While thinking about a post I read tonight on Nathan Bransford's blog, I realized that I truly have a harder time motivating myself to edit my work than I do to write it. Motivating myself to write was never easy, but I was able to do it often enough that my inability to make myself get on with the editing process is getting embarrassing. I told myself all day today that once the kids were in bed I would make some progress on editing only to spend the evening listening to music and playing hearts and solitaire. Pathetic!
I think the reason for this is that when I write, at the end of the session I have created something. There is some tangible reward for doing it and I take pride in that. With editing I get to the end and feel like I basically have nothing new. Sure, the text has changed, hopefully for the better, but the amount I have is not much different than before. I don't get the sense of accomplishment.
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Midnight Died Tonight
12 minutes ago
I'm just the opposite. I have a much harder time motivating myself to fill the white pages. Editing is, by comparison, a breeze (dedication-wise).
ReplyDeleteHi Ted, I found your blog after seeing a comment you posted over at NB's forums. I have to agree completely. For me personally getting the words from my mind to the page (or screen) is easy. I finished my first and only novel (first draft) last fall and it was over 477,000 words long. I've spent the last few months cutting and am down to 300k, which is unfortunately still far too long to get published. I continue to work on it but made the mistake of starting to query the unfinished product after only two brief revisions.
ReplyDeleteAnyway I've become a follower of your blog and would appreciate it if you would do the same for mine. It's just a clumsy attempt at catharsis by a novice writer frustrated by the query process. Stop on by, you might find a reason to chuckle.
Thanks Matthew. I added myself to your blog and read through it. I agree with you about loving long books, but I also agree that a first-time writer won't get any takers on such a long book.
ReplyDeleteAmen! Going through the same process now. I have finished writing, done a full self-edit, and now with advice from AW, I'm getting ready to do a full rewrite, but the motivation is almost non-existent.
ReplyDeletemy advice: don't rush it. edit only when you feel like it. if you feel like writing more before editing, write. at some point, you'll become nostalgic for what you've written and you'll edit breezily and effectively.
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