I spent the past two weeks getting reacquainted with the characters for my second historical novel, BLIZZARD (still a working title). After writing the first draft over the summer, I took a break from the book to let things marinate. I’ve decided that much will be changed in the second draft. Most of the characters will retain vestiges of […]
draft
Finishing Draft 1: Then Vs. Now
Last Wednesday, I reached the end of Blizzard, draft 1. (For more details about the book’s plot and characters, return to this post.) I was powerfully reminded of the way I felt when I reached the end of draft 1 of Waist on the auspicious date of 12/12/12. I was exhilarated then; I thought I […]
Re-Post: How To Edit Like A Musician (and other links)
Note from Leanne: I’m choosing this post as the second in a series of re-posts not for its initial popularity, but because it’s a subject near and dear to my heart: cross-pollination between the practices of music and writing. All creative professions have a lot to learn from each other, and figuring out how my […]
The Reading Of Draft 7
Back in June, I finished draft 7 of my historical novel, Waist. I did one final read-through, sent it off to a few people to read, and then let it “rest” for two months. I’d been working on it steadily since the previous August (with a short break to give birth to Edwin) and I felt like […]
The Non-Writing Writer
Back in December, in my post Finished, I said that the hardest part of writing my novel, completing the first draft, was over. Well, I was wrong. Turns out the hardest part is re-reading that first draft, considering what needs to be edited and fixed, and realizing that one possible solution involves removing one or two of […]