Friday, June 24, 2011

Revision Friday: Having My Very Own Revision and Giveaway Winner

I'm going to warn you right up front, this may be a bit of TMI, but I'm going to do it anyway because I think it applies to the process of revision.  Yesterday, I had a hysterectomy. For you to understand the correlation between that and the revision process, you need some brief back story. (Notice my understanding that less is more when it comes to back story.)

    I had my first child at 19 and by the time I was 35, I had given birth to five beautiful children and inherited a wonderful step-son.  So you could say, my uterus had served it's purpose and I wasn't going to be needing one anytime soon. The strange thing is, an emotional grieving came over me the weeks leading up to the surgery. Why? It didn't make sense to me. It took me awhile to reconcile those feelings, but here is what I came up with.



1) I have an emotional attachment to something that is part of who I am. 

2) There is a sentimentality surrounding this body part. My children were first
    introduced to me there.

3) My doctor assures me that this will solve several problems with my health
    and well-being.

4) To get to that "well-being" I will have to endure some pain associated with
    the procedure. 

5) I'm going to need some TLC for several weeks.


Are you seeing the correlation? No? Here it is:


1) We're attached to the words we work so hard to create.

2) There are memories and feeling attached to the way the words are organized. We like how they sound in our heads.

3) Often it takes one of our critique partners, beta
    readers, agent of editor to diagnose what will make the story stronger.

4) Removing them will require blood, sweat and perhaps tears as we wor and 
     rework scenes.

5) After the process, we may need a break, a nap or even chocolate to get us
    through the recovery. We have to be kind to ourselves so we can roll up our
    sleeves and get back to work. 

The bottom line is I'm still me but healthier. Your story is still there but stronger. 

Have you ever experienced your own Revision Grief?

So, keeping in line with #5, I will be taking the next week off from blogging. :(  I will meet you on the other side on Marvelous Middle Grade Monday when I will review Kevin Henkes, Junonia.

Last but not least the winner of the drawing for the copy of Plain Kate by Erin Bow is....... Brooke Favero 

6 comments:

  1. No. I always felt tremendously better and less depressed after having the baby. And I always feel good when I'm done revising and happy with my work. :)

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  2. Hope you rest and feel better. I totally get the analogy to writing. Sometimes it takes more than one critique partner telling me something for me to hear what precious words need to be cut.

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  3. Great correlation. And restful, quick healing to you.

    Revising feels good to me though, like taking a shower after working outside. It sheds all the junk and makes the story shine.

    Congrats, Brooke! I'm jealous. Now I'll have to buy my own Plain Kate. =)

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  4. Pam...phenomenal and YES, can I say that I have written a Children's Book and I am really having a difficult time editing or letting someone else edit it because it's so personal and it's so 'mine' oh gosh, you hit the nail right on the head...but in the folder it sits with no, NO work! UGH!

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  5. I think its a good idea to take time to recover from the birth process and bask in the glory of a new creation. A Sabbatical from writing is sometimes just what we need in order to be more productive.

    First time here, btw. Lots of helpful information and food-for-thought. Nice. :)

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