Sunday 23 November 2008

Creative chaos


I'm still waiting for the final edits.
Now the end is in sight, I've learned more than I ever anticipated. While I find "writing" simple, converting my ramblings into a book has proved anything but easy. It takes months and months of working and reworking. Editing is so much more than spotting typos.
Reviewing my experience so far, I can see that my difficulties began when I first put pen to paper, writing purely to satisfy my creative urge. I didn't consider that my writing might ever be published and submitted it to only three publishers in a fairly frivolous mood. My reasoning was no better thought out than "I've written something that I think is rather good, so why not send it off?" I was seriously surprised to be offered a publishing deal within two weeks.
I've promised my publisher that my second book will take credible characters through a logical plot, in polished prose that works within a certain genre. Am I worried I can't deliver such a MS? Not in the slightest. After all, by the time I finish working on my second book, I'll be a published author. (Are you sensing a slight insecurity here? Or have I succeeed in convincing you that I'm feeling confident? Have I convinced myself?)

22 comments:

Rick said...

OMG I thought you'd never post again and had been sucked backward into a time vortex!

When do we get to see this book?

Anonymous said...

Ha ha ha - you will find your confidence once it is a "done deal" - good luck and hope it proves worth all the blood, sweat and tears. If it is a best seller, then your publishers (aka Vampires) will wish to extract all of those things from you and more forever after.

fizzycat said...

I think the forthcoming publication is giving you more confidence, I can see it in how you write.Cannot wait to read it.

Charles Gramlich said...

Hurry up and wait. That's the writerly way.

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

I'm sure you'll be fine. You'll soon be holding your book in your hand, and I can't wait to read it when it comes out.

Spy Scribbler said...

LOL, you'll be fine! I love how much I learn with every book; it makes the next one even more fun to write!

Sleepy said...

I'm convinced! So, it's not just you!

Vidya Sury said...

When do we get to read 'Cut Short'? Am partial to women detectives in crime fiction.

Leigh Russell said...

Rick - I'm beginning to feel like Shaw's St Joan - "How long?" We're already some months behind the original schedule which I know (now) isn't unusual. It seems to be taking forever!

Leigh Russell said...

Aggie - "blood sweat and tears" is right. As for the publishers being 'vampires' - time will tell.

Leigh Russell said...

fizzycat - what a nice thing to say. But having another crisis of confidence at the moment...

Leigh Russell said...

Charles G sums it up, as usual.

Leigh Russell said...

Debs - thanks for the reassurance. I hope you're right (crisis of confidence speaking here)

Leigh Russell said...

spyscribbler - I'm certainly learning. It doesn't feel much like fun any more.

Leigh Russell said...

sleepy - thank you.

Leigh Russell said...

vidya sury - I'll let you know - very soon, I hope! I'll be interested to know what you think of my detective.

Monique said...

Don't be too cock sure Leigh. If writing was that easy there would be hundreds and thousands published each day. Every word must count as you know. Experience only makes you write better. Good luck with your second book.

Monique said...

Oh, I nearly forgot, you are missing out on a corker of an episode on Middle Ditch.

Barbara Martin said...

Leigh, you will be fine. I think Monique misunderstood your comment about writing being easy. Its easy for you, with your style; otherwise it wouldn't be on its way to being published so soon without one hundred rejections as a reminder the story wasn't quite good enough for those other places.

I can envision being asked to revise and rewrite certain portions of my own manuscript when the time comes. Its all part of parcel of the publishing scenario.

Leigh Russell said...

"anything but easy" is what I said! It's certainly not an easy process.

Middle Ditch said...

Sorry Leigh, I did misread your post entirely. I was in such a hurry. It must be such a good feeling knowing that soon it's all done and your first born lies in your hands.

Vesper said...

So interesting to read about the steps you've taken...

It'll probably be easier with each book as you gain experience to add to your innate talent. Good luck! :-)