Two Things

     You know how a few days ago I was complaining about how editing and rewriting is daunting and how I wasn't looking forward to it? Two things have happened since then.
     The first, I have recently gotten two critique partners. Each one of them has sent me either the first chapter or their work of the first 20 or so pages. I have edited both of them and doing so has really helped me with my work. Making corrections and giving suggestions to them has really helped me see what is wrong with my work and what I could do better or differently in my work. Also, I have loved being able to share my ideas with them, and hopefully, help them make their work the best it can be.
     Second, I have started rewriting my book. Now, before I get into all that, I want to tell you about how I was feeling like I sucked as a writer and I wasn't writing. I was making a lot of progress on my newest project and I felt really good about it. Then, for some reason, I started taking time away from writing, I felt like I didn't have any good ideas anymore. And then weeks went by without me writing a word. This terrified me. Writing is what I want to do for a living, and do for the rest of my life. And when fear cripples you like that, where are you supposed to go from there? Then, I got my notes on my second book and there were a lot of them, telling me a lot of problems with my book. And that made me feel even worse. Then I saw this post on Maggie Stiefvater's blog about a crit partner love connection and I decided to give it a whirl. I was already getting help from a friend of mine from college to help me with my book and I figured another person or two wouldn't hurt. Getting my crit partners has almost been a life saver, or at least a career saver.
     So anyway, second, I have started rewriting my book, and I can't say how much I am loving it. I was so afraid of starting over. And, I also felt like I loved so much in my book that I couldn't possibly change it or get rid of anything I loved. But I feel reinvigorated. I am only three thousand words into rewriting it, but I feel like I could conquer the world right now. I am a person who hates change. I take a long time to get used to new things and a lot of the time I don't get used to it. I though rewriting my book would be the same. But it's not. It has been so fun. I've come up with new ideas, and new directions to take the characters in and I feel great about it.
     I guess what I am trying to say is this. It's okay to be afraid of starting over, but don't let that fear stop you from doing what you love. Because you never know how great it can really be.
     Take care.