You hit the nail on the head, Rose. Editing can be painful, difficult and challenging but the book becomes much better because of it. Your editor will guide you through the process - and hopefully it will be a little less painful. I hope so because I’ve been there too and it’s tough!
So right, Rosy! No one understands like another writer. I think one thing I've learned is, at some stage (much sooner than I did with this book) STOP PICKING! That way madness lies! I also think the there's a lot of value in just letting the writing (whatever length) just sit for a while without looking at it. Days? Weeks? The "Let it Marinate" school of writing!
This is an interesting way of looking at writing and story-telling. I think I have to disagree, in that if we keep tweaking endlessly, keep listening to other people's viewpoints and opinions, at some point it just kills it for the originator. I stand by my formula: it's good to evaluate it, but then let it go. Otherwise it never reaches an audience, other than those who have picked it to pieces. I think it is different with art. No one comes along and changes the colours artists put on their canvases. They might not agree with how the finished artwork looks, but they don't pick up a paintbrush and starting dabbling over the artist's original work.
The crazy thing about writing is that once you "finish" a piece, it's not really yours anymore. When it's available for public consumption, it will be judged, picked apart, analyzed. "Stairway to Heaven" comes to mind. So many people think they know "the meaning" of that song.
For me, memoir is different. Your story will resonate with people who have had similar experiences in their life, forging connection. Or it will be a "there but for the grace of God go I" moment for many readers. Either way, memoir furthers our understanding of humanity, and it's much more fun to read than biography because of the storytelling elements.
You have reminded me of the living process that is in writing Rose and being a writer and skill sets in telling stories.
And in doing that practice we can never stop learning and growing.
It's never a finished thing.
A polished thing.
It's always in process and when we do let it go it goes on to grow and become thoughts and feelings in another human being.
A creative life is about developing and growing and changing. It's not static. Never Done!
Even dead things though they seem to have a finality, they rot away energetically and become new forms.
Language with all its mysteriousness has been picture language and has gone on and been evolving since it was set in stone tablets. Now is magically on our computers , our mobiles and on tounges in so many languages.
The magic of words we all share that can evolve through us and enable story telling.
Your hard word will pay off. It sounds like you are nearly there. Get it checked, read it out loud then let it fly. 🙏❤️
Quite so Daisy. Kick that thing out of the nest, and let it test its feathers!
You hit the nail on the head, Rose. Editing can be painful, difficult and challenging but the book becomes much better because of it. Your editor will guide you through the process - and hopefully it will be a little less painful. I hope so because I’ve been there too and it’s tough!
So right, Rosy! No one understands like another writer. I think one thing I've learned is, at some stage (much sooner than I did with this book) STOP PICKING! That way madness lies! I also think the there's a lot of value in just letting the writing (whatever length) just sit for a while without looking at it. Days? Weeks? The "Let it Marinate" school of writing!
Give yourself a pat on the back and relax now! The hardest part is over. Onward.
Almost over. Now can't get a reply from the publishing company in regards to the proper email to send it to. Not a pleasant feeling.
This is an interesting way of looking at writing and story-telling. I think I have to disagree, in that if we keep tweaking endlessly, keep listening to other people's viewpoints and opinions, at some point it just kills it for the originator. I stand by my formula: it's good to evaluate it, but then let it go. Otherwise it never reaches an audience, other than those who have picked it to pieces. I think it is different with art. No one comes along and changes the colours artists put on their canvases. They might not agree with how the finished artwork looks, but they don't pick up a paintbrush and starting dabbling over the artist's original work.
The crazy thing about writing is that once you "finish" a piece, it's not really yours anymore. When it's available for public consumption, it will be judged, picked apart, analyzed. "Stairway to Heaven" comes to mind. So many people think they know "the meaning" of that song.
For me, memoir is different. Your story will resonate with people who have had similar experiences in their life, forging connection. Or it will be a "there but for the grace of God go I" moment for many readers. Either way, memoir furthers our understanding of humanity, and it's much more fun to read than biography because of the storytelling elements.
Use your process! It works here.
You have reminded me of the living process that is in writing Rose and being a writer and skill sets in telling stories.
And in doing that practice we can never stop learning and growing.
It's never a finished thing.
A polished thing.
It's always in process and when we do let it go it goes on to grow and become thoughts and feelings in another human being.
A creative life is about developing and growing and changing. It's not static. Never Done!
Even dead things though they seem to have a finality, they rot away energetically and become new forms.
Language with all its mysteriousness has been picture language and has gone on and been evolving since it was set in stone tablets. Now is magically on our computers , our mobiles and on tounges in so many languages.
The magic of words we all share that can evolve through us and enable story telling.