Coming to terms with rewriting.

After I finished the first draft of Wolflander, I completely rewrote Faerylander, and then wrote the third book, Ghostlander.

Finally looked at Wolflander last night.  Oh, oh.  It is now sandwiched between two books that play havoc on the continuity of the middle book.

That's OK I think.  If it makes me rewrite that book, that's a good thing.

I've come around to believing that the first draft is only half of the battle.  The second (and third and however many more it takes) drafts are what make the book readable.  That is, I take the basic ideas and plots and characters of the first draft and I "craft" it into shape.

It is this "crafts" phase of the process that make the illusion real.

That isn't to say that I think a "problem" book should be worked on until it is fixed.  I'm not doing that anymore.  A "problem" book is one where there is a fundamental problem with the premise.  Or where the plot doesn't work.  Sometimes these can be very difficult, if not impossible to fix.

But these aren't "problem books," they're just books that need to fleshed out and tightened and polished.  Which is different.

I wish it only took a first draft to get it done.  Sometimes I do get 80% of the way there, but most of the time I think I only get more like 50% of the way there.

I've been piling up research on the Gold Rush for The Dead Spend No Gold.  When I get the manuscript back from the editors, I'm going to try to go in and add the telling details, the historical accuracy that will help if feel real.

My plan from now on is to alternate rewrites with first drafts.  And give myself the time to do the rewrites correctly.  By the way, this doesn't mean I like rewrites -- but I've come to terms with them.  I've made my peace with them.  But doesn't mean I have to like them...