Thursday, December 20, 2012

Second Draft

With my bubble popped and asked to work with a program completely foreign to me, I was intimidated to begin my re-write.  I didn't even know Track Changes existed on my computer.  My editor walked me through it on the phone and I thought I understood it until I hung up.  Unsure of myself, I waited for my son-in-law to give me an in-person tutorial.  That's when I got brave and dove in.

Looking at the train wreck I called "Chapter One", it's a wonder I wrote another, let alone twenty more.  Decided the pro knew the proper punctuation, so I accepted all those changes.  That made the screen much easier to deal with.  Then, I just had her comments to consider and there were plenty of them.  One at a time, I dealt with each as most required changes.  I was open to her suggestions and with new eyes saw where she was coming from.  Because I usually write with pen and paper, it was awkward at first to make changes on the computer screen, but I have grown more comfortable with the process.

Took four days, but I think I am nearly done with two chapters and they are much improved.  The issues I need to address in future chapters are far fewer, but I do have major character development changes to deal with.  The end product will barely resemble the first draft.  I am enjoying the process and time permitting around family and holiday festivities, I will soon begin my first attempt at a second draft of my third chapter.        

10 comments:

  1. Seeing you have less editor 'comments' to deal with in subsequent chapters, that must mean your writing skills improved leaps and bounds as you went along. And now you have learned new computer skills!!! Do you consider yourself a writer yet??? I do ...

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    1. I am doing writer things, especially perfecting eccentricity.

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  2. So you put the boots on and jumped...great job! So very excited/and proud for you that you are not letting go and you hanging on and really making it be what it is calling to be. This whole experience is going to be your wisdom later to share as you have with your other experience in life...Trust walk big time and growing leaps and bounds.

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  3. Excellent. Bravo. One more step toward book in hand. I knew you could do it. Part of being a believing mirror is trusting that one can take constructive criticism and grow. I knew you could and you are. Bravo. She's the expert you hired to trust and you are trusting her. Your book can only get better. After all, it is in its creators hands.

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    1. I think the first couple chapters are vastly improved. We'll see what response I get from my editor when she sees the completed second draft.

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  4. Love your openness to change. And growth. And learning new things. But I must protest you labeling chapter 1 a train wreck! It never was IMO! But if that's what you think, I must tell you it is now a train RIDE that runs a whole lot more smoothly than Amtrak!!!

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    1. I hope you'll like the new version of chapter one even better than the first.

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  5. It is all good. You were only messing around with writing when you did your first two chapters anyway. I recall you didn't seriously think of it as writing a book until around chapter 3, and you got better as the writing progressed. I know the final version will be excellent and worth all the hard work you are putting into it. It is hard work! But you are up to the challenge and will never regret it. Persevere!!!!

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  6. It is hard work, Jan. I have a whole new respect for published authors. Giving up now is not an option.

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