It's exhausting. Way more tiring than pounding out the first draft.
This surprises me. I guess I just thought that this part would be easier. That the pace would improve. I have added almost 7,000 words to my story, which is a good thing. The bad thing is that I think I've decided to cut the first six scenes, which leaves me a net 4,200 words added. The excitement of the story really starts in scene 7 and the rest can be sprinkled about as backstory. So, that's a bit depressing. But I guess that's what editing is for. Dadgumit I am simultaneously excited for and beat down by this book! Is that even possible? Is there a name for that feeling?
Oh, yeah. It's called BEING A WRITER. Or so I am learning.
All in all, the first draft is a mess, and the second is getting better. I understand my characters better, for sure. Which is something.
But somedays it's easier to sit and play Farmville (does anyone even play that anymore? No? Just me? Okay, well...) than it is to open Scrivener and start working.
And in case you, like me, are in need of motivation - read this - courtesy of everyone's favorite motivational speaker, Chuck Wendig*. Favorite line:
I mean SWEET HOT HELL, human history is in part the history of humanity making up letters and words and punctuation for you to use and if you willfully choose not to use them then you have just SQUANDERED THE EFFORTS OF ALL OF HUMANITY and that’s just rude is what it is.
*If you've never before stumbled across Chuck Wendig be forewarned - he uses the most fabulous creative profanity. Is this a trigger warning? It feels like a trigger warning. Oh, well. YMMV.