Tayari's Blog: Life Is Like A Crooked Sweater

Posted by TayariJones on January 29, 2010 09:22 AM
Filed under Writing


Feb. 22
Originally uploaded by Jean C'est Quoi
I'm working hard to revise my new novel, THE SILVER GIRL. I am having all kinds of trouble with the end. As I always tell my students, a problem with the end is a symptom. The real problem is the middle. Once you get the middle right, the end will show itself to you.

A metaphor: Have you ever gotten confused and buttoned your sweater up wrong? When you get to the end, there's a button, but no hole left or vice versa. The only way to fix the problem is to get the whole sweater realigned

My editor pointed out a pacing problem about 3/4 way through the manuscript. I dragged out a scene that took place in about three hours to three chapters-- 37 pages total. I went through, mercilessly cutting. It almost killed me, but I weeded out ten pages-- 26000 words. Included in these words was my favorite line in the whole novel.

Mourning that perfect sentence, the flag on my computer is at half mast, but I am still pushing on.
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There are 1 comments on "Life Is Like A Crooked Sweater". If you'd like to leave a comment, click here to jump down to the comments entry form.

Comment #1, by jamey [TypeKey Profile Page]

BRILIANT! "...a problem with the end is a symptom. The real problem is the middle. Once you get the middle right, the end will show itself to you." so true! so very, very true!

January 29, 2010 04:09 PM

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