On my desk sits:
One printed 368-page manuscript.
One 17-page detailed outline.
One 2-page outline summary.
One 2-page list of possible revisions.
Oh, I was so wonderfully organized when I wrapped up the first draft a little over six weeks ago. So detailed. So thorough.
All the good it did me. I don’t remember a frigging thing! It’s like I’m reading somebody else’s work entirely. How is it possible that so much of the story could have fallen out of my head in a mere six weeks?
Which I suppose is the point of stepping away from it and coming back to it later with fresh eyes. The problem is, my eyes are too fresh. And all I can see is one Big Fat Ugly First Draft. The fact that it’s organized does not help one bit. No sir. Not one bit.
Don’t panic. Don’t panic. Don’t panic.
I've been there! You'll get through this. Breathe. When you stop the manuscript bleeding, I mean, revise, you'll see it's not so bad.
Take deep breaths. Give it a good read through and it will all come back to you. Best of luck! For me this is the fun part!
Oh you poor thing, it’s okay just take a moment maybe grab a piece of chocolate and don't panic.
Fresh eyes both suck and rule. Sometimes you feel like, "Omigod, *I* wrote that!? Awesome!" and other times, "Omigod,*I* wrote that!? Disgusting!".
But just think, you're on the downhill slope now. The hardest part is over – now to polish and massacre that bad boy. Hope you've got a good red pen! 😀
You are in a space where great progress will be made. Best of luck!
Ugh. I dread when you first step back in after the 'sit' period. The good news is – you are your worst critic and it's not as bad as YOU think. Good luck. Get on in there with that purple pen!
Yep, I'm in exactly the same place. But we can do it! It will make sense again, I promise!
It is like bike riding. It will take you awhile to get your balance, but once you do, you'll be off and running. Roland
Awe no! It will be okay!!
It'll be okay. Set your notes and outlines and stuff aside, and just read it like it's not yours – like you're beta reading for someone else. Maybe that'll get you back in the groove so you can be more objective about it.
:HUGS:
I guess you will be able to be more critical with it- not what you were after. Think of it like some Zen detachment.
I know the feeling. It will pass . . . and then come back . . . pass again . . . it's a vicious cycle. I don't know if writers can feel one way about their manuscripts for more than a day.
Stay calm, and good luck!
oh! But it's like, like a whole new story isn't it? All fresh and new and shiny! Which means you'll have no trouble at all being objective, right? And never mind the outline or any of that other stuff. Just read the story. And as you do, ask yourself, do you like it? Are you interested in the characters? Do you want to know what happens?
If the answer is yes, then you've got something.
You can do it!
(Just found your site, looking forward to exploring!)
My Writing Blog
Fresh eyes are great and terrible, at the same time. It is amazing how much we can forget when stepping away from our work for a break.
Good luck with your revisions!
Painful as it may be, this all sounds like a Good Thing. Maybe you can try critiquing it as if it were someone else's work.
And I'm sure you'll also come across those passages which you read with fresh eyes and think Wow, I'd forgotten how good that bit was.
"It's like I'm reading somebody else's work entirely" — not a bad thing. You can be more objective and make it even BETTER than you'd planned for it to be
Organized confusion…gotta love it! 🙂
Jennifer – I understand the panic. I also know you'll be fine. Good luck, girl! =D
Jennifer, I also understand the panic and feel for you. Take a deep breath and let you organizational mind kick into gear. The problems you're picking up are probably simple (too many adverbs, too much of the Be verb) and easily corrected. But you can't eat the elephant in one sitting, so be patient with yourself. Good luck!
Here's what I do sometimes: pick a page in the middle, and jump right in to reading. Work outward from there. Seems to make the synapses reconnect somehow, at least for my brain.
Thanks for the encouraging words, guys. I actually do feel kind of pumped up now, and I'm predicting this week will be better than last week (hell, how could it be any worse?).
Adam, starting from the middle is in an interesting idea… I might just give it a shot.
good read, thanks
I love when I meet bloggers that are actual authors! Your book sounds awesome. I'll definitely get a copy when it's published.
BTW, I am also following you on twitter.
Don't panic! That's happened to me, not that it's some huge constellation. Things like that happen to me all the time. 🙂 I hope you get total recall and kick butt on your edits!
What I wouldn't give for some objectivity right about now! Don't panic, girlie, you'll be on your way to another sale in no time. Have a great week!