I often get a little feisty, sometimes a little angry. Okay, maybe more than a little. Some times I get so mad all I can do is huff at my screen and make up excuses about how they just don't get my brilliance. When this happens, I try to close my laptop and take a step back. Sometimes just a few minutes, sometimes a few days, until I have calmed down and can think clearly.
And then, when I think I can look at it all in a new light, I admit to myself that they might, might, have a valid point that requires a closer look. So I open up my computer again and reread the passage in question. Often, this happens:
And then I find that, yeah, they are right. This section of text really sucks. That doesn't mean I suck (at first it was hard to wrap my head around that). But maybe it was late when I wrote that, or maybe I just wasn't trying hard.
Whatever the reason, when I come to the conclusion I need to fix it* I have a few options:
1. I could rewrite the entire passage to better reflect the plot/character/setting.
2. I could delete the passage of text all together.
3. I could do a mix of rewriting and deleting.
4. I could move the passage to a better spot in the story.
All of the above options completely depend on the context of the passage. I must note here that when I "delete" more that a few sentences, I first copy and paste them into a new document to save for later. It doesn't happen very often, but every now and again I realize I could have just moved the passage to another spot or I change the story to better reflect the passage. At such times, it is a great joy to simply copy and paste the passage back in. I have enough headaches without trying to recreate my own writing.
Let me know if any of you do something else to change a passage!
*I will post on Friday on what to do when I don't think a passage needs fixing.
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