Mainly sunny, hot, temps 30
Another stunner. Gorgeous. Spent the morning on the screen porch, writing. I wish I could say I was editing, but the truth is, I'm doing mostly original writing...doing new scenes at the beginning of the book.
But I really like what I'm doing, and don't feel at all badly that all the writing I did months ago to start the book will never be read...will in fact disappear. Because I know two things....what I'm doing now is better. And I needed to write what I did before to be able to write this.
It's all a process...building on itself. And the beginning of my books are almost always going to need re-writing because when I start a book the themes and direction are never as clear as when I finish. So the second draft is done from a whole different perspective.
I'm actually very excited about this stage...not at all afraid anymore, even though it looks as though the editing is really more of a second draft than an edit. And will almost certainly take longer than expected. But I'm now hoping to have this draft finished by the beginning of July. We're going to NY for a few days early in the month to celebrate a friend's birthday so I'm aiming to have it done then.
Lovely life. To sit on the porch, looking over the gardens, and writing about Three Pines, about Clara and Ruth and Gamache.
when I'd finished for the day I took Trudy for a walk - and found that the lupins by the pond were out.
Did I mention that a duck is nesting on the island? Trudy and I scared it by mistake a few days ago and it flew away...then I worried it wouldn't come back - but I didn't want to check, and scare it again. But Victor and Michael reported it was back. So we're expecting a brood of ducklings any day now.
My Assistant Lise dropped by with the flats of annuals. She'll put them in tomorrow. And Kirk came by with a suggestion for a wall colour for the Montreal apartment.
Nice, nice day. I feel at peace.
7 comments:
Louise--
Very insightful view of the first draft! It's helpful to hear these little thoughts on various parts of the writing process.
I just bought a lupine to plant--hoping I don't kill it...
We are starting to see some of the ducklings and Canadian Geese families - the other day on the golf course one had 23 babies (unless they were babysitting, which we think happens.)
Nikki
Now I understand your excitement and how the way becomes so much clearer. Still scary, though in a good way.
Any chance of posting a photo of your porch in the next newsletter? It sounds idyllic.
Almost daily now I hear "honkers", my name for Canada Geese, which I adore, flying high overhead on their way south.
Sorry, those honkers are flying north. Good thing I'm not in charge of the flight.
When you mention having a lovely life, "... writing about Three Pines, about Clara and Ruth and Gamache," it sounds like you are talking about dear old friends. Maybe that is why they seem so real-- in a way that the relationship you have with them is a gift of friendship to the reader.
A mother duck and her ducklings (or is it goslings??), five of them, were trying to cross one of our major highways (102). Cars were stopping but they were too timid to cross. Wonderful shot on the evening news last night of the RCMP walking behind and shooing them across the road while two lines of patient drivers waited.
Enjoy the brood when it arrives. Good luck with the draft.
Such a different take on the usual run of news.
What joy and relief coming through in your words.
How does anyone with talent and creativity like you know when to end and stop self-editing anyway? I would guess there would be a final feeling of satisfaction though at some point.
At least getting suggestions from the editors would be permission to
see the light at the end of the tunnel..they're kind of like sheep herders: sheep dogs reigning all the words in giving your permission to be done.
Listen to me, the non-writer. Well, now that I feel important,
happy porch sitting. Thanks for the humble and honest sharing.
Donna K.
Hi all,
Thanks for sharing my delight - as you'll see from today's post, it's a roller-coaster. But you knew that already. Still, I have a thought for tomorrow, so we'll see. I'm hoping it's about making something already good into something exceptional. Good just isn't good enough, not when there's 'better' out there.
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