Nov
The art of revising…and more hunks
Okay, hopefully I’ll have better luck posting the pictures today. Yesterday, they kept vanishing, arranging themselves strangely and finally I gave up. Here we go (drum roll please for today’s men). These pictures are in no particular order–correction. The order is totally reliant on blogger. How it decides where they go is a mystery to me.
Okay, away from the beef and onto the meat. 
Revising. Friends, it’s not a four letter word. I know a lot of writers–a lot of PUBLISHED as well as yet to be published writers –who think it is. Me, revising is my favorite part of the writing processes. Where other authors might groan at that editorial letter, I await it with a excitement.
No, I don’t like letters that tell me everything I’ve done wrong or how I missed a golden opportunity here or there, but if you do your job up front, that’s probably not what you’ll get. What I embrace is the “distant vision.” See, we all start out with an idea of what our book will be. For me, that idea is very fuzzy. I have a beginning–which I usually change at least 3 times–and I have some isolated scenes in mind. I have a man and a woman. And sometimes, when I’m lucky, I have an ending. That’s because I’m a pantser–writing by the seat of my pants, usually dangling over a pit of crocodiles and cooking dinner at the same time. At least I’m not changing diapers anymore, thank goodness.
Anyway, what happens to me when I write is that I become so close to my people and my story, that I lose that far-away vision. I can’t see the forest for the trees, as they say. I know this happens to me. So what I look forward to from my editor, is that turn of the camera lense that helps me focus on the big picture. I ALWAYS find that I have woven aspects of that picture into the story and all I need is one little twist of the lense to make it clear.
For example, when I finished ECHOES, which took forever to get published, I thought I was done. But my editor found one missing piece which I think was critical to that “ah-hah” feeling you want a reader to have when they read your book. In the beginning, I had Tess looking out her sister’s bedroom window and seeing a man on horseback. While I explained who he was throughout the book, I reached the end without actually saying WHY. It only needed a few sentences of explanation, but it was critical that I put that in there.
My husband is bellowing for me. I’m going to post this part and come back and do the rest. Sorry, bear with me.
LOL, Erin and thanks for the *drool* and *fan* worthy men whose pictures you’ve posted here today.
Isabel
Looking forward to the rest of the blog.
November 28th, 2006 at 9:24 amErin I won a copy of Echoes a while back and I just wanted to say I loved it. There was so much going on that I didn’t want to put it down.
Okay I guess I must not watch enough TV because I only recognize a few of those men. Great to look at though!!
November 28th, 2006 at 9:30 amHey, thanks Krissyinva. I’m so pleased you enjoyed Echoes.
Speaking of contests…I didn’t set one up this week. Oversight. I’ll have to talk to our friendly Haven about that.
November 28th, 2006 at 9:33 amOkay–back to my post.
Erin, I love your website~!
Who is the guy on the top right..?? :O).
I love your insight to the revision process.. you must love your editor.. I also like how yo9u said how close you are to your characters. I can’t wait to check out your books!
November 28th, 2006 at 10:06 amThanks, laurat. I do my own website which is a huge time taker, but what can I say. I haven’t hit the league where I can pay someone to do it for me so…
Okay, the guy at the top right of this post is Christian Bale. Andreaw sent him in.
I didn’t know him until I saw the picture.
You know, all the conversation about Gerard wasn’t ringing any bells with me on how I recognized his face. (I didn’t see any of hte movies listed.) But now I remember–wasn’t he in Timeline? And talk about washboard abs. Oh my. I’ll have to hunt up a picture of him bare chested for tomorrow.
November 28th, 2006 at 11:41 amYou know, all the conversation about Gerard wasn’t ringing any bells with me on how I recognized his face. (I didn’t see any of hte movies listed.) But now I remember–wasn’t he in Timeline? And talk about washboard abs. Oh my. I’ll have to hunt up a picture of him bare chested for tomorrow.
Yep. That was Gerry in Timeline.
But you must rent the DVD of Phantom of the Opera, if only to study what makes his character of the Phantom work so well as a dark hero.
He is also wonderful in a BBC miniseries, The Jury. Or better yet,
go here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiCw8V_pF9o
Watch the 15 minute short film “Please” - this will resonate, because he plays a writer, trying to break in. It is extremely emotional, though, and pretty wrenching. But a great performance.
Diane (not really Gerry’s publicist!)
Read Diane’s novella A Twelfth Night Tale by Diane Gaston in Harlequin Historical’s Mistletoe Kisses “…splendidly satisfying…” Booklist
November 28th, 2006 at 12:15 pmHmmm, will have to check that out, Diane who is not really Gerry’s publicist. LOL.
November 28th, 2006 at 1:12 pmOK, where’s Gerard’s bare-chested photo? Is it my Internet connection? Perhaps I should delete my cookies and re-check?
That Josh Holloway is one hottie.
Thanks for the eye candy.
Erin, I loved your Echoes. Thank you so much for the autographed copy as well as the bookmark.
Diane’s Mistletoe Kisses is fabulous!
Keira-who’s-not-really-Diane’s-publicist
November 28th, 2006 at 10:48 pmYES! Two of my hotties are featured today…Christian Bale…that smile *sigh*…Matthew McConaughey…that body *sigh*…
Isabel, pass me that fan, please!!
Andrea, who was FINALLY able to get into blogger!
November 29th, 2006 at 7:00 am*Hands over fan to Andrea and a glass of iced water*
Andrea, I’m so happy to see you here, blogger was acting up yesterday, frustration city! LOL
Love Christian Bale. If Christian wasn’t my little brother’s name I’d name a hero after Christian Bale.
Isabel
November 29th, 2006 at 8:27 amKeira–thanks for the kudos on Echoes. You are very welcome. I’m so happy you loved it. Yay!!!
November 29th, 2006 at 9:48 am