Gravitas

I finally made some headway on the rewrite of "Eden's Return." I'm about halfway through. I've already added 7000 words. So by the time I'm done, I'll be well over the minimum 60,000 words I set for myself.

It's hard. I don't enjoy it but I can't deny it improves the book. I tend to underwrite. I want my books to move fast, but there also needs to be a bit more gravitas.

That's my new favorite writing word. Gravitas.

I've written all my books with the intent to be entertaining. I don't have a particular message to impart, nor do I shoot for a "literary" type presentation.

Sabrina said something interesting to me the other day. "You like pulp, but you don't like camp." I suppose that's right. But pulp only in the most positive terms. I'm allergic to pretense these days. The minute I get a whiff of it in a book, I lay it down and move on. Real literary quality in inherent in the story--and so many of these newer SF and Fantasy books are a little too blatant in their aspirations.

At least, that's the way I feel about it.

However, it wouldn't hurt me to reach for whatever gravitas I can find in a story. Just think a little longer and try a little harder.

Which means either doing more planning in advance (which I'm determined to do in my next book) or spending more time and thought on the rewrite.

So that's where I'm at right now. A couple more weeks of pain--and a book that I can be proud of for years. That's the tradeoff. Knowing that I made the effort each time.

So far, I've managed to mostly do that in my stories. Take a step back, try to be patient, and not just throw my first effort out there. (Even if the essence is mostly there...)