Writing is candy, rewriting is dirt.

Having a hard time starting my rewriting.  It's no fun, not like creating the story in the first place.  I envy those writers who like rewriting.

Basically, I just want to throw my microphone (computer) on the floor and walk away.  

Anyway, if I haven't started by 2:00, I'm going to impose the 5 minute rule.  That is, force myself to sit down and work for 5 minutes -- and then see if I want to keep going.

*****

Sat down at 3:00 finally and did the first two chapters.  So hard to do.  When I was finished, I went upstairs to where Linda was happily marking up her manuscript with a red marker.

"How come you like rewriting?" I asked.

"I don't know.  That's where I see it getting better."

The irony here is that from past conversations I know that I'm probably more convinced of the efficacy of rewriting than she is.  I just like doing it less.

I retreated to my room to ruminate.

*****

Trying to gear up the gumption to tackle the next two chapters.  Actually, the first seven chapters will be the easiest because I have people who have already critiqued these chapters, so I can bounce off their suggestions.

But I still don't enjoy this. 

Which I'm convinced is some kind of cosmic joke.  Why make it so easy for me to write, and so hard to rewrite?

Why give me the ability to get 80% there but not the fortitude to do the last 20%?

I try to convince myself that it's my attitude.  That I just need to learn to enjoy it.  I mean, I've always thought I was obsessive compulsive...

When that doesn't work, I try to play tricks on myself.  Tricking myself into doing it, or thinking I like doing it.  But really, I don't.

*****

It's 7:00 and I still haven't started the next 2 chapters...

*****

About the only surefire way I've ever figured out is to pump some alcohol into myself.  That seems to give me the concentration and the attention to detail that I need.  (Though you'd think it would do the opposite...)

Ironically, I find that I'm better off writing the original story without any alcohol.  But after I'm done, it takes me just enough outside my normal thinking to make look at the story slightly skewed which starts to make it interesting again.

But alcohol is so hard on me these days.  It messes up my routine.

But I want this book to be good and to do that I need to rewrite and to rewrite I've got to find a way to sit and work for hours at a time.

I may yet resort to that tonight.