Sunday 10 May 2009

Crisis! What crisis?

Okay, before I go any further I just want to point out that I am NOT writing this in an attempt to get you all to tell me how wonderful I am. Apart from anything else I would want you to tell me thr truth and I know that I am far from wonderful.
Anyway, to get to the point of this post. i am having a crisis of confidence.
I've spent this morning editing BTL. Quick update - this is the second re-write so nothing big just tweaking etc. I have found myself correcting lots of little things that should have been spotted on the previous twice that I have read this book in recent months or should not have been made when I wrote it. Things like replacing capital letters with small ones and vice versa. Also there was one bit where the heroine's mother was looking into a room where there were a sink full of dishes only to have her looking into an empty sink in the next sentence.
Silly! Silly! Silly!
Also if I am honest I am starting to look at it and wonder if it actually as good as I thought it was just a few short months ago? Or am I just feeling that was because I'm reading stuff that I read just a few months ago and it's losing it's freshness to me?
I don't know.
All I do know is that I feel better for getting that off my chest. That's the problem when people don't know that you are trying to write a book - there's no-one to talk to about it. I could talk to Himself but he's not here plus I think he's got enough on his plate worrying about how the play-offs will turn out (come on you Blades.) I could try talking to the Chairman of the corporation but the last time I saw him he was digging a hole in the garden so clearly also has more important matters on his mind. Or I could talk to my closest friend but she lives in a different time zone and even though she probably wouldn't mind I don't think her husband wold be too pleased.
So that leaves you.
Thank you for listening (reading?)I feel better for setting out what's going on in my head and in the absence of another plan I'm going to put the kettle on. It'll look better after a cup of tea.

2 comments:

Karen said...

That's the trouble with this writing business - we're usually writing into a void, with no feedback or encouragement or any idea from anyone of whether what we're doing is right or wrong!

Did you decide about having a professional critique, or an editorial to clear up any glaring errors? It might help for you to have some constructive criticism.

Alternatively, www.autocrit.com is a good site for posting your text yourself, without anyone else's opinion being invoved. For a small fee you can do your whole ms and it highlights repeated words, phrases, cliches overused words and so on - might be worth a try :o)

Hang in there though, we're always here to listen and to try to help!

Colette McCormick said...

I certainly felt better for putting the feelings into words. I didn't decide about the critique yet as I thought that I should get the thing finished first.
Thanks for the heads up on autocrit. I've not heard of that one before.