Thursday, September 3, 2009

Editing Never Seems To End

I have been following other writers on twitter and one of them has taken an interest in my writing. She read the first chapter of the novel The Narcissist and loved it. She read, or started to read, the second chapter and sent me an email, telling me I need to work on the second chapter to show not tell that early family history. So for the next couple of days, I'll be working on it. I might post it here. If you want to help, jump in. If not, please forgive the working in public. I want to make it as good as I can. I'd like to be done with it, find a home for it and then move on to the next book.

I've been writing stories about the years that are missing from the book. These stories are written in the third person and have been a lot easier to write. They cover the marriages and the relationships with men that are mostly missing from The Narcissist. My friend Nick has wanted to know why I married the kind of men I did. Why did I choose such assholes to live with? It's a good question and in my exploration of these relationships I might find the answer that will satisfy Nick. I know why. The real answer is found in the early years of my life. But that's not enough. Plenty of us have had awful lives as children in crazy families, yet managed to find love and marry and have children. Why couldn't I? Why has living alone been the happiest time of my life? Maybe we'll find out.

8 comments:

Unknown said...

I think you were stonger than I as you found contentment living alone.

I have lived alone, but never for more than a year or two..then I get hitched..currently on spouse numero four. ;p

I don't have a problem with jettisoning them if they don't 'work out'. Some folks can't do that..I have NO fucking problem walking away.

But I heart you for being who you are and not apologizing for it Peg. Much love dear woman. ;)

Utah Savage said...

Dusty, your ability to remain optimistic that this one, this man, might be a keeper, seems a great deal healthier than my isolation. But I have a very hard time now with the day to day compromises that a close relationship sharing a living space forces on me. I don't really care all that much about another persons needs vis a vis my responsibility to meet their needs. I'm too inclined to become a caregiver in a relationship, and then I resent the hell out of that person.

Unknown said...

Hey, it's hard for me too. That's why we have separate parts of the house. He lives in one half, I live in the other.

It works great Peg!!! ;)

We still get the companionship we crave, we just go into the other's space and visit for awhile.

Randal Graves said...

Exactly why my sometimes-better-half and I avoid each other. Less bullshit. "Get out of the living room."
"You get out of the living room."
"Fuck you."
"Fuck you."
"What's for dinner?"

Show don't tell via words, to me, means more words. Hard to paint without a million little brushstrokes. If that's what you're doing, very cool. Just don't excise stuff.

Gail said...

HI UTAH -

The clarity, determination, confidence and raw honesty will make your book a big seller - stay with your gut - it is accurate.

And you asked to hear of my son's journey of getting published - I am happy to report that an agent has asked to see his manuscript. So who knows?? :-)

Love Gail
peace.......

Utah Savage said...

Randal sometimes you are the smartest man around. That might be small comfort since you are the only man in this comments thread so far, but at first it was my intention when I took another look at all that history in the second chapter to just cut, cut, cut. But now I'm probably going to break it into two chapters and get that history in with Maggy telling it to me in a session of looking at photos from the time before me. So far it seems to be working.

Utah Savage said...

Gail, that's great news about your son. Tell him "Congratulations!" from me. And omit the part where I'm a horrid shade of green.

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