Rewriting Ch 1 Scene 1

Everyone agrees that the opening is so important. I have never been satisfied with mine and have had to change it anyway since since I wrote it I have made a big plot 'discovery' that has been a major structural enhancement to the story. Despite a debilitating head cold I made a draft rewrite that I think can be made to work. Y gave the thumbs up to my nest Writer's Circle reading so all in all I think I'm ahead of the game! Of course I should have worked out all the plot before I started writing I expect. And then again I should have done all my research first and in fact should probably have learned to write first. The trouble is I want to get on with the writing and anyway I usually get the best plot ideas in the process of writing. My hero, George MacDonald Fraser, author of Flashman, had it all worked out I think. He learned to write crisply as a journalist and for each novel did about six month research at the London Library and then six month writing. Alas, the London Library is beyond my means and if I were to do it all in the write order I should still be writing when I'm in the grave.

I think of it sometimes as someone painting in oils, they seemed always ready to smudge over something and repaint it when it seemed not right. This is what I'm doing.