MENUMENU
  • About
  • Buy
  • Press
  • Book Clubs
  • Writer Resources
  • Allie Larkin
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • g

Allison Larkin

Internationally Best-Selling Author

You are here: Home / writing / Tweaking

Tweaking

July 6, 2009 Filed Under: writing

I know you haven’t heard from me all that much lately. It’s because I’m back in the rewrite process. The last round was pretty significant. This round is more about tweaking. A little more here, a little less there, some technical things, a few reworded sentences. But it’s still hard to dive back in.

I think the editing process requires a lot more attention than the writing process. For me, writing is something that happens in conjunction with everything else I do – I’m driving to the grocery store and I think about my main character – I’m doing yard work and suddenly I know the back story of one of my secondary characters. Writing is a freeing process that’s about getting my ideas down. Editing is about getting my ass in the chair. It’s about drowning out everything else that’s calling to me (and trust me, even laundry can start to look appealing when the daunting task of rewrites is at hand) and just sitting there and putting myself in my book and problem solving.

I enjoy the process, but it feels heavier. It requires me to keep 90,000 plus words in my head. Can I describe his eyes that way, or did I use those words to describe them already back on page 136? If I condense these two chapters into one, how do I get my main character from point A to point B? It’s a lot different from that unplanned road trip, throw some snacks in the car, make sure you have money for tolls, see where you end up, kind of feeling that goes along with writing a first draft.

If I can get in a good 3-4 hours of rewrite work in a day, I’m thrilled (and mentally exhausted). And then all I want to do is read or watch TV – (currently ANYBODY OUT THERE and CALIFORNICATION – both are excellent).

And as much as a part of me wishes I could just fast-forward to it all being done, another part of me is clinging to every second I can get with Van (my main character). Because, the work will get done, and then Van and I are going to go our separate ways for awhile. If you’re not a writer, this is going to sound crazy, but I’m going to miss Van so much that the idea of it makes me a little weepy. She may just be a figment of my imagination, but she’s still one of my favorite people.

3 Comments

Comments

  1. Dingo says

    July 7, 2009 at 5:38 am

    I can’t wait to meet Van.

    Reply
  2. Courtney says

    July 7, 2009 at 5:08 pm

    I can’t wait to meet Van either! I’m so, so excited to read your book next year.

    Reply
  3. Corinne says

    July 8, 2009 at 10:30 pm

    I agree, I already love Van and I can’t wait to dive into her world. Keep writing about your writing process, it’s fascinating. xo

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

  • Home
  • Allie Larkin
  • Blog
  • Book Clubs
  • Contact
  • Writer Resources

allielarkinwrites

Still writing. Still boring. But my dog is still c Still writing. Still boring. But my dog is still cute. Today she barked at the wind. #dailyroxydog #amwriting #dogsofinstagram
I have a hard time with new things. Once I get my I have a hard time with new things. Once I get my choreography down with an object that works for me, I will keep it until there’s no life left in it. Such is the case with the Adidas hat I bought at the last minute to have shade for my face on our wedding trip nineteen years ago. I liked the way it fit and I had the brim curled exactly the way I think a brim should curl and that was enough to spend almost two decades with a hat I didn’t particularly like otherwise. I’ve tried other hats, but they didn’t take, because I have very little patience for being distracted by clothing. But my new @hatxhats buddy showed up today and I know it’s a keeper. There was no adjustment period. The brim is already perfectly curled. It’s really nicely made and so lightweight. And x-ing out hate is much more my speed than the random brand of my ancient clearance rack hat. #newhat
Still have my head down working on my manuscript f Still have my head down working on my manuscript for a couple more weeks. Please forgive my unanswered emails and sporadic DMs. Here’s a flower from our walk today. Tulip trees = the ultimate 80s color scheme. #tuliptree #amwriting #seenonmywalk
Displeased. #dailyroxydog #huskymix (She’s fine. Displeased. #dailyroxydog #huskymix (She’s fine. She has a little scratch on her face she keeps re-scratching)
I didn’t get it on video, but I swear she played I didn’t get it on video, but I swear she played the opening to Eye of the Tiger on her rubber chicken. #dailyroxydog #rubberchickensofinstagram #dogsofinstagram #eyeofthetiger
Got some solar string lights for the pyracantha sh Got some solar string lights for the pyracantha shrubs, so now when Roxy hunts mosquitoes, it looks magical. #dailyroxydog #stringlights #ilovemydog #amwriting
Load More... Follow on Instagram

© Allison Larkin | Site by Little Leaf Design