This week has been another week of revising. In addition to cutting bad writing, I am also cutting sections that I like. This is a difficult process. Sometimes it is a conversation. Sometimes it is a whole scene. All of this trimming presents two problems.

The first is emotional. I really liked some of these scenes. I resisted cutting them but in the end they had to go. They slow the story down or provide unnecessary detail. They are good, but they don’t belong in this story. At times it leaves me feeling like this.

The second problem is logical. Every time I cut something it sends ripples through the rest of the book. For example, I have to make sure the characters don’t talk about that event later.  At times it leaves me feeling a bit like this.

I will keep cutting though, trusting that the manuscript is getting better. Nobody said writing was easy.