Rewrite

[poliphilo]

There are things in the novel I'm rewriting that surprise me. Things I'd forgotten all about. Gosh did I write that? And some of them are things I wouldn't write now. It's not that they're bad in any way; they're just the product of a different mindset. I have turned into a different person in the two years since the novel was "finished".

It means that what I'm doing now feels like a collaboration. I gratefully accept these contributions from my younger self and incorporate them into the new structure. Hey, nice one, younger self- I wouldn't have thought of that!

Comments

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

I know exactly what you mean. I submitted my thesis in late 2001, and it's this that I'm now turning into a book. There are some things in there I now disagree with or know more about, but more often than not I'm pleasantly surprised to find out how much I knew and how intelligently I was capable of thinking about it back then.

I hope it's all going well for you,

[queen-in-autumn.livejournal.com]

I know that feeling as well. . . And I've found that it can be difficult to re-write with my younger self, because sometimes our writing styles are different.

Sometimes she's a much better writer than I am now.
*sigh*

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Yes, thanks- things are going fine. It's an interesting process- one I've not gone through before. It's the plot I'm changing- and that has meant turning one character into somebody else entirely and inventing two or three new ones.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

My earlier self likes things a little more flowery than I do today. It's possible the final result will seem like a patchwork, but I hope not.

[karenkay.livejournal.com]

Hey, nice one, younger self- I wouldn't have thought of that!

I like that feeling a lot.

[jackiejj.livejournal.com]

I can't wait to see the result of your collaboration, and I'm glad things are going so well.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

I'm approaching a section that's going to
be all new writing.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Yes, it's good.