Friday, April 18, 2008

Deep in the Heart of Revisions

Tip of the Day: Do not wait until late the night before your blog day to figure out what you're going to write about when your brain is fried from a hard week with not enough sleep.

People keep asking me how the revisions are going on my next YA novel, FAR FROM YOU.

I never know how to respond.

Maybe it's just me, but when I'm in the middle of them, it feels, well, BAD. It feels messy and ugly and every other yukky word I can think of. It's not that I'm necessarily doing a bad job (at least I hope not), it's just the process I have to go through to come out the other side with a better manuscript. I have to delete stuff and add scenes, and I get stuck, so I leave a blank page, and tell myself, okay, come back to that part later, and pretty soon, I have five different places I'm supposed to come back to and I start to wonder what is wrong with me, and it's just a MESS.

I suppose what people really want to know when they ask that question is if I feel like I'm accomplishing what I need to. But the answer would be, I DON'T KNOW! Okay, in some places, I know it's better. Other places, I'm just not sure. Yet.

I'm looking forward to this weekend, when it's going to be literally freezing outside, and there's nothing else to do but sit down and pound the thing out. More than anything, I get frustrated during the week with the limited amount of time I have to work on it. I hate getting immersed in a scene only to have to stop and get ready for work.

Anyway, if you want to know how the revisions are going, well, they're going. Slowly but surely, they're going. And I guess that's about all one can ask, huh?

~Lisa, Miss Pinch Me I'm Pubbed

10 comments:

Rhonda Helms said...

((hugs)) Oh GOD I feel your pain. LOL. Good luck on it!!!

BWT, thanks to you guys for sending me the book I won last week!!

Kate Fall said...

I think misery loves company. It's good to know revision is hard for everyone. I like your blog title. It reminds me of "Heart of Darkess." Oh, the horror! The horror!

Emily Marshall said...

Okay, Lisa, hang in there. Revisions are messy for me, too. And half the time it is so annoying because you don't know if you are making it better or worse. But in the end, it's almost always better. I'm sending good thoughts your way as you work on them this weekend.

And Rhonda, glad you got the book. That was the first time I did an Amazon gift order, so I was concerned it would get messed up. So glad it didn't.

Ghost Girl (aka, Mary Ann) said...

Don't worry, Lisa...you're editor will let you know. Sometimes it feels like a scrapbook that got dumped and came scattering apart all over the floor. When you try to put it back together, you're not sure if it says exactly what you meant it to say--now or the first time around! But usually, it's even better when you put the pieces together and add what was missing.

Hang in there. It will all come together.

Kristina Springer said...

I dread revisions at the beginning!! DREAD THEM! But then I'm usually happy after I get through them. Hang in there!

p.s.-- is it really going to be cold there? It's actually in the seventies here!! I can't believe it. Of course, there was an earthquake today too which like, never ever happens so maybe things are just goofy.

amuse me said...

This is great, Lisa. I'm still struggling along, but I have someone helping me with the editing portion -- you are very right -- it is hard work.

The best part is, though, going back a few days later to reread something edited, and usually finding I'm liking it a lot.

Now its just getting someone else to like it!

Emily Marshall said...

Tina, that's way too weird about the earthquake.

DeenaML said...

It is HOT in NY!

And this is too funny -- I leave for Texas tomorrow for vaca and was JUST singing "Deep in the HEart of Texas" when I clicked on our blog and saw the name of your post! WEIRD!!!!

Jessica Burkhart said...

Ooh, sending you hugs, Lisa! :)

Lisa Schroeder said...

Thanks everyone, for the sympathy! :)

Tina, yes, it is REALLY cold here. It was just snowing a minute ago.

Deena, I'm so jealous of your hot weather! Have fun in Texas!!

Okay, I'm going back into the revision cave. See you next week!