Revision Revelations

I have a management test tomorrow. But the way I figure it, I'm going to do "eh" on it no matter if I spend the rest of the night studying my butt off or writing a blog post. So I'm writing a blog post. Senioritis FTW

I'm three chapters into "The Massively Insane STREAM PIRATE Revisions of 2010 (working title)" and already have a revelation about revisions. It's been awhile since I did any massive revisions on anything. I finished WHITE LIKE ASHES this year, started my ghost story, but haven't spent much time revising, getting into the nitty-gritty issues of a story and really working on ways to make it shinier, brighter, and all around kick-buttier. Working on STREAM PIRATE has been both a joy and-- actually, it's been just a joy. No negative adjectives. Yet.

I really thought STREAM PIRATE was in good shape. I mean, it landed me a rock star agent; it had to be good enough, right? And though I did a lot of revisions after the agenting process and during subs, I never did any REAL revisions. You know, the kind that make you sit back and scratch your head and really analyze every part of your story with an unbiased eye. The kind of revisions that make you cut character traits that you were just absolutely adamant HAD TO STAY because OMG, that character is just NOTHING without THAT trait. You know. Those kind.

So I'm doing those revisions and I'm plowing through STREAM PIRATE and it made me start thinking about life. About how we (okay, can't speak for everyone -- I) get complacent. I get tired. Very tired. And I look at my life and think "It's gotten me this far. Can't be that bad, eh? I have to be doing something right." Even though I'm not where I want to be or who I want to be. It's easier to just pretend it really IS good enough and where I'm at ISN'T that bad. Because really looking at my life in an unbiased way and dissecting the toxic parts is hard, painful, emotionally draining work that I already DID, like, fifteen times before, and can't it just BE good enough already, I mean, really, you'd think SOMEONE would like it...

My wonderful and beautiful friend Natalie posted on this today too. That's actually what reminded me of this revelation. That sometimes, even when you think you've revised enough and you can't possibly change anything else and that nagging feeling in your head HAS to be wrong, you should still give it one more go. Because it's your life; you've come this far. Why stop at merely good enough?

And here's a video for you: