tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242607410560272655.post3707345276020011613..comments2023-11-13T16:43:01.201-08:00Comments on Deborah J. Ross: SPECIAL: Jaydium - Revising a False StartUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242607410560272655.post-58132114250569274242013-03-25T18:29:23.854-07:002013-03-25T18:29:23.854-07:00Rayne, I joke that I had to have the principles of...Rayne, I joke that I had to have the principles of good prose explained to me in words of one syllable, with lots of pointers to where I'd gotten it wrong and how it could be made better. <br /><br />Yes, cringeworthy -- but what an amazing teaching tool. It's one thing to say, "avoid infodump" but often much more helpful to show examples and alternate ways of presenting the bare-bones necessary info.<br /><br />I think we tread a tough line between insecurity and arrogance. As writers, we need not only confidence in ourselves, but delight in our work. But when we put on our revision/editorial hats, we must find ways to be ruthless and yet compassionate with ourselves. Good teachers can offer us role models on how to do that.<br /><br />And that's one of the reasons I "pass on" the wonderful guidance I've received over the years.Deborah J. Rosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03062367794652668585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3242607410560272655.post-52900701843798391202013-03-25T15:04:12.002-07:002013-03-25T15:04:12.002-07:00You're so brave to post this.It's fascinat...You're so brave to post this.It's fascinating to compare the before and after, and see how you've grown as a writer.<br />I actually wanted to do something similar (posting a before & after version of the first Storm Dancer scene in the endmatter of The Word-Loss Diet, to show how wordy the early draft had been) but... I chickened out.<br />I read that early draft of that first scene, and I cringed. It was so embarrassing! Not only was it wordy waffling, it was full of info-dumping As-You-Know-Bob dialogue, it lacked a scene goal, the characters were cardboard, the scene was littered with cliche tropes of fantasy fiction. <br />On the one hand, it's good to see how much I've grown as a writer, and it would have been good to show this to the readers of my writing craft books. I wouldn't mind the embarrassment of revealing how bad my writing used to be. <br />But on the other hand, I remember that when I wrote that early draft, I thought my writing was good. Actually, at the time I thought my writing was brilliant. That conceit makes me cringe more than my appalling writing does. I reckon it's best to keep my appalling writing (and the conceit that went with it) locked up and forgotten. <br />But I applaud your courage to share yours!<br /><br />Rayne Hallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13992900621890391763noreply@blogger.com