Thursday, July 19, 2012

Rest In Peace....WIP

About six months ago I sat back in my chair and exhaled. Finally. My latest work in progress, finished. A few faithful readers (my Mom and my best friend) have encouraged me to finish sequels to the Boone's Creek series.
But before I could send it off, I needed to check a few things, read the beginning, just one more time. That's when I realized, I should change my voice. Not "I'm scared", but "Helen crept silently along the darkened hallway. The creaking floorboard  above her sent shock waves through her body......."
When I realized how much more control I had by writing third person...well I stopped patting myself on the back.
Part of me felt like I was saying good-bye to an old friend. I've always written first person. Rest In Peace first person.
The edits are coming along, slowly. It's much more difficult for me to "edit" than to write.
How about you? What slows you down? What are your favorite parts of this writing adventure we are on?
I would love to hear your thoughts.
I need a little encouragement today.
 

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just hurry up and finish it. I have been waiting forever.

Love you! EL

Carol J. Garvin said...

You've moved away from first person, while I've moved to it. At least in my last two novels. The one had been completed in third person, but there was a distance that didn't feel right, so I rewrote a couple chapters from first person POV as a trial. It worked, so I continued and rewrote the whole thing.

I don't think it's right for every story, and there's a terrible tendency to begin every sentence with "I". I know I'll return to third person again sometime.

Editing can be drudgery compared to the excitement and creativity of the first draft, and yet I enjoy it. I like playing with the words, changing things to release a better rhythm, find better sentences, more powerful words. But yes, it's sure a lot of work!

If your other passages improve as much as that one sentence, all your work will pay off, Katt. "I'm scared" is telling, while the other sentences provide a deeper POV. I can see her creeping, feel a prickling response to the creaking floorboard.

Keep at it. It's going to be worthwhile! :)

Kathryn Neff Perry, PhD, MA, LMHC said...

Carol,
That"s interesting, you moved to 1st person.
I liked your comment too about "I don't think it's right for every story".
My example, I'm scared to the 3rd person was just to "show" my non-writer friends what I meant about POV.... I sometimes forget we aren't all writers.....:D
Thanks for your encouragement.....I needed it today!

Kathryn Neff Perry, PhD, MA, LMHC said...

El,
You crack me up! Let's go to Tim Horton's....I'll drive!
Love you

Unknown said...

What slows me up? Start with a cell phone about a stone's throw from your front door, and the ripples go out from there.

I keep wondering if I'm ever going to get my book on prayer jump started again.

Dennis

Kathryn Neff Perry, PhD, MA, LMHC said...

Dennis,
You will get your book jump started....she called this morning for ear plugs??? I'm getting some for me-you want some too?

Anonymous said...

The first draft I tend to just spill the story onto paper without too much regard to how it reads. However, my second, third, fourth, etc. drafts I'm constantly cutting, reweaving, tightening and adding to what I've written.

Drafts can actually be more fun because we are merely shaping and enhancing what's already there!

Kathryn Neff Perry, PhD, MA, LMHC said...

I'm finally realizing that too....that "drafts can be fun"...thanks for stopping by!
Hugs and blessings
Katt