Changing an established storyline.

I continue to struggle with my rewrite of Tuskers II.

But I can see that what I've done so far is an improvement. 

What I'm doing is just setting apart time and then just staring at the screen, hoping that somehow it will all come together.  It's taking longer than it should.  I could probably write another book in the time it's taking me to fix book II and III.

The temptation is to go with the already finished and edited II, which is "good enough." 

But I swore when I came back to writing that I wouldn't settle for "good enough."  So I struggle.

I've got plenty of time.  Hell, The Dead Spend No Gold hasn't even been published.  Don't know what is taking so long.

I have completely finished Tuskers I.  I added a last minute chapter from the viewpoint of Razorback, the 'Big Bad' Tusker.  I also decided to give the town a name (Saguaro) and the valley (Morrow Valley.)

The chapter yesterday was an improvement in the story.  Developed some of the characters as well as advanced the plot.

But I was in despair for most of the day because I just couldn't figure out what to do.  It gets so complicated. Multiple versions of the scene I was working on.

Finally, I just outlined what the chapter was supposed to do, wrote some new material to frame what I'd already written, tried to pick the best version of what I'd written, and then tried to find the proper sequence.

I probably just need to be more ruthless cutting some parts, and simply write new material.  It's hard to let go of the original storyline, even when you know you need to.  The original storyline seems like its the real world, so you have to replace it with an equally valid and hopefully improved world.