Yesterday I began reading the condensed version of my second novel ~ the one I summarily unpublished when I realized just how bad it was. I'd trashed chapter upon chapter involving several unnecessary characters, and I don't miss them. They were a drag.
One thing I will say about the original novel ~ it had some very descriptive prose; something I struggle with now. It's clear that I put a ton of thought into the manuscript, and for that I give myself kudos.
It also had some snappy conversations that I'm hesitant to remove. They don't all advance the story, but they do add spice and personality. I'm still pondering whether it's wise to keep them.
But then there's the issue of cursing. The original manuscript had a lot of it, generally involving tense scenes, but also sprinkled into normal conversation. I'm aware that it's too prevalent and I've already softened some of it. What rankles me, though, is that normal people don't say, "What the heck?" It's "What the hell?" And I frankly don't find anything wrong with that. And that's just the tamest of examples. But, keeping a potential reader's sensibilities in mind, I've definitely reduced the amount of cursing (I guess for those who live a cloistered life).
Interspersing past and present didn't turn out to be an issue (for me). I kept the past scenes brief, only lengthy enough to convey important information.
My primary issue right now is maintaining tension. The storyline involves a woman who's convinced she's being stalked, and several scenes point in that direction. But the incidents don't happen every day, and other important things occur in between. But do those other things soften the reader's interest? I wonder if it's akin to dialing it all the way up to eleven, then down to two, then up again, then down. It's like, "I fought off a wildcat, then I sat down and sipped a cup of tea". I'm going to need to fix that.
I haven't reread all the revisions yet. Yesterday was a long slog. I stopped reading when I discovered a continuity issue. That's what happens when one rips out entire chapters. While they may have been boring, some of them conveyed vital information, and now they're gone (not "gone gone" ~ I still have the original manuscript).
This project is like a confounding jigsaw puzzle, one that's all leafy trees and thus every piece is indistinguishable from another. The good news is, I enjoy puzzles and I enjoy a challenge.
If I do manage to do this right, I've already decided to bestow a new title. The old one is cursed. And I'll probably create a new cover as well. I don't need any reminders of past failures.
It's going to take a while and some hair pulling to get through it, but at least I know this is not impossible.
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