Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

I have had this song stuck in my head for two days now, and it is driving me a little crazy. For one thing, it's a catchy tune that just will not go away. For another... I don't want to look on the bright side!! What bright side??

Yep, I'm in the middle of edits again. For three days, my twitter hashtag of choice was #chapterelevenorbust, which had a certain delicious irony to it. This is the chapter of the Netherfield Ball--the moment Darcy realizes he loves Elizabeth, and then circumstances make him choose to leave Hertfordshire, and her, behind. It's the first major turning point of the novel, and I needed to nail it.

I thought once I finished Chapter 11 I could move on to easier things, but alas it was not meant to be. I spent two hours last night rewriting Chapter 12, which I now get to go over with my purple pen. When I'm done with that, Chapter 13 awaits. Oh joy.

But you know what? All this editing is there to make my story stronger, hence my new hashtag: #strongerstoryyadayada. I wince when I cut large sections of my novel, and spending long hours on the computer rewriting is actually physically painful. If I can just remember though that all the hard work serves a greater purpose, I'll be able to look on the bright side.

So, to paraphrase:

Some things I write are bad,
And that really makes me mad--
Then other parts I find are even worse!
When I'm reading all this gristle
I grumble (I can't whistle)
But I get a stronger story, yada yada...

 

And I'll leave you with the video, just in case the song isn't already stuck in your heads. Are you editing, friends? Cheer up, you know what they say!