Revision Ho!
So-o, on Thursday I ‘fessed up to having typed “the end” on the “beginning-to-end” of the final The Wall Of Night manuscript. 😀
I believe it’s the most important milestone in getting a book into readers’ hands — but as indicated Thursday, now it’s ‘game on!’ for the next round, which is basically revise-revamp-repeat.*
This is probably my favourite part of the writing process. To quote Haruki Murakami — and by extension, Raymond Carver — (with approval):
‘ “I take time to rewrite … Rewriting is my favourite part of writing. The first time is a kind of torture, sometimes. Raymond Carver [whose work Murakami has translated into Japanese] said the same thing. I met him and I talked with him in 1983 or 84, and he said: ‘The first draft is kind of torture, but when you rewrite it’s getting better, so you are happy…” ‘
I also take heart from the fact that I don’t believe there is anything in the current w.i.p. that comes close to matching the confused jumble that was my first cut at ‘Part IV: The Bride of Blood in Daughter of Blood.’ (No, it definitely didn’t spring fully fledged onto the page!)
So here’s to Carver’s happiness and getting on with the revise-revamp-repeat (and finally complete!) “interfrastically” (to quote Winnie-the-Pooh.)
~*~
* Repeating the revising and revamping, that is — a part of which will be removing all but intended repetition.