Writer SOS
On Friday, my editor emailed me with bad news. She doesn’t like the rewrite. Argh! This book is killing me. I need to give myself a pep talk, or just sort through some of the elements that aren’t working, so I can move forward.
Should I move forward?
I thought about this the last time and I can’t help but think it again: maybe this book is doomed. When, as a writer, do you accept defeat and give up on a project?
Sherry Thomas said she had to discard two complete drafts of Delicious, and rewrote most of Not Quite a Husband. I read about her struggles on her blog and wanted to kiss her for being so honest. Her work is so finely crafted—don’t we assume authors like that have it easy? If Sherry Thomas can admit she does rewrites, so can I.
Of course, I’m no Sherry Thomas. No one will be going into raptures over my prose, so I’d better tell a damned good story. Therein lies the problem with The Edge of Night. I’ve got a scary-as-hell setting, interesting characters, a boatload of angst, and great white sharks. But the story isn’t working.
When I started this book, I suspected that I was biting off more than I could chew. It’s dark, and tense, and difficult. The backstory is agonizing: a couple who divorced after the death of a child. I cried several times while I was writing the first draft. I mean, I sat at the computer and bawled like a baby. Their misery was so real and heartfelt, to me. I thought my editor would cry, too. She didn’t.
But I got over it.
I had some new ideas, and I was more determined than ever to do the story justice. Who doesn’t want to turn a failure into a success, right? With the second draft, I felt as though I was making the changes my editor requested—and gutting the book in the process. The new scenes didn’t make me cry. There was more action, but less heart.
I submitted the new version with a sinking feeling, knowing I hadn’t quite hit my mark. This time, I wasn’t as surprised when she didn’t like it.
And now I’m wondering if I’ve completely lost my insight. I’m so buried in the story, I can’t see the big picture. I can’t figure out why it’s not working, and I don’t know how to fix it.
I’m sure a lot of writers feel this way when they face a tough revision. I wonder if I’m wasting my time, and think I could write a new book faster. I worry about losing my slot, my advance, and my chances for a renewed contract.
Abandoning the project isn’t a good option. Realistically, I can’t continue revising it forever, but I should give it at least one more try. Third time’s a charm?
Wish me luck! Any advice would be welcome. Thanks.
