Relax, Enjoy the Ride

February 24, 2008 by Chris · Comments Off
Filed under: Lessons Learned

I’ve never really had too many conflicts with my inner critic. She keeps her mouth shut until she’s spoken to, for the most part. My first chapter is my latest source of angst. It started when I entered the InnerMoonLit First Chapter contest. The word limit is 2,000 words. My first chapter is over 4,300 words. I cut the last scene to fit within the limits. Guess what? I didn’t like it. I became a little paranoid that perhaps 2,000 words is what I should be shooting for.

I took to the forums and learned this just isn’t so. Go with the flow of your work. It was comforting then to read a blog post that reiterates the same message–relax, go with with the flow of your work. Put that inner critic to bed and keep writing.

Tags: edit, inner critic, revise, revision

Shame On You, Reuters

February 13, 2008 by Chris · 1 Comment
Filed under: Lessons Learned

OK, we all have bad days. Sometimes we slip up and say not what we mean. Being one who enjoys a good ghost story, I couldn’t pass up the story of Psychic paid to evict council house ghost. And of course, seeing as the source was Reuters, I expected good, clean writing. Think again. Here is the first line:

“British officials paids a psychic to exorcise a supposed poltergeist from state housing after the distressed occupants said otherwise they would leave and become homeless, a council official said on Tuesday.”

Uh, don’t you mean, “paid”? OK, one mistake. Hardly a big deal, but there’s more.

The council said the family were now happy to stay in the house and therefore they believed their money was well spent — although they had never taking similar action before.”

[Me scratching my head] Never taking similar action before? Don’t you mean, “never having taken similar action before”? My grammar may not always be the best, but I’m not a writer for a national news service. Gez.

Tags: edit, ghost, news service, Reuters

Working a Deadline

December 3, 2007 by Chris · 1 Comment
Filed under: Lessons Learned

My self-appointed deadline approaches. I set my goal for December 31st to finish my revising. At that point, I’ll give my manuscript to my husband to critique. He’ll recognize my sources for various plot elements. He’ll appreciate the sometimes not so politically correct humor of my detective. All of this is why I’ll need someone else outside of our immediate circle to read my book as well.

As I write this though, I’m reminded of Joseph Mallord William Turner, an English romantic painter and watercolorist. He is said to have even gone so far as to correct a painting as it hung in the gallery. It makes me wonder if I too will always desire to make that one correction, to remove that one scene from my book once it’s completed.

As an artist, I tend to let my works go after I’ve completed them. The idea of correcting a work after it is signed is not in my ken. In fact, I withhold signing a painting until I’m completely satisfied. The fact too is that typically after I complete a painting, it goes on auctions. At that point, I no longer own it. Once the image of it is posted, I am not at liberty to correct it. I’m curious to find out how I shall be as an author because my attachment to the work will be longer than it was with a painting. Does one let go of a book just because it’s published? That is one mystery I hope to find out.

Tags: book, edit, revision