What’s Up Wednesday
Is this really the twelfth WuW I’ve done? Hmm. I must like doing these! What’s WuW? It’s a meme. Who’s meme? Jaime and Erin’s meme. What do you do? Answer four simple questions. Why? So blog friends can catch up on what’s going on with your reading, writing, and life in general.
What I’m Reading
I just started A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS by Khaled Hosseini. If you saw my Top Ten Tuesday post yesterday, you’ll know I planned to read it sometime over the Fall. Given that it’s been on my shelf for a long time, I thought I’d go ahead and get started. And so far, so good. If you want the full description of the story, you can look it up on Goodreads. So far, it’s the story of teenage Mariam, who lives in Afghanistan and is the illegitimate daughter of Jalil, a rich business man with two other wives, and ten legitimate children. Mariam’s mother worked for Jalil, and it was while she was in his employ that Mariam was conceived. The circumstances of Mariam’s mother’s pregnancy were a cause for shame, so Jalil built them a small accommodation on the outskirts of town. Jalil visits with Mariam every week, something her mother doesn’t appreciate. Her mother is bitter about her circumstances, and seems to see her daughter as an unwelcome byproduct of a traumatic experience. As a result, Mariam’s affection for her father is deeper than that for her mother. But then things happen to shake up Mariam’s world. The story is set in the early 1970s, and I understand as the story progresses, events in the world, particularly the Middle East, will affect Mariam’s life. We’ll see.
What I’m Writing
Still revising the WIP. Oh revisions, to what shall I compare thee this week? My kids love creating artwork on the computer, either taking line drawings from somewhere online, or drawing their own pictures and coloring them. When they start coloring, they’ll zoom up tight on the part they’re working on, so they can be sure they have just the right shade in exactly the place it needs to be, and to make sure they don’t stray beyond the lines. After, they’ll zoom back out to make sure the overall effect of the coloring is what they intended. This stage of revision is like that up-close coloring. Making sure the words are right, picking apart scenes, going line-by-line checking for voice, description, and those details that make a story pop. After, I’ll do another read-through, “zooming out” to make sure the overall effect is right, that the story flows, that the characters feel real, that story peaks and troughs in the right places, and is generally enjoyable to read. Like the zoomed-in coloring, the current “detail” stage takes a lot longer, but I know it will make a huge difference to the big picture.
What Inspires Me Right Now
As I’m editing, I’ll sometimes read ahead to get the context of the passage I’m working on. And after a few pages, I have to stop myself because I’m getting sucked in, and if I carry on, I’ll read the whole thing and get nothing done. But the very fact I can get sucked into the story encourages me that this rough diamond is worth working on. And with a couple of rounds of editing, and some insightful comments from beta readers, it may actually be worth querying. And possibly even worth publishing!
What Else I’ve Been Up To
Nothing strange or startling. I’m chewing over the new Walk the Plank writing challenge over at the YA Buccaneers blog. Also, I was excited to read that the Chester Beatty collection of New Testament manuscripts is going to be available online in the form of high definition images. I know, I get excited about strange things. But this is particularly cool since a number of these manuscripts are very old (second, third, and fourth century AD). It’s incredible to think anyone, from scholars to amateurs (with sufficient knowledge of Greek, of course), will be able to read and examine them from the comfort of their own chair.
How’s your week been? To participate in the blog hop and/or read other posts, go to Jaime’s linky list.
Glad you’re enjoying that book! I’ve read THE KITE RUNNER and it was wonderful. I need to check out Hosseini’s other books for sure. Good luck with your revisions. I’m still in the same boat, but I’m hoping to submit very soon!
I think the culture and the time period really add to the interest of A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS. Hosseini’s a good writer, too, so well worth checking out.
Thanks for the well-wishes, Julie. I hope you’re able to submit soon. I look forward to seeing your work in Barnes & Noble before too long! 🙂
I like your comparison of up-close colouring to fine-tuning in your revision. It might seem tedious at times, but your story will be so much better for it. I love when your own writing sucks you in, though that can definitely be counterproductive when you’re trying to revise! Still, that’s wonderful! And definitely inspiring. 🙂
This point is definitely the time to be picky over words, and re-re-re-re-reading lines to make sure the tone, voice, and rhythm is just right. That’s what takes the time. And it’s encouraging that despite this, I still like the story!
