I had another dark night of the (nonexistent) soul yesterday. In my "reading" of Xmas Carol, I made so many changes to one scene that I thought I was losing it. Surely I was screwing the book up at this point. This perception made me run from the computer in horror (and not the good kind). I turned on the Giants game, hoping to forget my work day.
But my editing left me so depressed that I couldn't follow the game. So I turned off the TV and returned to the scene. I read it again and it was wonderful. All that editing, which felt so confused when I was doing it, was spot on. The scene was perfect.
I guess the moral here is to have faith in my own literary judgment. If I feel further editing is necessary, I should do it. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. I know because I saw it yesterday.
But my editing left me so depressed that I couldn't follow the game. So I turned off the TV and returned to the scene. I read it again and it was wonderful. All that editing, which felt so confused when I was doing it, was spot on. The scene was perfect.
I guess the moral here is to have faith in my own literary judgment. If I feel further editing is necessary, I should do it. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. I know because I saw it yesterday.
