Reworking

I was talking through my book with my writer friend, Erin, and told her about the plans I had for fixing the issues that our writing group brought up. My plans would take the ending from okay to good. It wouldn’t take it to great.

So, we discussed what would take it to great. (And as a side note, it is so helpful to have a writing friend! It’s fairly easy to figure out what needs to be changed in a book you didn’t write. It’s a billion times harder when it’s your own book. Plus, it’s just plain easier to talk through plot with someone. Thanks, Erin!)

I was so close to writing the words “The End” after the last chapter that I could taste it! But changing the ending means that I will have to go back more than a few chapters, and do a complete rewrite from there to the end. It means scrapping over 13,000 words I have already completed— more than 50 pages of text.

So, I figure that at this point, I have three choices:

1. Sing the “My book’s a piece of junk” blues, and metaphorically toss it out the window.

2. Sing the “My book’s a piece of junk” blues, put it away for a while to give myself some distance from it, and figure out what to do later. And then acknowledge that this choice may mean that I’ll possibly never get back to it.

3. Sing the “My book’s a piece of junk” blues, and follow it up with a rousing rendition of “But I'm not going to let it stay that way!” Put in the time, work, and brainpower to work the story until it shines. Do what it takes, and learn everything I possibly can about reworking a book in the process. And don't give up.

And, although each of these options are completely valid and each, at times, are the absolute right choice, #3 feels right for me and this book. Wish me luck!