I almost bought A Thousand Splendid Suns the other day! Now I’m bummed I put it back. Great job on revisions and it is a VERY good sign that you keep getting sucked into your own story. Have an awesome week!
Thanks, Prerna! It’s turning out to be a good book, and one I would recommend, especially if you like stories with a strong cultural element (Edwidge Danticat’s BREATH, EYES, MEMORY is another good book like this, set in Haiti).
It’s so awesome that you are sucked in by your story! That IS inspiring! Also, A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS has been on the TBR forever. Must read soon!
Enjoy! Have a great week!
Coming back to the story for revisions, having let it rest for a number of months, I was a little afraid I wouldn’t like it, or care for it as much as hoped. It seems my fears were unfounded! 🙂 You have a great week too, Alison!
It’s great that you’re getting sucked into your own story, it must be good! Good luck with your revisions 🙂
Well… *I* think it’s good, but I suppose that’s a good start. It would be hard to excite others about a book I don’t like–that’s just asking for query failure!
Thanks, Laura. 🙂
Definitely a good thing if you’re sucked into your story. One of the best quotes I’ve seen on writing is; “Write the kind of story you would like to read. People will give you all sorts of advice about writing, but if you are not writing something you like, no one else will like it either.”
That’s a great quote, Robin. It’s also very helpful for people who want to write but don’t know what to write. Just write the book you want to read. This novel is certainly along the lines of the kind of thing I would enjoy.
Your comparison between revision and colouring up close is brilliant and so true. It is definitely great when your own work keeps sucking you in. I hope you get it polished how you like and good luck if you do decide to try for publication. 🙂
Thanks, Jossie! The more I work on it, the more convinced I am it’ll be worth querying. I think the premise alone ought to generate a few requests. Hopefully, with the help of some savvy beta readers, I’ll be able to capture the heart of at least one agent. 🙂
Being sucked into your own story is the best, and a sure sign you’re on the right path. Keep on keeping on with those edits!
Thanks for the encouragement, Cole. I hope I’m not the only one who thinks this is a good story. I guess I’ll find out when I send it to betas… 🙂
As everyone else has been saying, getting engrossed in your own story is great! Editing is the worst part for me, and probably for everyone. Not that I’ve edited anything novel-sized yet, but even the shorter pieces are hard. Again, good luck with editing! Hopefully it’ll soon be query-ready!
Thanks you, Anna! Editing is the best of times and the worst of times. It’s wonderful to be crafting words, fine-tuning, and feeling like you’re actually an artist, not just a word-hack. But it takes so long, and you’re anxious to get this out the door and move on to something else. So I love editing, and I’m impatient with it too! Ahhh… the writer’s life. 🙂
A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS is one of those books I keep having recommended to me–I just need to get around to reading it! Hope the revisions keep going well 🙂
All I can tell you, Rebecca, is when I finally get around to reading books that people keep recommending to me, I’m rarely disappointed. 🙂
Thanks for the encouragement!
I keep meaning to read the Khaled Hosseini books because all I hear are good things. I hope you enjoy it!
Also, I think the scanned New Testament pages are pretty freaking cool! Aside from their age, it’s just mindblowing to think that it’ll be so available to people to look at and study. This kind of information sharing is crazy, especially when you think of the days when the only way you’d see something like that is to go to a museum or make special requests to libraries/institutions.
Good luck with your writing goals! It’s great that your story is sucking you in. 🙂
There was a lot of controversy over document ownership and sharing back when the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. They were in the hands of a select group of scholars, and the broader academic community, as well as interested amateurs, felt they were being excluded from any discussion. I think those days, when a small group of people have sole custody of ancient manuscripts, and have the right to edit them for “official” publication are coming to an end. Especially now when server capacities and widespread broadband connectivity make the storage and viewing of high-quality images relatively easy. There are some ancient manuscript owners that don’t want to put their treasures online yet (e.g., the Vatican won’t put Codex Vaticanus online), but I can see a time coming when that will change.
I think it’s so cool to be able to read these documents written by people 2,000 years ago. Especially when you’re talking about second and third century NT manuscripts, that were copied at a time when Christianity was not state-recognized, and ownership of these documents could mean imprisonment or death.
Thanks for your words of encouragement, Krispy! 🙂
It’s totally a good sign when you get sucked into your own story. Good luck with revisions. Have a great weekend!
