My writing week 2(20)

Hi all,

Another week of very slowly editing Stalking Tigers. I haven't started muttering "I hate editing" yet, but it can't be far away. Not that I really hate it, it just takes so bloody long. I wanted to be rewriting another novel by now. Editing does have its pleasures, such as when I read something that I think is particularly good, and also when I read something that I consider woeful, as I can then feel that my writing is improving. In between those highs and pats on the back there is a lot of re-arranging of sentences and changing of words, especially "I" and "was".

I have begun to cut out chunks of paragraphs where I found myself repeating myself, so at least the novel is not getting any longer at the moment. I am near the end of chapter four and, as I have already edited the last three chapters of the novel, I have now revised about 36,000 or its 133,000 words. Slow progress.

I critiqued another story for critters (I can't remember what I felt about it), and I found a science-fiction story on Infinitas to critique. I need to find out where all the science-fiction writers get their novels critiqued.

Aussiecon4 sent me an email and then a receipt in snail mail, so I am now officially a paid up member of Worldcon when it comes to Australia, and I have plenty of time to create a sparkling persona and perhaps even get published before the convention in Sept 2010. I am still deciding whether to go to the Emerging Writer's Festival in Melbourne that begins this weekend. It goes for about ten days and the second weekend looks like it has a better programme, with panels on pitches and motivation (do I need that!!!) and new ways of getting published. You can find out more about it at www.emergingwritiersfestival.org.au.

Now it is time to give my tired eyes a caffeine hit and spark them and my brain into editing mode.


Graham.


I hate editing.

Comments

  1. Satima FlavellMay 18, 2009 at 7:23 AM

    The emerging writers thingie sounds like a great idea! I hope you'll blog it if you go.

    Looking for Sf critters? Online Writers Workshop can be good, depending on who's on it at the time. Authonomy should be good but there's a lot of flaming, on and off. But the best thing is to find a group to join. I know it's hard when you live in the country - I have the smae problem when I am in Mount Gambier - but you could try looking for e-critters on one of the mailing lists. You could even sign up for one of the ones I'm on - the Katharine Susannah Prichard Writers Centre SF group. We meet face to face in Perth but have a couple of country/interstate members. Contact me with your email addy on Facebook if you're interested and I'll see about signing you up.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Graham ClementsMay 18, 2009 at 6:42 PM

    I'll have a look at Authonomy and I will be in contact on facebook.

    ReplyDelete

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