The art of editing

I'm almost halfway to my chosen word count of 100k words and after finishing what will be chapter twelve, made a start on the next chapter.
It was whilst writing this next chapter that I realised that I had made the story incredibly hard by introducing an element a little too prematurely. Now to be fair, this element just seemed to write itself; I’d had no intention or even any idea that this element existed until I typed it and I love it when these things happen because they usually tie into the story extremely well. This particular element could tie in quite nicely and could certainly explain an incident that happens later. Except that I had written half of chapter thirteen, which is quite a necessary chapter, before realising that it just wouldn’t work at this point.
I have spent this evening editing and re-writing the end of chapter twelve, which was extremely easy: I just had to cut the original end of the chapter and paste it at the end of the document to be looked at when I feel the time is right to re-introduce it, and then write a different ending for the chapter. Except that I now have the task of looking at chapter thirteen and it is not going to be as easy. A small part of me dreads the editing ahead of me, while, thankfully, a much larger part can’t wait to get stuck in.
It was as I was editing chapter twelve that it occurred to me that this entire story has been re-written over and over again. I write something and then delete the whole thing weeks or months later because I’m not happy with it. While the idea of the original story is still in there, it has morphed into something that I’d certainly never envisaged when I’d first put pen to paper almost eighteen months ago. It makes me wonder how much of the writing I am currently doing is actually going to survive into the final product. It’s quite insane to think that things that aren’t on page yet are going to end up being deleted and re-written in the future – how bizarre and faintly ridiculous. It’s at times like these when I can’t stop my brain from racing ahead when I wonder what all of this furious tapping on my keyboard is in aid of.
But then I remind myself that nobody manages to write a first draft that doesn’t need tweaking. Every single writer out there, from Anne Rice to J.R.R. Tolkien has looked at their first, second and possibly even their twentieth draft and made necessary changes to ensure that the reader finds the story seamless.
I suppose that I can only hope that all of this editing pays off in the end.

The pro's and con's of being an Iphone (semi) dependent writer

My second post in two days. I can't pretend that this will continue unless I can find a decent app for the Iphone that will allow me to post while I am travelling to/from or at work (the shift work job that allows me to pay the bills while dreaming of one day being free of its tedious confines).

This post is actually to do with the Iphone. I signed a contract for my first 3G just a little over 18 months ago, and have just begun a new 24 month contract for my new 3GS. Before applying for the phone I'd heard how utterly fantastic it was (I'd agree 100% if it would allow multi-tasking between apps and enable the use of flash, but I still agree that it is pretty damned good) but was stunned at the news that a newly published author had written his entire novel on his Iphone. I remember thinking how ridiculous it was (and to be fair, I still think this) because the auto-dictionary is extremely basic, the keys are too annoying for extended use and the battery life is dire. I find myself carrying a charger wherever I travel in the hope of being able to power my failing battery.
However, since beginning the writing of my own manuscript (on a computer) I have realised the joys of using the notes app to write. I do not limit myself to the notes app, but it is an extremely useful tool for when I am stuck on an early or late shift in my bill-paying job. I am then able to email the note to myself and copy the notes into a word document.
What follows then is an awful lot of cursing at the appalling spelling (while my fingers are quite thin, they can also be quite clumsy) and the fact that the sentences have been dismembered and spread across the page. I despise that my writing muse seems to appear while I have no other means but my Iphone. I become frustrated when it appears that I have to edit entire pages of words when I would much rather be thrusting my hero in new and unfortunate situations.
So, while I love my Iphone and thus it's notes app for enabling me to not be stuck with carrying a pad and pen on my person at all times (as I was in the times when I had only my Sony Ericson to use previously) I become frustrated with having to stifle my muse while I correct mistakes and layout when I have the freedom of a computer at my fingertips.

New beginnings

I have read many blogs that I find interesting, entertaining and at times, downright titillating. I have absolutely no idea if I can even entertain the thought of matching any of them, but I plan to use this as a creative outlet on the occasions that I remember.