Thank you, Amy. I hope it’s a good sign. At least I’ll end up with a book I like. 🙂
Oh, those New Testament manuscripts sound neat! Thanks for the heads-up 🙂
I think it’s really neat that these documents are online, free of charge, for anyone to see. And the fact you have a group like CSNTM that’s willing to travel to all these places and take high-resolution pictures of these documents–very cool!
That’s great that you get sucked into your own story! I have to admit that the close up part is my favourite bit of revisions, I love working on sentences and getting things just right.
Thank you for your lovely encouraging comment on my blog!
Have a great week.
I enjoy the up-close work too, even if I get impatient and want to move on. It’s where the work becomes a craft, I think.
You’re welcome–and I hope to read next week how much progress you’ve made, even if it’s just the first page of Chapter One. 🙂
Apt analogy about the zooming in. Happy writing.
I’ve been meaning to read Hosseini.
Thanks, Medeia! I haven’t finished the book yet, but I would definitely recommend Hosseini.
I laughed out loud after reading about you getting sucked into your reading while you were editing! It must mean it’s pretty darn good =) Keep it up!
I hope it’s pretty darn good! I think it’s good, anyway. Whether anyone else thinks so remains to be seen. Perhaps I’ll post another snippet next week… 🙂
Zooming in/out – perfect way to put it! And don’t you love when your own story sucks you in?
Thanks, Jennifer. And yes, I do love being sucked into the story… except that it sucks my time as well as my attention! I have to tell myself that I can enjoy the story again when I do the “big picture” round of edits, and then again when I get feedback from betas. Plenty of opportunities to enjoy the story coming up. 🙂
I know I have been gone from the blogger world as of late, just real life and not enough time in the day. I just discovered this WUW thing as many people I follow use it and I really like it. I haven’t read the book yet but yeah on working on your WIP. I did have to laugh at your reading ahead and getting sucked in, I do that. Every time I go to work on my WIP I find myself reading it to see where I left or what I was doing and then next thing you know I am reading the entire part of what I have, maybe this is why it takes so long. Best of luck!
Hello, Eve, and welcome back! Don’t worry, I haven’t been keeping blog attendance (it’s not my week), so you’re okay. 🙂 Seriously, though, unless blogging is your work and your life, you should never feel like you *have* to do it at the expense of everything else. I have work, a family, church, and my novel to think about, too, so along with everyone else, I need to make sure blogging doesn’t take over.
It really is quite encouraging that you can still enjoy your novel, even though you wrote it, you know what’s coming, and you’re sitting there picking it apart and noticing all the bad parts. 🙂
Oh, Colin… I am so glad you’re reading ATSS. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Please do let me know what you think when you’re done reading! Best of luck with those revisions. I’m in awe of your steady pace, even through the “detail” stage (which is actually my favorite!). Best of luck as you continue to plug away!
I’ll definitely post a review of ATSS to Goodreads, and I daresay I’ll say a few words on an upcoming WUW. 🙂 It’s good so far, so I have high hopes for it.
It does take a certain amount of restraint not to say “awww, to heck with it” and just send the WIP off to beta readers. But I know this is not yet my best, and this is not the best the story could be. So it would be unfair to me, to the story, and to my beta readers to send it out like this. It’d be like sending my kids out in their underwear. My 17-yr-old would definitely not approve! 🙂
Thanks for your encouragement, Katy! 🙂
I’m glad your continue to progress in your revision, and that rather than losing interest, you are finding yourself pulled in. I find, when your own writing pulls you in as a reader, this is a very good sign!
I was afraid of losing interest, especially since I haven’t stopped having ideas for other stories. Thankfully, that hasn’t happened, and I really want to see this through to querying, and maybe even publication. 🙂
I hope you enjoy that book. I’ve heard nothing but good things! And best of luck with your revisions. It’s always good when you can stay interested in your own writing. 😀
Thanks, Adrianne. ATSS is going well so far. 🙂 And yes, I’m glad my novel is still holding my attention. There’s hope for me finishing these revisions!
Good luck with the revisions! Lemme know if you need a revision buddy/cheerleader to keep you accountable. 🙂
Thanks, Emma! So far, these WUW posts are helping me stay on track and keep me accountable. But if I need an extra kick up the beee-hind, I’ll know where to turn! 🙂