It’s cold, and it’s good to be inside! Sage words, I know, but winter has definitely crept in and it’s the perfect time to get that revising/editing completed on the novel before too many more days fly off the calendar.
NaNoWriMo has come and gone, and I’ve read a lot of summaries and testimonials by fellow writers this past week regarding the levels of success attained during that most hectic November. And, for the most part, no one seems to feel as though they failed, even though they may not have reached the 50,000 word target. Most felt that the process of building a draft, albeit short of the “winning” word count, was what really mattered.
I stopped at just over 52,000 words, yet the novel is not complete. As those other writers did, I found the experience of getting a novel that far along to be worth every minute and hour I invested during November. Like them, I now have a solid first draft that needs a conclusion. But that’s for later this winter and spring. Again, that is the true beauty that is NaNoWriMo.
Right now, though, it’s time to get serious once again and put this year’s NaNo creation away–let it sleep and mellow–and knock the cobwebs off The Bet, my next novel to be published. This novel is the one I knocked out in NaNoWriMo 2012 and worked on finishing up over the summer and early fall. Now, I’m in the revising/editing/polishing phase and eager to be finished with it and have it ready for publication before the end of the year. And, as I’ve written about previously, I really have no other excuses now since November with all of its “interruptions” has fled the scene.
December, with the advent of cold and inclement weather, is certainly one of my favorite times to get work done. My ideal time to write/revise/edit/polish is when it’s mean outside and quiet and comfy inside, with calm and pleasant beautiful music in my ear buds. Even though the sun is shining brightly on this Saturday morning, the temperature is not going to climb out of the ‘teens, so it’s one of those “ideal” times to be inspired to work on the novel that patiently awaits in my Scrivener projects folder.
One of the many positives that came from the month-long grind of NaNoWriMo is that there was no time to think about The Bet. It was forced into that “sleeping and mellowing” stage, away from my eyes, where I might have been tempted to jump back in to tinker with the plot, characters, or setting and distract me from work on this year’s NaNoWriMo novel.
But now that NaNoWriMo is finished, I have re-awakened the story after a month’s hiatus, and much of what I was growing weary with has taken on a fresh, new look, and I have already seen ways to make the whole novel better. Thus, I’m finding the rewriting/revising to actually be kind of fun for a change!
Now, all we need are some gray skies, some swirling snow, and a wonderful sense of shelter inside where it’s warm and comfy. That would be truly ideal writing weather! Without a doubt, I don’t think I’ll have to wait too long for that weather to arrive if current forecasts are correct. Can’t wait!
Anyone else feel the same way? Happy revising, all…CortlandWriter
Down Many Roads... 
I actually love the revising and editing part. I find the first draft’s creation frenzied and hectic as I struggle to get everything out that I want to say. Once it’s done, I feel like I can take a breath, lean back, and have a more relaxed ‘looksie’ at what I’ve just created.
Good luck with your own revisions!
Carrie: I do enjoy being able to “take a breath” once the draft is finished, but the rewriting/revising/editing sometimes becomes arduous, like I just want to be done. But it’s a necessary step, and all part of this wonderful thing we do! Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts. 🙂
You’re not kidding about days flying off the calendar…where in the heck did 2013 go? I’ve been trying to settle into the editing and revising mode, but Christmas cards, decorating, shopping, DAY JOB, etc., seems to steal my time. Best of luck with your revision!
Jill: I cannot believe that it is this time in December already! November vanished before I could even give it much thought, and December seems to be doing the same thing. I suppose being busy is better than the alternative, but I’d enjoy simply having a week or two with nothing to do but revise and edit. I’m pretty certain that isn’t going to happen any time soon. Thank you for reading and commenting. 🙂
I’m struggling now through a first draft and though I enjoy parts of it, it’s the editing part that keeps me coming back. First drafts are frightful.
Good point! Yeah, once I get going in the revising process, it tends to become more enjoyable. I feel good about this morning’s effort of revising three chapters, so that’s something to smile about. Good luck with your draft. 🙂
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