Spent the evening working on the cover letter for the giraffes picture book. I think it works. The 'elevator pitch' sounded good to me. I sent it off to my editor and my little writers' group. We meet next Tuesday. I'll let you know what happens.
I was watching a J.J. Abrams ("Super 8") interview the other night. He spoke of the filming process, but more of the editing part. It sounded like movie editing is close to 'our' MS editing. He said they lock themselves into a cave (about eight people) for months and work out all the bugs. The interview was fun. (See the link below)
I felt better after hearing that. (The midges here are insane so I'm quite familiar with bugs - sorry, had to put that in!)
It seems no matter the discipline or the media, it all comes down, in the end, to using a magnifying glass on our 'stuff' and making it perfect. That perfection takes time, a whole lot of time, and can be quite painful. It is for me.
I edit as I go along. I write a bit or a chapter or two and then -- dum da dum dum - I take the magnifying glass and look real close and there is always something. Even on the four hundredth time of looking - there is always something that can be changed. A word that can be made stronger. A character who needs just a twinge to make him/her more alive. A scene that needs cutting or stuffing or exploding.
And then - when the book is completed, I start the process all over again. It is well worth it.
(For entire enterview - go to http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/tue-june-14-2011-j-j--abrams)
I don't mind the editing when it's tweaking a little here and a little there. What drives me nuts is my character reveal something I didn't know when I started, and I have to double check the continuity! Why they couldn't tell me from the beginning, I do not know... ;-D
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