Well, I'm sitting here at 12:20 in the morning, listening to the Jam sing "That's Entertainment" really really loud on my mp3 player. And I'm thinking of completely redoing the novel I've spent three years writing!
Why, you ask?
I'm not sure, exactly. There's something about it that's not quite right, you know? It needs more tension, badder bad guys, etc. Call it a hunch, a gut feeling, maybe some kind of cerebral incident. I don't know. Maybe lack of sleep ...
Either way, I'm glad I'm at the beginning of my revisions, because I might be able to refashion it without completely trashing it and starting over. God, I don't know if can handle that. I honestly think it's a good story. But just being a good story isn't enough in this day and age of shrinking publishing budgets, shrinking bookshelf space and the so-called impending death of books -- being murdered slowly, so to speak, by the Nook, video games and short attention spans.
Whatever.
All I know is I want this goddamn thing to be good. Really good.
Now that's entertainment! (no, no, no).
Update: The above post is a classic example of the roller coaster ride that goes into trying to produce a viable manuscript in a very competitive publishing world. Now, after the benefit of almost five hours of really crappy sleep, I feel even worse about the book. But I'm clear-eyed enough to know not to do anything rash or stupid until the current depression (yes, that's what it is) passes. As Scarlett O'Hara said: Tomorrow is another day. To which I would add, Thank God.
Why, you ask?
I'm not sure, exactly. There's something about it that's not quite right, you know? It needs more tension, badder bad guys, etc. Call it a hunch, a gut feeling, maybe some kind of cerebral incident. I don't know. Maybe lack of sleep ...
Either way, I'm glad I'm at the beginning of my revisions, because I might be able to refashion it without completely trashing it and starting over. God, I don't know if can handle that. I honestly think it's a good story. But just being a good story isn't enough in this day and age of shrinking publishing budgets, shrinking bookshelf space and the so-called impending death of books -- being murdered slowly, so to speak, by the Nook, video games and short attention spans.
Whatever.
All I know is I want this goddamn thing to be good. Really good.
Now that's entertainment! (no, no, no).
Update: The above post is a classic example of the roller coaster ride that goes into trying to produce a viable manuscript in a very competitive publishing world. Now, after the benefit of almost five hours of really crappy sleep, I feel even worse about the book. But I'm clear-eyed enough to know not to do anything rash or stupid until the current depression (yes, that's what it is) passes. As Scarlett O'Hara said: Tomorrow is another day. To which I would add, Thank God.
I hope you are able to make the changes you need! I finally have my first novel the way I want it and now I am having my second one edited... thus starting over the cycle as I write my third. Wishing you luck!
ReplyDeleteThanks Emma. It's a never ending cycle, it seems. I hope I'm just going through one of my insecure periods. I really don't want to start over! ;)
ReplyDeleteOooh careful here! I've been in that frame of mind and it's no good... wait a couple of days until you don't feel manic about it.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Stop by my blog when you get a free moment, I have something for you =)