I'm finally a convert to re-writing.

I woke up this morning to check what I did the day before on Led to the Slaughter, and there is no doubt that I'm improving the book through re-writing.  When I'm deep into it, I can sometimes have doubts.  But with a fresh look it is very clear that the writing is improved.

I'm getting great editing advice from my friend Bren, down in Arizona, and from Linda.  I'm hoping to hear back from Martha, who is always good at it.

I've had several people mention that maybe I shouldn't rewrite so much.  I imagine from my descriptions of the process that I'm really over doing it.  But really, I'm just doing what I probably should have done in the first place.

I write rather sketchily with my early drafts.  Over the years, I've gotten better and better at making the first or second drafts mostly complete.  But a little extra detail is usually beneficial to my writing -- as well as making me look at the writing again, improving it here and there.

I'm getting excited by this book all over again.  I thought it was a good book before, and I think it is a better book now.

So cool.

I guess I'm finally a convert to re-writing.


Andy pointed out that the first chapter -- the one I've been struggling with on how much of my beautiful writing to retain -- is the only chapter written in 3rd person.  How could I not have seen that?

I've put a new foreword to my book, which explains that an older Virginia Reed is writing this from old diaries and journals and memories, etc.

So if I change the first chapter to first person, and just headline it with, "Diary of James Reed" that should solve the problem.