I should start with that I am not a big time author who has had years upon years of experience with writing. I may have been writing for years, but alas, I am still working on my first novel.
With that said, I would like to share a late night epiphany. I have browsed many articles on the subject of writing and becoming an author and there was always the comment about being willing to kill your babies. With so many takes on what that meant, I felt lost as I waded into the sea of editing.
Now, for this particular book, I had first written it on half an idea during 2013’s NaNoWriMo and struggled with it afterwards despite that I loved my story. Put it aside, thought about tossing it, but I always ended up coming back to it. I ended up rewriting the whole thing for 2014’s NaNoWriMo and used the previous year an outline. I came out with something that I loved even more and set upon the daunting task of editing once more.
The thought of killing babies again came to mind and I worried for my world. My critique group has been absolutely wonderful in helping me clean up my early chapters and it wasn’t until this last round with chapter 2 that it hit me. As I looked over the critiques and remembered the discussions, I sadly dragged my chapter down into the scratch folder in Scrivener and started over, feeling that only a fresh start would make the flow right. And I sat there at the end of it, much more pleased with it.
This may have been a long lesson for me to learn, and this is only my interpretation of the concept. I’ve ruthlessly cut other things, added, changed, but it is all for the uncovering of the beauty that lay beneath. I’ve found editing to be rather fun now that I know the rewards that wait me at the end.
J.C. Jackson 