About Me

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Hi, welcome to my blog, I am a writer of short stories, children's and YA novels . An acceptance from People's Friend finally made me a published writer! Yeah, happy days! I have since had stories published in The Weekly News and The Last Laugh anthology. My main love is writing children's/YA novels...I'm now enduring a fruitless search for an agent... I also draw and paint, I like to draw animals (usually my adorable crazy cats!)Occasionally famous people and motorcycles.

Wednesday, 2 February 2011

Finding a home for the WIP


I decided to have a go at the re-vamp of the fantasy story, it had been waiting for a good editing for a long while.
The first three pages were quite good, I'd re written the beginning a while back, so that bit was OK. Then I spent three hours on it and managed to get to page 8.
Naively I thought I could just have a read through, liven up my characters a wee bit, tighten up the plot, get rid of any unnecessary sentences and job done!
There are so many unnecessary sentences, I've decided best home for this particular novel is in the recycle bin. Talk about drivel.

Be gone you historical fantasy you! Thine tale is dismally dull, thy plot woefully wooly and thine characters be wimsically wooden.

Sometimes you have be brutal. I shall keep the ideas in the form of a few sentences, and perhaps one day it will become the start of a new and intriguing novel.

I am consoling myself that I wrote it a long time ago, so I must have learnt something over the years as I am now able to recognise a load of rubbish when I read it.

On the plus side I have subbed a new story to TWN and have two ready to post off to PF, so I haven't completely wasted the weekend.

It is hard to let go though, I was quite fond of it. How do you cope with brutal editing, does it ever end up in the recycle bin?
'You are about to send 'Useless WIP' to the recycle bin, are you sure?'

Of course I'm not sure...
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12 comments:

  1. Old Kitty2 February 2011 at 15:10

    Oh no!!! I'll be the one trying to retrieve your wip from the flames, crying "No, no!! It's still good, it can be rebuilt, it can be saved!!" LOL!!!

    But seriously!! If the concept is good then yes, keep for later - re-cycle for later!!! I doubt you'll ever let go of it entirely!! The heart of it is still good!

    I don't throw any of my old stories away - yes they are truly awful when I do re-read them but I like the way I'm able to be honest with myself and spot a stinker when I read one!! And darn it - they're mine!! I gave birth to them!! They may be ugly and wrong but I'll love them whatever! LOL!!!

    GOOD LUCK with your submissions!!!!!! I have everything crossed for you!! Take care
    x

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  2. Aubrie2 February 2011 at 16:35

    That's brave to recycle it! Sometimes I just keep reworking it and pushing it, but it might be better for me to just let the old manuscripts go...

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  3. Joanna3 February 2011 at 02:06

    You were really brave to look at it and have an honest re-think. I have a novel I wrote six years ago under the wardrobe (I didn't actually write it under the wardrobe) and I am too cowardly to go near it. It is pretentious rubbish, I'm certain. I can't bear the thought of re-reading it, so there it will stay like an old favourite dress that looks all wrong now, but is not ready to leave me yet.

    Sometimes it is best to keep pressing ahead, having learnt an enormous amount of useful lessons from the work we've already finished for the time being.

    All the very best with your new submissions. I'm sure you will get some good news from those.

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  4. the writing pad3 February 2011 at 06:28

    Hi Pen & Paints
    Am I dreaming or have you revamped the blog, as well? It looks great!
    Sorry to hear about the WIP, but maybe those golden nuggets you've salvaged will be the start of something big in time to come :-)
    Good luck with the submissions!
    All best
    Karla

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  5. Anonymous3 February 2011 at 08:29

    Sometimes something just doesn't work. So you do keep the good parts, and move on.

    Thanks for commenting on my lost purse post. Wish MY purse had gotten caught between car seat and door! How lucky for you. We just try to learn from these experiences and be more careful next time. And with writing too: we try to learn from the experiences, and move on to something else!!

    Keep writing!!!
    Ann Best, Author

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  6. Rachna Chhabria3 February 2011 at 09:23

    I too have a couple of old manuscripts occupying space in my desk. Haven't touched them for years. I feel when I have free time I should go through them and see if I can salvage them.

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  7. Paula RC3 February 2011 at 11:46

    Hi P&P Thank you for letting a comment on by blog and well done for getting a story accepted by PF I've been trying for quite a while now. So close by still along way off. I have one or two stories on my computer I keep playing around with but like you I think 'just delete them' and write something new.
    Good luck with your next project, P&P

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  8. penandpaints3 February 2011 at 12:16

    Hi Old Kitty, thanks so much, it is hard to let go, it will never be truly gone, the ideas are still there!

    Hi Aubrie, I wouldn't recommend giving up on MSs , I always think something can be re-worked, but this particular one was just going nowhere.

    Thanks, Joanna, I giggled at the thought of you trying to write under the wardrobe.

    Thanks, Karla
    Glad you like the new look blog!

    Hi Ann, Absolutely, keep writing!

    Hi Rachna, I know, I still have a few more to dig out, I'm just hoping they're salvagable.

    Hi Jamara
    Thank you, best wishes to you also!

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  9. Karen Jones Gowen3 February 2011 at 19:10

    Thanks for visiting my blog so I could meet you, I like yours and will follow from my other blog URL. As for deleting a wip, I don't ever do it. I save everything as it may come in useful elsewhere, as perhaps a subplot in another work. (I just recently did that in fact and liked the results!)

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  10. Anonymous5 February 2011 at 09:08

    I save my old stuff on memory sticks sometimes it's useful to refer back to it. I read somewhere that all writers go through a period of hating their WIP then go back to liking it and so it goes on. I've been the same with mine recently but didn't ditch it only shelved it.I hope your writing doldrums disappear for you soon :O)

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  11. Suzanne Ross Jones6 February 2011 at 10:31

    Oh you mustn't put it the recycle bin. I'm sure you're being too harsh on youself. Besides, what was it Nora Roberts said about first drafts always being bad (I think it was something along the lines of 'honey it's always crap...' but don't quote me).

    XX

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  12. penandpaints6 February 2011 at 11:30

    Hi Karen, Welcome and thank you very much!

    Madeleine, I hope so too!

    Hehe, thanks Suz x

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I appreciate all your comments, thank you!

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