So, I finished a chapter this weekend that I’ve been struggling with for a while. I went back tonight and skimmed it, then went back and re-read the chapter before it. It needs to be re-written. It’s not a well done chapter, and it doesn’t fit the rest of the sub-plot, which is actually very well written. The weird thing here is that while I’m not thrilled about being set-back, I’m not particularly upset about it. Perhaps it’s because I’m not in love with the chapter anyhow, I don’t know. What I do know is that the highlights of the chapter I had drafted this weekend will stay, but the circumstances will change.
This has been a major part of all re-writing I’ve done. For most of the chapters I have re-done, all of the main plot elements haven’t changed, they just look different than I had initially imagined them. Even some of the ideas I had thought were thrown out have managed to creep back in somehow. All that said, the more I think about the revelation that I’ve got to scrap this weekend’s work, the better I feel about it and the more energized I am about the re-write. Being full of energy and excitement about a chapter seems like the best way to get it done. This is especially true if I’ve already taken a crack at it and have the sketch of where I want it to go. If I had my way I’d skip work tomorrow just to do it. It may be that’s not going to happen, but I will have tomorrow evening. Anyhow, that’s the thought for tonight – Don’t dread the re-write, embrace it!