And editing. In one case, adding an introductory paragraph where a transition went wonky.
A lot of writers hate to read their own work. I never have that problem. Well, not much. There are things I wrote when I was a young writer trying to be literary that I eventually destroyed. These were stories where I loved the idea.
Most of the time I write stories where I love the characters, and I always want to spend more time with my characters, even if they are trapped in terrible prose and nonsensical situations. When they're trapped in bad writing, it's like a rescue mission. I've got to go an get them out!
So I love re-reading my stuff, even when it's bad. And this is a problem because sometimes I'll wander off and keep reading all night, and forget to edit. (That's why I let myself read this weekend, to get it out of my system.)
And here is a little clip from early on in the story. Mary is facing down a troop of soldiers - led by the handsome officer she'd met the night before - in the doorway of her house, stalling them while others get away....
And all the time it was going through Mary's head: if you were going to be unfaithful, did it really matter if you did it instantly? How many meetings was appropriate before you actually succumbed? Wasn't it always inappropriate? Shades of her childhood came back to her, when Mrs. Cress would marvel at how "she didn't even hesitate!" whenever Mary had jumped into a mud puddle. And Mary could never understand how thinking about it first could make a crime less serious.
2 comments:
I love your clip! And Mary's right--does it make it better to have plunged right in? :)
Elizabeth
Mystery Writing is Murder
This is the essence of Mary's problem, but also why I love her.
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