Edits or Rewrite?

Writing is hard.

Editing said writing is a nightmare.

Reading something you wrote ten to twenty years ago is HORRIFIC.

I started working on the edits to Destiny's Bridge, my first book. I went back to the original pre-edited version, as per my agreement with my former publisher. After I stopped laughing, I came very close to crying. I guess I should be grateful to what I've learned over the last decade (or two) about writing, but all I could see was a nightmare of a manuscript. In my defense, I did write the majority of it while either working or enjoying a cold brew or two...or three.

After about fifty or sixty pages or editing and/or rewriting, I realized that books 2, 4, 8, and 9 of the Lex & Amanda saga wouldn't be available very soon, due to contracts. Not that I'll completely stop, because once I get Lex & Amanda into my head, it's hard to let them go. As a matter of fact, while editing Destiny's Bridge, I started getting ideas about their next adventure! But, I'd like to get another book, one that's really never lived up to what I had in mind.

Diving into the Turn was the second book I wrote without Lex & Amanda. It had a similar feel, since it was loosely based on small rodeos and playdays I attended as a youngster.

Unfortunately, midway through writing it, quite a few nasty things happened in my personal life - the worst being the death of my father. Between the beginning and the ending of the book, there was about a 2 year stretch where I was unable to write anything at all - and it showed in the book. Even then, I had trouble completing it and working on the editing process. I'm hoping to completely rewrite this one, as I think I was unable to do the characters justice. I got better acquainted with Shelby & Rebecca when I introduced them into the Lex & Amanda series. When I went back to read the original book, I was not pleased at all with how either one of them were written. Go figure! I would complain to the author, but my wife won't let me be mean to myself.

So, now you've got an idea of where my crazy ideas are going - two different books in either edits or rewrites, and new ideas percolating for another Lex & Amanda. Also have several more book ideas, if I get that far.

So...stay tuned. It's gonna be interesting!

Carrie