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salienneIf I get into it, editing my novel is actually fun. Granted, I then have something I have to re-edit (as a second draft involves so much insertion and deletion and fiddling), but it's almost like discovering another piece of the story.
See, whenever I think of editing a piece, I get an image in my head. Now this is odd, as I have no visual artistic talent whatsoever, but it's how it works.
The image: a long expanse of dark gray wool and cotton and probably hair and spilled soda, full of snarls and knots and criss-crosses and just ugliness. The editing process, then, smooths out these bumps and bunches, putting in bridges or cutting out the wrong and/or excess bits or just pressing down until it all stretches out.
The first edit takes care of some of the gunk, giving you a decent field of cloth. The next edit fixes it further, and then the next, and then the next...
In the end, you have created something smooth and pleasant and sort of shiny. And colorful, so I suppose you must dye the fabric too. Finishing touches, probably. Those moments when you go through and figure out how many times to write a character's names or whether certain analogies work or whether it should be "don't" or "do not."
The fabric will still have its kinks, of course, as there's always more fiddling to do. But...
It will be pretty, and whole, and just... finished. Something to be proud of even if no one likes it but you.
The image probably works better in my head than my description of it does for you all, but as it is 2 AM and I didn't get enough sleep last night as a result of coughing (and lost most of my voice over the course of today), I hope I can be forgiven.
Oh, and guys? Why am I not asleep?
(P.S. If someone could just get on me to finish this, commenting and altogether pressuring me and kicking my ass into editing, I would be very grateful! Seriously, even if you just recently friended me, even if you don't write, even if you only have time for a one-word "EDIT!!!!!1111" comment, even if you hate my writing with a passion of passions. Just the reminder that I need to get this done and that someone besides me is aware of my Merchat's saga [though it's not really a saga or just about the Merchant, but that's beside the point] would really help.)
See, whenever I think of editing a piece, I get an image in my head. Now this is odd, as I have no visual artistic talent whatsoever, but it's how it works.
The image: a long expanse of dark gray wool and cotton and probably hair and spilled soda, full of snarls and knots and criss-crosses and just ugliness. The editing process, then, smooths out these bumps and bunches, putting in bridges or cutting out the wrong and/or excess bits or just pressing down until it all stretches out.
The first edit takes care of some of the gunk, giving you a decent field of cloth. The next edit fixes it further, and then the next, and then the next...
In the end, you have created something smooth and pleasant and sort of shiny. And colorful, so I suppose you must dye the fabric too. Finishing touches, probably. Those moments when you go through and figure out how many times to write a character's names or whether certain analogies work or whether it should be "don't" or "do not."
The fabric will still have its kinks, of course, as there's always more fiddling to do. But...
It will be pretty, and whole, and just... finished. Something to be proud of even if no one likes it but you.
The image probably works better in my head than my description of it does for you all, but as it is 2 AM and I didn't get enough sleep last night as a result of coughing (and lost most of my voice over the course of today), I hope I can be forgiven.
Oh, and guys? Why am I not asleep?
(P.S. If someone could just get on me to finish this, commenting and altogether pressuring me and kicking my ass into editing, I would be very grateful! Seriously, even if you just recently friended me, even if you don't write, even if you only have time for a one-word "EDIT!!!!!1111" comment, even if you hate my writing with a passion of passions. Just the reminder that I need to get this done and that someone besides me is aware of my Merchat's saga [though it's not really a saga or just about the Merchant, but that's beside the point] would really help.)
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(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-04 06:13 am (UTC)Thats decent motivation isn't it? LOL <3!
(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-04 06:20 am (UTC)Though if you're tired, go to bed!
Just beta it when you get up, slave. And shine my shoes too. ;)
...And by that I mean: <3333333333333333