As an unpublished writer, I have a problem. A major one that rears its ugly head right as I think I've conquered it...
My Achilles Heel, if you will...
WORD COUNT.My writing partner stuggles with having a word count above 60-70K. She is also an accomplished, published writer. That should say a lot. I struggle with keeping my books
below 200K.
No, you heard me correctly. 200K. Yeah. That's a lot of words. But in the world of books and publishing and agents and all that jazz.....it's an expensive, thick-azz book that nobody wants to touch. Who knows how some first time writers like Wally Lamb ever got their start, with their thick, huge emotional SAGA's. This writer can't seem to do it.
And so I edit.
Whenever I finish a book, which will be soon at the rate I'm going, I red pen it. Then I go back and edit it. And....as I like to say...I cut the fat. Lots of fat.
It's a painful process, because as a writer, I have myself convinced that every single word, every scene, every single drop of back story...is pivotal to the story I am trying to write. Every single word is important. Every single scene is a huge part of my characters journey. When, in all truth, it really isn't!! Go figure! The story will move along fine, maybe even more smoothly, without it!
Who woulda thought?
And so I edit. And edit and edit and edit and edit and edit.....until my fingers bleed and my eyes are bugging out of my head and I am staring at my husband and children and referring to them by the character's names. And then when I look at the book and think, "
Holy hannah! It's done! My work is done!!"
I start editing again.
*Sigh* Have I mentioned how painful editing and cutting the fat is for me. I freakin' hate it.
My Achilles Heel.
Brooke Moss.
