Autumn

The whistling wind  funnels through cracks between the windows and walls. Outside, all is green, yellow, orange, and brown. The firs lean, branches like underwater plants dancing in tidal flow.

This is our first real storm of the season.

Autumn is one of my favorite seasons rivaling only with spring and all the blossoms of new life. I like transitional seasons because they involve change. I can watch the change in the plants coming to live and going to sleep. Summer and winter are stagnant seasons and make me feel on edge. I want to see the changes, the transformation . . .

I'm finishing up a long revision. As I work, a part of myself seems to be standing just outside observing what I am doing. Yes, sometimes it's a critical voice, but, most often, I work to stay objective and watch what happens. Some parts of the process have been downright painful. I write pages of material only to discard most in favor of a single word or paragraph change. Other journeys have been absolute joy. Finding a new plot twist comes to mind. Digging in to reveal the real emotion of my characters, and playing with words. I will never grow tired of playing with language and sentences, playing with phrases  . . .

All of these changes will have to finish up soon. The whole of the project will be complete (or as close as complete as I feel I can get). I'm afraid I am one of those writers who consistently wants to revise and edit forever and forever.

What about you? What's your favorite part of the revising process? What do you love? What do find frustrating?

Another Bite

There's a business saying for accomplishing big goals that goes like this: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.

As a vegetarian who happens to think elephants are very cool, the literal image isn't very pleasant for me. Yet, we are, of course, talking about elephants in the figurative sense.

My elephant is my book I am currently revising. It's messy right now, and everything is torn apart and unpleasant. Yes, guts are everywhere!  I am well on my way to finishing, however. This is what sustains me.

I will keep going or taking bites (or whatever it is I'm doing).

Oh, and no elephants will be harmed.


Keep writing!