The last two weeks have hosted a flurry of creative work…during naptimes and on the days my sister-in-law watches Sam (thanks so much, Joanna!). I’m hesitant to publish my high hopes, lest I’m getting too confident…but, of course, here I go.
In the last two weeks, I’ve basically rewritten the last third of my book, or created 80 new pages. This is my first big change since I rewrote the first third of my book last fall. So, now I have a different book from what I had last August. Same story, different book.
I’m not all that sad to have hacked up the first draft. That draft was very repetitious and wallowing. I see it as having cleared the pipes for what really needed to come out. Plus, I’ve saved all that cut material in a word document, and I envision it fueling numerous short articles. This new third, which still needs some organization and editing, focuses much more on Jesus and my healing. It explains the prayer process that changed my life, and shows those changes through new scenes of me reaching out to and praying with other women.
Now that I have the scenes in place that I want in the final draft (meaning I have a reliable outline), I will proceed with writing a book proposal and polishing the first three chapters. I’m not going to set a hard date for sending out the proposal, but I’m hoping for within a month. (I will only be sending to one publisher for now—a press within my faith community which God has laid upon my heart.) While the proposal is being reviewed (or sitting in a slush pile), I will polish up the rest of the book, and possibly get one more edit from my excellent book consultant, Trish Ryan.
I have prayed long over this memoir, and I feel God has delayed its progress so that I could make the recent changes. Now, I believe my book goes beyond telling a sad story women can identify with to showing how Jesus can bring beauty from ashes.
Lindsey Gendke 
You’re doing great! Ugh, I wish I could say the same with recent events in my life!
Well, it’s one week at a time. Who knows what next week will bring? Maybe I won’t find an hour to write, and you’ll find dozens! Those long naps just help so much, though! Hope all is well…
Rule about first drafts: they NEED to change! I think it would be strange if a writer had not done extensive work on a first draft, including tossing out big chunks. I threw out about three-quarters of my novel’s first draft. For the second novel in the series, I expect to rewrite a great deal but I know I have a solid structure. So, you deserve a pat on your back, Lindsey, that you were brave and strong and focused enough to make the changes your book needed. Cinda
Cinda, this is a really encouraging comment! Glad to know you have gone through/are going through this, too. I always knew that first drafts needed to change…I just didn’t expect mine to change SO MUCH! Sounds like you had a similar experience. But it’s all for the best! Happy writing (and rewriting) to both of us!