebastian St. Cyr Mystery by C.S. Harris.

First problem - p. 123 there weren't five sentences so I went to p. 124.

"She told him to get out. And when he said he'd go all right and tell everyone who'd listen that she'd been playing whore, she..." The abigail's voice trailed off.
"She what?"
Tess Bishop's color was high."

I am loving the book and it's my sneeky read every quiet moment I have. It's worth a visit to C.S.'s blog at the moment as she is exploring how film technique work in writing and she just won the Best Historical Mystery Reviewers Choice Award from Romantic Times for the latest Sebastian St. Cyr Mystery - Why Mermaids Sing.

5 comments:

Rachel Green said...

Cutting for pace is good. I can see scenes that I'll later cut even as I'm writing them, but I have to write them anyway to get that bit of the story down.

Steve Malley said...

Great going with the rewrite. I've got those 10th Draft Blues myself right now, so I know something of your pain. Sounds like you're on the right track!

Unknown said...

You're ahead on me on this one Rachel - didn't know I needed to cut them as i wrote them!

Thanks Steve. Hope your rewrite is progressing :-)

Fiona Mackenzie. Writer said...

I find editing very difficult so I'm totally in awe of you. Well done, your book is going to make you proud.

Unknown said...

Editing is something I have learned to enjoy especially when I can see a better book emerging. You'll get there too Fiona :-)