Monday, March 2, 2009

Cutting Scenes

Is there anything harder to do than cut a scene? In order to write more from my hero's POV (like, 40% more), I've had to necessarily cut down scenes from my heroine's POV. When I have written something funny or charming, I don't want to let it go.

I know of authors who take all their "cut" material, either backstory dumps or portions they just couldn't include for whatever reason, and put them in a file on the computer. Maybe to reuse or not, but some just for sentimental reasons.

I shall be of the latter. If I was seeing a client (who happened to be an author) for therapy, and they spoke of this dilemma of getting attached to a scene that they had to cut or an editor said had to go, I would suggest they keep it in a personal file for personal enjoyment.

So, in order to walk the talk, I will be commencing on this exercise myself. Until now, I've had all the random Word files with scenes I've cut, or POV changes I've made to the same scene. I will be putting these all into a folder labeled, "Write Aways." Get it? I'm a HUGE fan of play on words. Away with the writing that necessarily has to go (according to other's opinions, usually)!!

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