I'm a bit stuck right now in the editing process so there hasn't been a whole lot to report. You see, I'm really struggling with the pacing of my novel and on top of that discovering errors that need to be corrected along the way. It's frustrating having to rewrite entire chapters because you realize that the scenario is jarringly inaccurate.
For example, originally I had Themistocles attend the Eleusinian Mysteries at the age of 11, but it turns that only adults were initiated. I also have to rewrite (or at least reconsider) the whole story about Harmodius and Aristogeiton. Ancient authors can't seem to agree on exactly what led to the murder of Hipparchus (the brother of Athens' tyrant Hippias), and although I tend to side with one version, I can't dismiss other authors out of hand.
At any rate my goal this holiday weekend is to get at least the first few chapters of my novel polished up and ready for an agent to look at. It will take hours of dicipline and concentration but I know I can do this. I just need my motivation back. And with the exciting announcement that Scott Oden is working on a novel in the same time period, I'd better bring my AAA game!!!
*Fun fact: If you type 21 letters of Themistocles into Google, yours truly is the top link!!
2 comments:
This is the sort of thing that editing is for - it may be hard work, but the finished novel will be the better for it, and you'll be pleased you did it!
Hope it's going well!
I know what you mean about having to go back an untangle the errors. That has happened to me a couple of times lately and slowed me down. The politics of the time is so convoluted and I have made a couple of small errors that needed fixing.
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