I fell off the Revision Wagon. I was forging along, but as I started my 6th day of revising the same 2000 words -- and didn't like them any more than I did 6 days ago -- I was getting kinda bummed.
Then "The Color Purple" came on TV, so yeah, I watched it. (And cried my eyes out -- dang that's a great movie!) Plus, I did my IWSG post for next week.
Then, I girded my loins, went back to revising the chapter, and changed its first paragraph for the 100th time...
But a little later, "Saving Private Ryan" came on. I didn't mean to watch it, but it sucked me in. *cue more crying* (When Tom Hanks does the monologue when he admits to being a teacher and says that every time he kills someone, he feels further away from home ... Wow! That's writing!)
(I didn't realize both those movies were produced and directed by Steven Spielberg. Oh, for a smidgen of his talent...)
So I got almost nothing done today, but I'm OK with it. Sometimes, you need to get off the wagon and walk the road.
This week I'm celebrating enjoying walking the road for a while. Time enough to climb back on the wagon for more revising over the weekend. :)
When you fall off the Revision Wagon, do you get angry with yourself? Or do you just chill out and enjoy walking on the road for a while?
This post is part of VikLit's blog hop, Celebrate the Small Things. To be part of this blog hop, all you have to do is follow the link and put your name on the Mr.Linky list, and then be sure to post every Friday about something you're grateful for that week. It can be about writing or family or school or general life. This is the funnest and easiest blog hop ever!
36 comments:
I hate revisions and spend more time off than on the wagon. I do get annoyed with myself, and do end up watching TV or movies (great movies to get sucked into BTW), but that usually inspires a change in my WIP. And so I climb back on the wagon.
I am this person. I procrastinate when I should be doing the crappy jobs. But I make up for it by drafting super quickly. :)
Hoping the wagon doesn't throw you off too often, but have a great weekend first !
shahwharton.com
Perhaps those movies are emotionally charging you to tackle the revisions soon? Look at it that way.
And yes, Spielberg has that magic touch.
I enjoy revising (I'm doing it, too) but it's hard. I come out of a couple of hours feeling much more tired than I do after a couple hours of drafting. And Alex is right, those movies can be recharging you. Good luck!
You keep "girding those loins," Lexa, and then crack that whip! (Of course, a little crying in between is ok.) You'll know when it feels right - and then you can laugh (and expel that sigh of relief).
I actually like editing, tweaking, and throwing out my Germanic verbosity and long sentences.
We know that, in the end, you will come up with great stuff. Best wishes.
If it was me, I'd just move on from that troublesome section and forge deeper into the book. I revise in multiple passes, so I know if I can't get a passage right on one pass, I'll get it in the next one!
If you get in that rut tomorrow, may I suggest you watch Trains, Planes, and Automobiles. There is no crying in that movie and will put you in a happy mood that may inspire your thought process.
I don't get mad at myself, I just know I'll panic later. I'm working my way through revising my WIP. You can only stare at a section of words for so long before you go cross-eyed.
Have to cut yourself some slack. There are reasons for falling off any wagon. You might just need a break to do the job better. That's possible, especially after a good cry.
That part of Saving Private Ryan always gets me too! We all fall off the revision wagon sometimes. At least you had a good day otherwise!
If you need a break from revising, take it. Your work will be better for it. I'm revising too, and I find it very painful. I'd much rather draft than revise.
When i fall off of any wagon, i have to ask myself if it's laziness or if there is something else going on -- depression, tired of that and need a change, or maybe just feeling like i'm getting nowhere and beating my head against a wall. Once i can get a handle on why, i can usually at least follow the wagon with the idea of catching back up to it.
I need to be fresh when I make revisions and if I don't have the energy it's best for me to put away my writing and come back to it later. Of course I have the dubious distinction of not writing for an agent or publisher.
I truly admire your attitude. I fall (or should i say crash) off the wagon all the time and I feel so guilty about enjoying a good movie instead of writing. I want to be cool and calm like you when it comes to falling off the wagon.
I feel your pain, Lex. Revising is difficult, but I think the little distractions we use when we aren't making progress are exactly what we need to let our brains work through the puzzle. I've used my share of them to get over the bumps in the road. And it seems that they're always different, as if somehow deep down I know what type of distraction will help me most.
Enjoy the distractions. The revision will work itself out.
My revisions are going fairly well so I don't worry too much about taking a night off to watch Once Upon a Time or old Law & Order. But I'll be glad to move on ti draft #3...
Don't beat yourself up--we all need a break now and then! :)
I get bummed and then just do my best to deal with it(which, yup, involves movie watching or reading). After awhile, I work myself out of my corner, slowly but surely. Don't you just love all the 'feels' writing induces? =)
Yes, I've fallen off the revision wagon a few times too. Might have even been run over by it, but it's easy to get fried brain syndrome looking at the same pages over and over again. Movie/crying breaks are SO necessary to a writer's sanity. :)
Some how your post is helping me to get my focus back and get back to the revisions.
Hahaha yeah I should be writing, but instead I'm watching series and movies. :-D
Sometimes we need to recharge and crying your eyes out might give you the ability to plow through your edits later. The change in emotional state could work to your advantage. :) I have only read The Color Purple- but haven't seen the movie. I will have to check it out.
Happy editing!
~Jess
I know how you feel. I hate it when the more you work on something the worse it sounds. That's usually a sign you should do something else for a while, which you did. Better luck with the next round.
I think sometimes we have days like that because our mind and body need a chance to relax.
Sometimes when I get frustrated with my work, I find it best to let it be for a few days or even weeks. When i go back to it I have a whole new perspective.
I guess I like doing revisions. It's writing the 1st drafts that get to me. But, we all have our writerly struggles, so I think you're doing the right thing by just chilling out until you've figured out what to do about those revisions.
I always get frustrated with myself, but then decide to watch a movie or go out to get my mind off it. Watching those movies did the trick with you... we all have those days or weeks as it may be in my case...hehe
Hah, at least you're still plodding along. The first time I got on, I took one look at my story, realised it sucked, and haven't gone back :/ I really should… maybe later...
Oh man, The Color Purple AND Saving Private Ryan?? That's just a recipe for a sobfest :) But those are also both super inspirational stories, so I think they qualify as writing research as well :) I fall off the revision wagon often. Sometimes a short break is the best way to ramp up for being more productive.
I definitely get angry with myself. But when you say it, I think, That's just human ;-)
Two EPIC movies, Lexa. I think I've watched The Color Purple over 50 times and have cried every single time. I can still hear the name, "Ms. Cealy" lingering in the back of my mind.
I get very upset with myself when I fall off of the revising wagon. But this only lasts for a few moments until I remind myself I am no superwoman. Sometimes, the thought-process just isn't there or more often times, for me, I simply don't have as much time as I would need to dedicate several hours to my edits. But the only thing we can do is climb back on board when we are good and ready to go. As long as we don't take too much time away, I think breaks are fine.
We do need to refill the creative well so watching some movies is a great way to do it!
I do get mad at myself for falling off the revision wagon. Sometimes I'm just afraid to do the work. But it needs to be done and I have to quit procrastinating!
When I fall off, I try to do something to help inspire me to get back on.
I love revising, but drafting isn't easy. For my last draft, I wrote most of it in the library and during a trip I recently took. Writing outside of home meant fewer distractions. If I'm at home, I'll post updates online. I feel more accountable if other people know I'm drafting. I used to also participate in blog challenges to motivate myself.
I agree...sometimes you need a break from work, whatever it is, and need a little "smell the roses" time. Think of it as recharging your battery :)
~Katie
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