To Multi Task or Not To Multi Task

That is the question.

Actually there is no question... and no this is not some Zen saying. I just have to do it. I have been struggling these last few weeks with redrafting and I kept on getting frustrated not knowing where the problem lies. I just seemed to be making no progress combined with the fact that I really wasn't enjoying writing anymore. At first I thought it was because I was going at it too methodical: trying to divide my day into looking for webdesign work and writing, so I started dividing my week into 'looking for work'-days and 'writing'-days. When that didn't provide me with the necessary inspiration and page count I started looking for alternative venues: writing somewhere else, writing something else, reviving my daily blog and sometimes just not trying to fight it and giving up on it. Especially this last resort (giving up) seemed to work in the past: if you have the choice, do whatever you feel the strongest pull towards, whether its writing, painting, reading, yoga, meditation, work, chores etc..

But eventually I got mad at myself. What if this inspiration simply doesn't turn up in time? Sure I can invest time in plotting out Book 2 or even non-series related stories, but I have deadlines to meet. My time of luxury is running out. I will have to work a normal IT job soon again and if Nancy doesn't have a manuscript to edit when my timetable fills up, I might run the risk of having to shelf the project for another year or two. No way that was going to happen. I got so mad I forced myself to write. Not always a good idea, but not a bad one either as I got to understand what it exactly is that I don't like about redrafting. It's hard work. Whereas writing fresh is a process of letting your imagination go off in all directions with wild abandon - in essence playing - redrafting is disciplinary and focussed - aka work.

It boils down to this: of the original 30 chapters, the first ten are a mess. Written over 2 years ago, they have little 'flow' and are a stuttering mess of story elements trying to get somewhere, further impaired by a poor beginning writing style, cardboard characters and mixed with Nancy's writing style. She did after all put her hand to writing the first 1/3rd of the book before we decided I should write it in full first. So there are 3-4 versions of each chapter that need to be meshed together and re-sampled until they are consistent with the style I got used to later. Furthermore there is material to be added, cut and separated, because we also decided having one  character viewpoint instead of jumping between several ones doesn't make for exciting reading. And at 600+ pages my intent to cut overshadows the intent to add. Also this means I can't just read and edit, I now have to read, splice, cut and edit AND add whole new writing to the mix. Bottom line: I have to multi task - and in my opinion very few men excel at it. I dislike it by definition.

There is a silver lining to this dark cloud of redrafting. Discipline, focus and multitasking are hard, but it will get easier. The 2nd 10 chapters thankfully already have included the concept of switching viewpoints between chapters to enhance tension and they incidentally also contain the largest chunk of story I'm about to omit. It shouldn't be too hard to cut unnecessary scenery without sacrificing essential character building. Also I won't have to add much, further simplifying the 'write for yourself' (=drafting)/'write for the reader' (=redrafting) contrast. The 3rd 10 chapters finally benefit from much more experience in writing, familiarity with the characters (so their actions and dialog are more consistent) and a 'race to the finish' story wise (which doesn't need too much editing). So it will get easier over time, but first those darn first 10 chapters - oh, I mean 20 new ones (my estimate giving me a total of 71 smaller chapters this time around for the whole book as opposed to the big clunky 30 of the first draft).