Comments on: It always happens to me http://pcwrede.com/blog/it-always-happens-to-me/ Patricia C. Wrede talks about writing Mon, 20 May 2013 12:43:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4 By: Betsy http://pcwrede.com/blog/it-always-happens-to-me/comment-page-1/#comment-3476 Betsy Thu, 17 Feb 2011 04:15:26 +0000 http://pcwrede.com/blog/?p=990#comment-3476 Well, I'm awfully glad you took the plunge so quickly because I, like Inigo Montoya, hate waiting, and I don't think I could stand it if you fell behind schedule. (Well, I'd survive... but I wouldn't like it!) :) Well, I’m awfully glad you took the plunge so quickly because I, like Inigo Montoya, hate waiting, and I don’t think I could stand it if you fell behind schedule. (Well, I’d survive… but I wouldn’t like it!) :)

]]> By: Stephanie Gildart http://pcwrede.com/blog/it-always-happens-to-me/comment-page-1/#comment-3468 Stephanie Gildart Wed, 16 Feb 2011 05:42:59 +0000 http://pcwrede.com/blog/?p=990#comment-3468 Oh, I love it when I find the blogs of authors I love. I'd just been looking closely at my copy of The Thirteenth Child and realizied for the first time that it was labled "Frontier Magic: Book One" on the spine. Googled and came upon this entry, and also on a release date for book two, which is now on my calendar. :) As an aspiring author, and as a college writing consultant, I also love to glimpse at others' writing processes. What work it is! Oh, I love it when I find the blogs of authors I love. I’d just been looking closely at my copy of The Thirteenth Child and realizied for the first time that it was labled “Frontier Magic: Book One” on the spine. Googled and came upon this entry, and also on a release date for book two, which is now on my calendar. :)

As an aspiring author, and as a college writing consultant, I also love to glimpse at others’ writing processes. What work it is!

]]> By: Dan Goodman http://pcwrede.com/blog/it-always-happens-to-me/comment-page-1/#comment-3454 Dan Goodman Mon, 14 Feb 2011 01:05:08 +0000 http://pcwrede.com/blog/?p=990#comment-3454 A gunshot wound before the gun is fired might make an interesting story. Offhand, I think it would require either having the wounded character travelling from future to past rather than the usual direction (and having somehow managed to conceal this till this incident,) or a plausible magic system which would induce severe writerly headaches. A gunshot wound before the gun is fired might make an interesting story. Offhand, I think it would require either having the wounded character travelling from future to past rather than the usual direction (and having somehow managed to conceal this till this incident,) or a plausible magic system which would induce severe writerly headaches.

]]> By: Julie D. http://pcwrede.com/blog/it-always-happens-to-me/comment-page-1/#comment-3446 Julie D. Sat, 12 Feb 2011 16:21:57 +0000 http://pcwrede.com/blog/?p=990#comment-3446 Thank you so much for posting this- I've known for awhile that I should go back and re-write the majority of my first attempt at a novel, but I've just been distracting myself with other writing and other work. I think it's time to take it back out and try again. I also can't help but add that you were my first favorite author, when I was about 12, and coming back to read your work on the Frontier Magic series has felt like coming back home :-) Thank you so much for posting this- I’ve known for awhile that I should go back and re-write the majority of my first attempt at a novel, but I’ve just been distracting myself with other writing and other work. I think it’s time to take it back out and try again.

I also can’t help but add that you were my first favorite author, when I was about 12, and coming back to read your work on the Frontier Magic series has felt like coming back home :-)

]]> By: pcwrede http://pcwrede.com/blog/it-always-happens-to-me/comment-page-1/#comment-3438 pcwrede Wed, 09 Feb 2011 03:30:53 +0000 http://pcwrede.com/blog/?p=990#comment-3438 Chicory - Well, that's because the version you saw is the one where I started in chapter 1 and wrote through to the end without running into problems. There's no possible way you could know that it was on the second try! Deborah and Jean Ann - Revising is a skill, too, as much as writing is, and like writing, it gets better with practice. You just don't want to get so caught up in revising that you never get back to writing new stuff! Chicory – Well, that’s because the version you saw is the one where I started in chapter 1 and wrote through to the end without running into problems. There’s no possible way you could know that it was on the second try!

Deborah and Jean Ann – Revising is a skill, too, as much as writing is, and like writing, it gets better with practice. You just don’t want to get so caught up in revising that you never get back to writing new stuff!

