PT and revisions, big shock.

[mrissa]

Had clinic PT today. I know that it would be worse if this "two steps forward, one step back" thing was reversed in ratio. Still and all. Continuing faith from my physical therapist that this will be fully resolved. Eventually. Someday.

So tired.

I've finished revisions (for this pass through only, of course!) on the first eight chapters of What We Did to Save the Kingdom, and also on 11, 16, 18, 19, 23, 25, 30, and 34. (Just two of those today. But still, two of those today, on a clinic PT day. This? Could be worse. Even without any new fiction.)

I think one of the things about this particular type of revisions is that it's forcing particularity. I cannot wail, "It is not as shiny as it was in my head! Unless it is and I just can't see it because it's been languishing unrevised and unloved!" I have to say, "Chapter 4 is dragging," or, "I have not explained the thing about the salt magic," or whatever. The down side of this is that the whole thing may still be thoroughly unshiny when I finish this set of revisions. But I have hopes that, if so, it will be unshiny and moderately sensical. With this style of approaching revisions, I have to deal with the book that is rather than the book that is not, and this is, I think, to the good. There will be time to talk more about what it is not and could be when I can get smart people to critique it for me. For now it's time to get all the things that need to happen before smart people have the information they need to be smart about it. And progress, progress is good. Measurable progress on something. I hope.

Comments

[genevra.livejournal.com]

I'm wondering... once the vertigo is gone, do you think you'll keep this style of revision? Or is it too early to tell?

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

I can't even tell whether I'll keep this style of revision through the end of the vertigo! What I do know is that it seems to be working right now. That's all I ask for. If it fails me tomorrow, I will get a different method.

(I kind of don't think it will fail me tomorrow, though.)

[zwol.livejournal.com]

Professional confidence in eventual complete resolution is a good thing.

Also, have I mentioned that I would be delighted to critique the book when it is critiquable?

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

You are On The List!

[shweta-narayan.livejournal.com]

I do wish your vertigo would go away faster. Shoo, vertigo, we want m'ris free of you already.

It's sort of heartening, though, that you have unshiny drafts too. All that I have seen of your writing is pretty darn awesome; therefore staring at my unshiny chapters is a lot less terrifying when I see you talking about it too.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

I have known I think one or two writers who thought everything they wrote was shiny from the moment they wrote it, and they weren't even right most of the time. So. Fear not.