Reading/Revising Draft 1--After a 4-Year Hiatus: Dragons of Blood and Stone

"Oh, yeah, that's what I wrote."

"Oh, yeah, that's that character's name."

"Here's a good place to add more about the central conflict."

"Don't make it too easy."

"This is pretty interesting and flows well."

The really interesting thing about waiting four years before a rewrite is that it's not just a fresh look at something I've written; in many ways it's a completely new look. Not only is Dragons of Blood and Stone a fresh look--I'm not even the same person who wrote it. Four years is a lot of life and writing experience.

I remember a story about Isaac Asimov. He is said late in his career to have picked up and read a portion of one of his early works. "Not bad," he said.

Time provides a powerful perspective. Right now I'm halfway through the draft, writing a summary as I read--about two pages per chapter. (There are eight chapters, I believe.)

I can't wait to finish the reading/summary process so that I can plan how I'm going to change the book. Mostly, I want to try a few stylistic and plot construction strategies that I haven't used much so far in my writing career.

I want to make Glimmer's progress chancier. I want to make Glissande good/bad dangerous. I want to make Gnossos more of an enigma. That should keep me busy.

It's always nice to try something new--and I'm sure readers feel that way, too, although there are writers who have made a great deal of money (and made a great many readers happy) by doing the same thing over and over.

Well, making myself happy is good. Maybe that's the beginning place for making others happy.

Copyright 2012 by Thomas L. Kepler