]]> By: Jean Ann Williams http://pcwrede.com/blog/it-always-happens-to-me/comment-page-1/#comment-3436 Jean Ann Williams Tue, 08 Feb 2011 04:58:57 +0000 http://pcwrede.com/blog/?p=990#comment-3436 I totally understand. I've been there more times than I care to admit. I sometimes wonder if my first book will ever be done. At least I am learning. I totally understand. I’ve been there more times than I care to admit. I sometimes wonder if my first book will ever be done. At least I am learning.

]]> By: Deborah http://pcwrede.com/blog/it-always-happens-to-me/comment-page-1/#comment-3435 Deborah Tue, 08 Feb 2011 02:57:02 +0000 http://pcwrede.com/blog/?p=990#comment-3435 I'm feeling your pain at the moment. Took me over a year to finish the one story and I know already that a complete redraft is needed. I think I'm glad it isn't sold to anyone and thus isn't on a deadline right now. I’m feeling your pain at the moment. Took me over a year to finish the one story and I know already that a complete redraft is needed.

I think I’m glad it isn’t sold to anyone and thus isn’t on a deadline right now.

]]> By: Chicory http://pcwrede.com/blog/it-always-happens-to-me/comment-page-1/#comment-3434 Chicory Mon, 07 Feb 2011 22:04:43 +0000 http://pcwrede.com/blog/?p=990#comment-3434 `Magician's Ward' is one of my favorite books. From reading it, I never would have guessed that you ran into problems with the writing. It flows really smoothly. `Magician’s Ward’ is one of my favorite books. From reading it, I never would have guessed that you ran into problems with the writing. It flows really smoothly.

]]> By: pcwrede http://pcwrede.com/blog/it-always-happens-to-me/comment-page-1/#comment-3433 pcwrede Mon, 07 Feb 2011 13:28:41 +0000 http://pcwrede.com/blog/?p=990#comment-3433 Mary - The first time it happened was my first novel, and I thought it was because I was a beginner and didn't know what I was doing. I worked on other stuff, mainly short stories. The second time was <em>Magician's Ward</em>, and I complained at everyone who would listen and tried everything I could think of to get the book going again without having to junk 14 chapters and rewrite, and it wasn't until I was nearly up to deadline that I gave up and started over. Chicory - It's emotionally hard, but once I see the way it <em>should</em> be, it goes pretty fast. What took the time this time was all the new material. Marycatelli - It depends on why the old words are incorrect. "They stamped snow from their boots and shook it from their coats, leaving little white piles to melt all around the laboratory door" isn't tempting at all when the scene is now taking place in August. :) The advantage of the total overhaul for me isn't the lure of the old words so much as it is the thoroughness - I am a lot less likely to miss things like snow in August or a mention of something that hasn't happened yet if I go back to the beginning and start over. Mary – The first time it happened was my first novel, and I thought it was because I was a beginner and didn’t know what I was doing. I worked on other stuff, mainly short stories. The second time was Magician’s Ward, and I complained at everyone who would listen and tried everything I could think of to get the book going again without having to junk 14 chapters and rewrite, and it wasn’t until I was nearly up to deadline that I gave up and started over.

Chicory – It’s emotionally hard, but once I see the way it should be, it goes pretty fast. What took the time this time was all the new material.

Marycatelli – It depends on why the old words are incorrect. “They stamped snow from their boots and shook it from their coats, leaving little white piles to melt all around the laboratory door” isn’t tempting at all when the scene is now taking place in August. :) The advantage of the total overhaul for me isn’t the lure of the old words so much as it is the thoroughness – I am a lot less likely to miss things like snow in August or a mention of something that hasn’t happened yet if I go back to the beginning and start over.

]]> By: Mary http://pcwrede.com/blog/it-always-happens-to-me/comment-page-1/#comment-3432 Mary Mon, 07 Feb 2011 00:31:04 +0000 http://pcwrede.com/blog/?p=990#comment-3432 Ouch, ouch, ouch. . . though one great advantage of total overhauls in my experience is getting away from the magnetic attraction of the old, incorrect words. . . it lures you back so easily Ouch, ouch, ouch. . . though one great advantage of total overhauls in my experience is getting away from the magnetic attraction of the old, incorrect words. . . it lures you back so easily

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