A Snag In Editing

Before I start this week's post, there were a few things I wanted to say.  First and foremost, I would like to point out that there are now six writers participating in the Epic Year of Querying.  You can get to any of their blogs from the side bar, as well as find the link to get to more information about it.  I'm very excited to see what this year brings, and how we will all do on this challenge.  Of course, it goes without saying, any other writers who wish to join in the fun can, just give me a link to whatever site (be it blog/twitter profile/website, whatever you wish) and how many queries you have sent out since Jan. 1, 2012, and I will gladly add you to the list.  You can also follow the fun on twitter using the hashtag #YEQ2012.

Second, there will be an extra special post going up on Wednesday of this week.  I'm not going to give away any details (cause it's a surprise) but make sure you look out for it.  I'm excited to see this blog becoming something other than me talking to myself, and this is just one of many such things I'm hoping will happen this year.

Alright, onto the post.  So, I was editing today.  I planned on getting about three chapters done so I could catch up with my goal.  It was something I knew I was going to have to do, because I spent all day yesterday doing things like getting my hair cut and hanging out with friends.  So when I finally got around to it today (instead of working on my blog like I wanted to) I sat down ready to edit.

I'll admit that I may not have been as anxious to edit as I could have been.  In fact, I was rather reluctant to start.  I may not have been editing as fast as I could have, and I kept getting distracted, but that's besides the point.

The fact of the matter is that after all of that, I got through half of the chapter and realized just how much I was changing, and how unhappy I was with what was left.  After all of that I ended up throwing the chapter out completely and starting over.

With that realization, however, came the certainty that I had hit the point in my book where I knew I was going to have to do some major overhauling.  See, I had already come to the conclusion that I had to change quite a few things in the second half of the book.  I hadn't written a very important scene, and that scene couldn't be written the way the book was already done.  So I knew that there was going to come a point where I would have to start rewrites.

Unfortunately this point came a lot earlier than I had thought it would.  In fact, I had been hoping that I would make it at least another five or six chapters before I would have to start completely changing what was written.

Alas, I cannot change what I have come to realize must happen.  Well, I suppose I could, but then the book just wouldn't be as could as it could be, and I definitely don't want that.  This is the book I want to get published.  The one that I already have half of out with beta readers.  The one that I have already gotten a second round of beta readers for.  I can't just not fix it.  This is my baby we're talking about.  I want it to be all it can be.

So, while editing is my least favorite part of writing (and yes, I will continue to complain bitterly about it for the rest of the time that I'm doing it) I will continue to do it.  Because, you see, I love my work, and I don't intend to let it be less than what it could be only because I don't want to do the editing.

Now I've gone through the rest of the book and have decided which chapters I need to rewrite, and which ones just need editing.  I've also decided what I need to add to make the story complete.  I now have a clear idea of what I need to do to make this book ready for my beta readers.  On one hand this gives me a sense of relief.  I know what I'm doing now, and I don't feel so much like I'm stumbling around in the dark.  On the other hand, rewriting is somehow so much more work than editing.

Wish me luck, because in the next month (okay...maybe two) I plan to whip this novel into shape.  Even if that means rewriting half of it.