Comments on: Undo/Rewrite: Ready Steady Go! http://blog.thefurryone.net/2008/03/18/undorewrite-ready-steady-go/ Ramblings and musings of John Zeitler. Tue, 07 Oct 2008 03:11:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: John http://blog.thefurryone.net/2008/03/18/undorewrite-ready-steady-go/#comment-22495 John Tue, 18 Mar 2008 15:36:30 +0000 http://blog.thefurryone.net/2008/03/18/undorewrite-ready-steady-go/#comment-22495 I throw nothing away forever anymore. I lost a couple really good ideas back in the day that way because I was a dumb emotional teenager who didn't have any foresight. The first draft that's available to pre-readers right now will remain available, but it's no longer guaranteed to be at all indicative of the final product. It's not really the kids that I'm having a hard time characterizing so much as the adults. I thought the kids were pretty well done based on comparisons with the works you cited, at any rate, but that wound up not having the adults be as deep or cohesive. I'm working on that more this time around. The rewrite is definitely going to happen; I'm already about a third of the way through composing the revised outline in StoryMill (seven days of ??), and it seems to be following the core story far closer than the first draft did. It's also introducing plot threads sooner and keeping them alive longer, keeping the reader guessing. SM is turning out to be an <i>excellent</i> tool for this sort of organization. I have no idea if it will work nearly as well for the actual writing, but we'll see. I throw nothing away forever anymore. I lost a couple really good ideas back in the day that way because I was a dumb emotional teenager who didn’t have any foresight. The first draft that’s available to pre-readers right now will remain available, but it’s no longer guaranteed to be at all indicative of the final product.

It’s not really the kids that I’m having a hard time characterizing so much as the adults. I thought the kids were pretty well done based on comparisons with the works you cited, at any rate, but that wound up not having the adults be as deep or cohesive. I’m working on that more this time around.

The rewrite is definitely going to happen; I’m already about a third of the way through composing the revised outline in StoryMill (seven days of ??), and it seems to be following the core story far closer than the first draft did. It’s also introducing plot threads sooner and keeping them alive longer, keeping the reader guessing. SM is turning out to be an excellent tool for this sort of organization. I have no idea if it will work nearly as well for the actual writing, but we’ll see.

]]> By: Ismail Saeed http://blog.thefurryone.net/2008/03/18/undorewrite-ready-steady-go/#comment-22492 Ismail Saeed Tue, 18 Mar 2008 14:44:33 +0000 http://blog.thefurryone.net/2008/03/18/undorewrite-ready-steady-go/#comment-22492 Just don't forget that some "dropped" plot threads are just characterization etc. These are kids, they do flit between thoughts and actions a bit. If you're really going to do a rewrite, I think I must insist that you go ahead and read the children's literature I first recommended - see how keen an understanding of kids you've plugged into the first draft, and if it could be keener based on what you read of Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume et al, then the second draft is your opportunity to make it so. Also, I'll try to be able to really read it soon. My life is slowly coming back under control, but sometimes a bit too slowly for my liking. Please retain the first draft you've already shared so I can read it when the time comes, even if it changes in the second draft. Just don’t forget that some “dropped” plot threads are just characterization etc. These are kids, they do flit between thoughts and actions a bit.

If you’re really going to do a rewrite, I think I must insist that you go ahead and read the children’s literature I first recommended - see how keen an understanding of kids you’ve plugged into the first draft, and if it could be keener based on what you read of Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume et al, then the second draft is your opportunity to make it so.

Also, I’ll try to be able to really read it soon. My life is slowly coming back under control, but sometimes a bit too slowly for my liking. Please retain the first draft you’ve already shared so I can read it when the time comes, even if it changes in the second draft.

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