August 6, 2011

Yes, I'm still editing Xmas Carol

I keep saying I'm "editing" Xmas Carol but a more accurate statement would be that I'm rewriting it. I'm always rewriting it. It's apparently what I do.

Our own Artichoke Annie suggested a few changes after reading it, and I agreed because her ideas were good. So I dove back in to make the changes . . . which of course ended up with me making more changes, and more changes, and . . . So yes, I'm rewriting the book.

I used to look down on writers who took three years to write a book. After all, I wrote three books in 18 months. Ah, but that was before I began "editing" the books into final form. Xmas Carol is the one I chose to work on first -- and I'm still doing it many months later. I started writing Xmas Carol on January 28, 2010. So I've been working on it for about 19 months, and I figure it's going to take another month or so to complete. Whew.

This brings me back to a quote I see often on writing blogs: "Great books are not written, they are rewritten." I'm rewriting the book, not editing it. And it's a good thing. Each time I go through it, the book becomes better.

Right now, I'm about 2/3 of the way through the book. And when I'm done I'm going to go through it again. And I'm going to cut, cut, cut. I am so rewriting this book.

Hang on. I promise it will be done at some point. Really.

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