The R & R's of Writing

Rest and Relaxation? Oh no, no, no. The R & R's of writing, as any good writer will tell you, are Revisions and Rewrites.

And boy do I have a lot of them to do. Revise and Rewrite. Three projects. Three. But when you ask for notes...well you get them.

And I did. This week. Many notes. Lots of ideas. From editors, agents, friends and managers... Oy. And while these notes help me. My initial reaction is always the same: No.

No! No! No! No!

Much like when I ask my youngest to brush her teeth, turn off the television, go to bed; anything that she needs to do but just doesn't want to.

Why? Well, I get very close to what I write. And while the famous quote states: Show me a writer who loves their writing and I'll show you a very bad writer... Well that's me. I often fall deeply and madly in love with my characters and their story. So much in love am I, that without notes or putting a project aside for a month or more, I am unable to see the flaws in my telling of the story. Therefore, when notes come in, I am resistant to anyone telling me anything wrong with my beloved....for the first 24 hours. But, then, the other great quote starts to wander through my brain. After my initial reaction of No! I embrace this quote:

I'm not a very good writer, but I am an excellent rewriter.

And while I may not have reached 'excellent' yet, I know that by allowing myself time away from my stories and by getting a second opinion, I am able to view the story and the characters with more clarity.

And that clarity is just exactly what I need for my R & R.

Let the Revising & Rewriting begin.

xoMaggie