15 Comments
Jun 12, 2022Liked by Alison Acheson

I think I become cold blooded when I get my manuscript back from my editor and realize I need to change things. My warm blooded writer self wants to cry or throw it all away, but my cold blooded self says, OK lets fix this. Then I slash and burn ruthlessly.

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Jun 12, 2022Liked by Alison Acheson

One cold-blooded time is when I edit down a picture book. I, too, save the pre-cut draft and then I feel secure in slashing words away, and sometimes chunks. Interesting fact: I have never once gone back to the longer draft of a PB.

When it comes to novels, I find that I must be in a certain frame of mind to be cold-blooded. I must be feeling centred and focused. If I'm scattered or feeling insecure about the work, it becomes a quagmire. It being my mind.

Going now to write for 10 minutes. ;-)

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Jun 13, 2022Liked by Alison Acheson

I'm the heretic here; I don't like to slash and burn. Cindy has heard me say this before and says it's because I've got an organized mind, so my first thoughts are just fine. Not sure about that. I think I have a disorganized mind, so my first thoughts are just fine. Of course, they aren't really my first thoughts. I've been thinking about the topic or the book to review for days or weeks, and jotting down notes, but then when I'm ready, I just write - and generally I don't cut, I don't revise. First thoughts are best, I find: I mean the first thoughts conjured up by the creative mind when I sit down to write.

I don't mean those first thoughts when I'm note-taking, and if I think of any darlings there, those I let go. It's death to try to work some clever thought from before into a piece you're writing now. But when it's time for the actual writing, writing the review or whatever I go with what my creative mind brings me and if it brings me darlings, I definitely leave those in.

As to cutting afterwards, well, I don't do that.

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Jun 17, 2022Liked by Alison Acheson

Printed off the 12 Options exercise for reference and using it today. Thanks, Alison!

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