And no, I don't have a completed rough draft to announce....
But I am proud to have a fully renovated kitchen. It took over six weeks, but every microwaved and crockpot meal was worth it twenty time over. (I'm not sure all the delayed writing was though. I'll have to get back to you on that...that is if I get started back to writing my WIP.)
(Just joking...I think. ; )
We replaced the old vinyl floor with porcelain tile and the old counter tops with new tops that look wonderful. Added a new microwave/hood over the stove, under cabinet lighting, a tile back splash, and more outlets. All in all, an amazing up grade. Just like WIP drafts, though, not everything needs to be changed to improve. The old cabinets got a lemon oil restorative treatment and we didn't change the layout at all.
Writing is no different. We draft a story and then go back with revisions and renovations that made add new characters and subplots, but the basic story remains the same. Or we just add small details to a scene to make it shine.
I've spent a lot of time figuring out the place for everything and then putting everything in its place over the last few weeks. Writing is the same. Sometimes we move a scene from the front of the story to the back, or lop off the front altogether to create a new beginning further into the story. We pull out things that don't work like old worn out phrases and repetitive words. Or we repaint by adding imagery or setting details. And we restructure by rearranging the order of the plot or change a POV.
The large pass through opening used to be an outside window. Now it's open and admits a lot of light into the kitchen. And hopefully my rewrites will do the same by allowing a bright view of real life. So, when the revising, rewriting, remodeling headaches come in my writing, I want to remember that the outcome will be grand with a place for every character to live and a scene in every place the plot needs one.
What about you? Do you have a way to keep your head up during renovation of your WIP. If so, please share it with us all. ; )
(Copyright of all photos is Zan Marie Steadham 2013)
Nice correlation between kitchen reno and writing. I have been going back and forth about formatting for my WIP between having it read as a full manuscript beginning to end and a collection of short stories. Guess it's a piece meal kind of thing where I won't know until I finish it...my mid-year resolution.
ReplyDeleteDo whatever works. The TBI survivor's book I edited was more of a episodic short stories that gradually culminated into a conclusion and that works well for your topic too.
DeleteLove the new kitchen. And I bet you're happy to be in it!
ReplyDeleteI think in Renovations of both varieties you need to remain flexible. You know things are going to pop up that aren't according to plan and you just have to roll with the punches.
Yep, roll with the punches until you're punch drunk. LOL! At least that's how it feels some times. ; )
DeleteLovely new kitchen. You picked one of my favorite shades of green.
ReplyDeleteFlexibility is a good quality to possess. Also trust. I've only gone through one content edit, but once I saw what it would entail I made a conscious decision to put aside my uncertainty and trust my editor's years of experience (and all the good books that had passed through her hands). I wasn't halfway through that five week stint before I knew she'd been dead on in the changes she requested. It was intense, but it was well worth it.
Thanks, Lori, for the insider's view of content editing. I'm no where near that yet. Cross your fingers. ; )
ReplyDeleteBTW, the green is the color of new Yoshino cherry leaves. The darker green I used as accent in both the study and the bath is the mature Yoshino leaves. Let's just say, I *love* cherry trees. Though, I didn't realize I matched until after we painted. ; )
Gorgeous! Congratulations! And ooh, crock pot! We have one but I *still* haven't used it...
ReplyDeleteHmm... as long as I can do a lot of editing on paper, I don't mind revisions. If only those changes would magically appear on the electronic copy!
I know what you mean about the electronic changes. If only they would just appear.
DeleteEmail me for info on a great crockpot cookbook, Deniz. You'll love it once you start using it. ; )
The kitchen looks great! And I like your analogy to editing. I think in both cases, you have to keep your eye on the prize--visualizing the end goal helps maintain motivation!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lara! And you're right about keeping your eye on the end product. ; )
DeleteThe kitchen looks beautiful, Zan Marie, and I'm so glad you made it through! I have some practical suggestions for renovating WIPs: first, keep files of multiple drafts so you can go back if you want, and second, I always create a "hold" file for a project. Then when I delete, I drop things into the hold file. Rarely do I go back and use these bits, but it sure makes me feel better when I'm deleting!
ReplyDeleteGreat suggestions, Charlotte. Scrivener allows you to take a snapshot of any file you're about the change, so you have those older versions available. Just one more reason I love Scrivener. ; )
DeleteWow...it's beauteous!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Debra! ; )
DeleteYour kitchen looks amazing - and I'm sure your WIP will too, once it's been through whatever "remodeling" you think it may need :)
ReplyDeleteGOOD LUCK :)
Thanks, Mark! ; )
Delete