Cardinal Sin
18/05/09 13:16 Filed in: Writing
I've committed the cardinal sin of writing: I've
fallen in love with my own work. I finally took the
brave step this morning of starting to re-read the
first 60 or so pages of The Silent Goodbye
with the intention of dong some hard rewrites and
adding some character stuff on Phillip Gold (you
know, some physical habits, habitual phrases, etc.).
Instead, I ended up just reading and enjoying.
I think it's really good.
Which means, of course, that I'm in trouble. If I like it too much, I can't edit it. I can't see the holes, the problems, the weak spots.
I made some small changes here and there — mostly word choice issues or tightening up descriptions — but nothing really major. I like this book.
So now I'm writing again, which is a great step, but I'm too uncritical of my own work, which is not so great. I think I need a writer's group. Where are you, Ross and John?
On the bird front, I forgot to mention in yesterday's post that, not only does the Princess-Point area of Hamilton now boast a bald-eagle's nest, it has also played host to a small flock of pelicans (of all things!). Amazing stuff. I feel so sad that my Mom is no longer around to see it. She would have loved both the eagles and the great white pelicans.
This morning, Patti and I took our puppy out for a walk in the UNB Woodlot and had the great good fortune of seeing a yellow-bellied sap sucker, up close. I had finally managed to bring my binoculars on one of these walks and, this time, they weren't needed. There he was, plain as day, about 10 feet above us on a tree trunk. Beautiful. Yellow on his belly (surprise surprise) and nice patches of red on his head. Too bad I didn't have my camera!
Any way, I'm at least toe-deep in my writing and will push on from here!
I think it's really good.
Which means, of course, that I'm in trouble. If I like it too much, I can't edit it. I can't see the holes, the problems, the weak spots.
I made some small changes here and there — mostly word choice issues or tightening up descriptions — but nothing really major. I like this book.
So now I'm writing again, which is a great step, but I'm too uncritical of my own work, which is not so great. I think I need a writer's group. Where are you, Ross and John?
On the bird front, I forgot to mention in yesterday's post that, not only does the Princess-Point area of Hamilton now boast a bald-eagle's nest, it has also played host to a small flock of pelicans (of all things!). Amazing stuff. I feel so sad that my Mom is no longer around to see it. She would have loved both the eagles and the great white pelicans.
This morning, Patti and I took our puppy out for a walk in the UNB Woodlot and had the great good fortune of seeing a yellow-bellied sap sucker, up close. I had finally managed to bring my binoculars on one of these walks and, this time, they weren't needed. There he was, plain as day, about 10 feet above us on a tree trunk. Beautiful. Yellow on his belly (surprise surprise) and nice patches of red on his head. Too bad I didn't have my camera!
Any way, I'm at least toe-deep in my writing and will push on from here!