Editing adventures

The sample I posted last week from my first manuscript leaves me more conflicted than the most twisted of my plots. I still love the concept, adore the characters and believe passionately that there’s a good story inside all that messy prose.

Can it be unearthed? I’m sure of – but the job is overwhelming. I understand one of my writing friend’s feelings about her first story so much better now. She writes much better than I do, her natural voice is a lyrical tone poem that makes editors beg her to consider revisions. Sigh, I’d hate her but how can you hate someone so talented and nice? Where was I? Editing. After dinking around and getting nowhere, I decided to start back at what should have been the beginning. Goal, motivation and conflict worksheet, bios, synopsis and short outline. I’m hoping with a good story map the core story can be excavating, rinsed off and shined up to a glossy good read.

Writing isn’t for the fainthearted.