Rewrites:

How many rewrites does it take to make a book? I’ll let you know when it’s finished… maybe.

Because I’d have to count the number of times I save new changes, not just the number of new starts and new versions of the story; a little tweak here, a name change there… Probably the hardest part is knowing when to stop, because it can feel as if a story is never perfect, and something could always be added or taken away, or told from a different viewpoint… unless of course there is that eureka moment when everything slots into place, the characters saying just the right thing, at just the right moment, with illustrations working in perfect harmony. Sometimes words have to compromise, keeping quiet while pictures have their say, because in a picture book some of the story is told by the pictures.

Anyway, I’m currently working on a rewrite of my work in progress, making sure I’m showing not telling, without getting too many words to squeeze into a picture book. And because it’s a picture book, I’m also working on the illustrations, filling up sketchbooks and playing with paint. The characters are causing me more than a few problems because some of them are more of a concept than an actual being… and no, I’m not going to explain that at this point, you’ll just have to wait and see.

Of course as well as working on rewrites, I’m also creating content for my website, which often feels like writing into the abyss! There must be so many words bobbing about the internet at this point, that it’s a wonder they don’t all stick together and start making up their own stories, like a giant imagination.



So I’m going to head off now to have a chat with the characters of the book, see if we can come to some sort of an agreement about building this book, so that we can finally get it over the finish line.