Staying the Course

I’m at an unusual phase of my writing at the moment. I have 80 pages written of a new book and two other completed historical romances in various phases of revision. I have 220 pages out of 378 revised on Wedded to the Enemy and 24 out of 363 pages reviseed on My Wild Irish Rogue. The books are done, but I wouldn’t send anything beyond a proposal at this point. After my rounds of revisions with His Chosen Bride, I found a ton of things in my older (and newer) books that needed fixing.

Revisions are such a necessity for me. I am very good about finishing my rough draft in a timely manner, but the revisions just about kill me. I don’t know whether it’s lack of experience and whether I’ll be able to catch my fatal plot errors in the future, but once I’ve finished a book, I have to practically gut it to make it publishable. I’m having to cut 50+ pages out of my latest work. :loser:

I’ve finished four children’s middle grade novels and three historical romances. I ought to have my “process” figured out by now, wouldn’t you think? Why, oh why, do I have to make things so complicated?

I knew when I finished WTTE that there were some problems, but I didn’t know what they were. I decided I’d figure it out after the book was finished. And sure enough, I did. I left out the FREAKING ROMANCE. Geez. If I can just make it to page 300 without setting the book on fire in a blaze of glory :angry:, that will be good.

On the bright side, the pages I have revised are much, much stronger. I like the way the emotional parts are coming through. When I’m through with it, it will be publishable. It’s just a matter of knuckling down and forcing myself to cut the scenes that don’t belong and adding the ones I’m missing.

In other news, I am enjoying the Christmas shows. Some of my favorites are “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas,” “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (which was on last night), and “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

My son is enjoying Christmas carols. One of his new favorites is Dominick the Donkey. He went around the house singing, “Don’t Lick the Donkey.”