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When does an edit become a re-write?
This book I'm working on at the moment was my first ever attempt at a novel, about ten years ago, and although I was dead chuffed at the time to have written it at all, it was pretty dire.
Since then it has gone through several changes, and with more work is now a series of five books.
Now I am tackling the first one again, after not looking at it for 2 or 3 years, and although I still like the plot, I am ripping the writing apart, discarding some, tweaking some, and writing new stuff.
So am I editing? Re-writing? Or is there another word for what I'm doing - apart from "Self-imposed hard work."?
Comments
It doesn't really matter what you call it, though.
Re-fleshing the bones and adding a little cosmetic surgery while you're at it.
Best I can do is smarten up what I have and do a novella OR use the best bits for a handful of shorts. These days, I KNOW I must finish what I start, even if its not great I find it beneficial to bash my way through. Sometimes it comes together sometimes not but I need the satisfaction of completion. Good luck with yours, I hope your book-quins fly!
I still like the characters, the plot and the entire concept. I invented a whole world and a non-human race of people - it would be a shame to let all that imagination go to waste.
I'm tightening it up with a view to publishing an ebouk to see if anyone's interested before I tackle the other four.
Your word count sounds just the right size for an ebook too - perhaps we'll both publish one this year!
Keep going, Lizy - you're right not to let all that imagination go to waste.