tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post5341388311265483273..comments2024-03-27T02:56:19.634-06:00Comments on Melissa Amateis: If It's One Thing I Dislike About Writing...Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-990466840943828322009-01-13T06:12:00.000-07:002009-01-13T06:12:00.000-07:00Yes, I have cut things out before. But I'm a child...Yes, I have cut things out before. But I'm a children's writer and some of you have cut out more than I have ever written. Most of my stories are picture books, but I have 2 middle grade stories. I don't know how you novel writers do it, coming up with all those words.Janet,https://www.blogger.com/profile/17796999156668844943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-33509189128535915192009-01-11T09:31:00.000-07:002009-01-11T09:31:00.000-07:00I have no problem hacking and slashing away at man...I have no problem hacking and slashing away at manuscript. I do the same thing you do (put the cut stuff in a separate folder), so maybe that helps make things easier, I don't know.<BR/><BR/>All I know is that I don't mind cutting. :) If it's dead weight, then it's gotta go...Jenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11705320883615938075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-21104717420991421332009-01-10T22:57:00.000-07:002009-01-10T22:57:00.000-07:00I had to throw out a little less than a hundred pa...I had to throw out a little less than a hundred pages on my new book and start from scratch. I'm getting faster at recognizing when I've got to change course...that's one good thing! Still, I beat my head against the wall pretty hard on that one.<BR/><BR/>Everything I write has a "scraps" pile...and yes, some of it does get reused! I don't delete <I>anything.</I>Christine Fletcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17350760019997430843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-91648056008880971192009-01-10T19:07:00.000-07:002009-01-10T19:07:00.000-07:00I am the grand mistress of darling killers. My ms...I am the grand mistress of darling killers. My ms was 219000 words. It was written before I knew of the rules, and then I had to take it down to 100K. So I killed so many darlings I might qualify as serial. It was painful, some places it was entire chapters and entire CHARACTERS. Most definitely saved them to pull the essence out to use another time.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-79158401250419006872009-01-09T06:53:00.000-07:002009-01-09T06:53:00.000-07:00YES! I do have to cut out a lot. I'm a rambl...YES! I do have to cut out a lot. I'm a rambler. but I hvae to say I'm learning to be tough and just delete. I figure it's a way to let me know what could've happened, but didn't. LOL! That said, I STILL have tons of Pride & Popluarity scenes--massive chunks of the book--I can go back and look at, if i ever wanted to! LOL!Jenni Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14340454147439103595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-13906450175183527202009-01-08T14:04:00.000-07:002009-01-08T14:04:00.000-07:00I just have to say that you amaze me in the fact t...I just have to say that you amaze me in the fact that you know what to cut and what not to. I would not even know where to begin writing, and I would definitely have no idea if it was going in the right direction! <BR/><BR/>You have a great talent.The Feather Fileshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12693418921684418357noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-65630956904594473262009-01-08T11:15:00.000-07:002009-01-08T11:15:00.000-07:00I can't remember now if it was three chapters or f...I can't remember now if it was three chapters or four. :o)<BR/><BR/>I hate having to cut bits. I always have my word count visible because I love watching it go up. Hate it when it's suddenly a lot less than it was a fortnight ago. But if a scene's not working, out it goes. Deep in your heart, you know exactly when something isn't right. You also know that, when that word count is back up there, the work is much, much stronger for it.<BR/><BR/>It's hard, but it's the only way to go.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05938431508430656253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-18749936871183408282009-01-08T10:45:00.000-07:002009-01-08T10:45:00.000-07:00I collaborate in writing screenplays. Now, that ca...I collaborate in writing screenplays. Now, <I>that</I> can be hard when it's time to kill some darlings. Especially when it's <I>your</I> darling and the other writers want to kill it! <BR/><BR/>But we do keep every major draft we do. And, yes, we've gone back to old drafts and reinstated certain scenes/ideas. But that's pretty rare.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-1691107699069247752009-01-08T10:18:00.000-07:002009-01-08T10:18:00.000-07:00I've had to do that more than once. And it does h...I've had to do that more than once. And it does hurt, however I keep it in the back of my mind just in case I can use it again.Renehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14966956368329586135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-20259463720132487202009-01-08T08:02:00.000-07:002009-01-08T08:02:00.000-07:00I have deleted scenes that I loved and thought nec...I have deleted scenes that I loved and thought necessary, but then am glad for my gut instinct when the story read so much cleaner. You can always save it in a file, just in case!Joannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03972054718663959694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-359942809613375442009-01-08T07:29:00.000-07:002009-01-08T07:29:00.000-07:00Well, since it's a scene you love so much, I'm gla...Well, since it's a scene you love so much, I'm glad you'll just put it to the side. There may be something to use in there down the line!<BR/><BR/>It <I>is</I> hard if it's something I put a lot of time and energy into. But if it wasn't something I felt was right from the get-go, I just let it go.Janna Leadbetterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06339705935553160673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-63422880957321568332009-01-08T07:03:00.000-07:002009-01-08T07:03:00.000-07:00If it doesn't work, out it goes. Everything turns...If it doesn't work, out it goes. Everything turns up later. Sometimes the bones of the scene are really good, but it needs to be in a different book.<BR/><BR/>Keeping your "deleted scenes" in a file is vitally important.<BR/><BR/>Eventually, you get to use everything.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-74570190994511429482009-01-08T06:50:00.000-07:002009-01-08T06:50:00.000-07:00I can't even consider a word count meter. It would...I can't even consider a word count meter. It would haunt and taunt me like a bathroom scale! I do have an outtakes file, though, to save anything cut. Makes it easier to do, knowing I still have access if I change my mind or need those words for something else.Angie Ledbetterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16407006980893727627noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-21915498743534513332009-01-08T06:28:00.000-07:002009-01-08T06:28:00.000-07:00I sympathize. My word count thingy is down from w...I sympathize. My word count thingy is down from what it was as I've had to delete loads and am rewriting at the mo.<BR/><BR/>I once deleted 25k words from the beginning of my saga - all at once, and on purpose too. It was rather traumatic, but needed doing.Deborah Carr (Debs)https://www.blogger.com/profile/03223653554549707595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-61274578938907204952009-01-08T06:15:00.000-07:002009-01-08T06:15:00.000-07:00I'm quite ruthless in that I'll delete anything th...I'm quite ruthless in that I'll delete anything that isn't working. If I'm particularly attached to something, I will save it elsewhere. But, generally, I have no problem at all with weeding. Where possible I'll start by over-writing so I have plenty to cut. If I'm lucky there are still many gems left.Dianehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06430125606844410229noreply@blogger.com