 |
| Darrel Nelson |
Writing
is . . . Rewriting!
(My
Journey in Completing The Return of
Cassandra Todd)
by
Darrel Nelson
I clearly remember signing my first book contract with a
publisher and having my manuscript handed over to a professional editor. I
naively assumed that my work on The Anniversary Waltz was of such a level that
it would require very little editing. I mean I had sweated and slaved and
anguished over every word in the manuscript. I envisioned the editor sending me
a note saying something to this effect: Nicely done, Darrel. I hardly had any
work to do because your style, pacing, character development, point of view
consistency, chronology, grammar, and development of the setting were
excellent.
Remember, this was my first
book contract. And I did use the word naively,
right? Imagine my surprise when the manuscript came back literally torn to
shreds! At least it seemed in shreds because of all the “suggestions” for
changes. My editor was asking for major rewrites! And I’ll be honest—it took
some deep soul-searching before I began the process that was to become my daily
ritual: rewriting and more rewriting.
When my second novel, The
Return of Cassandra Todd, was delivered to my editor, I was better
prepared. Or so I thought. I originally wrote the novel in the first person
point of view, from the main male character’s perspective. But after my editor
got through with it, I decided that I was going to have to rewrite the ENTIRE
novel. The first person POV wasn’t working. I needed to give the main female
character a voice too. So began the process of weaving her POV into the novel
and taking out scenes—whole chapters actually—that no longer fit. I lost
sections that had taken me hours and hours of research to do. And, yes, there
were some tears shed along the way.
It was a three-month process. But in the end, I was pleased
with the results. Oh, there was still some rewriting to do after that, but it
was on a smaller scale. And eventually my editor and I saw eye to eye and the
manuscript was accepted.
But . . . surprise! The rewriting didn’t stop there. When I
received the galley proofs from the publisher, I read them over carefully and
ended up making one hundred eighty additional (minor) changes to the
manuscript. As a matter of fact, when I sent in the last change, the publisher
told me that there wasn’t time because the book had already gone to the
printers. An hour later, the publisher called me with good news. They were able
to make the change in the nick of time.
So what have I learned about writing? Simply this. Writing
is . . . rewriting! And more rewriting!
Tweetables:
Writing is . . . rewriting! And more rewriting! Click to tweet.
Is typing “the end” really “the end?” Click to tweet.
The
Return of Cassandra Todd is the story of a young man named Turner Caldwell, who
could never have imagined that the outdoor training and survival skills he
learned at Camp Kopawanee, a summer youth camp where he worked four years as a
leader, would one day become so crucial. When Cassandra Todd, the girl whose
friends made his life miserable in high school, re-enters his life with her
little son in tow and asks for help in eluding her abusive husband, Turner
finds himself entangled in a life and death struggle that will require every
skill he has in order to survive. The novel is a contemporary action/adventure
love story that will keep the readers turning the page in a headlong rush to
see how things turn out.
About Darrel
Nelson . . .
I am a schoolteacher by profession and I taught school for
thirty-seven years. I retired in June 2012 so that I could write full time.
Raymond, Alberta, is my hometown, and I attended the University of Lethbridge
after graduating from high school, majoring in English. I have always loved to
write. I started writing stories before I was old enough to realize I was
writing stories. It seemed a natural thing to pick up a pencil and paper and
create a world simply by using words—worlds of adventure in steaming jungles
(Tarzan was an early influence on me) or realms of adventure in outer space
(Buck Rogers).
But as I have grown older, I have discovered that the real
inspiration for me is exploring the theme of love and how it can make such a
difference in the world. The Anniversary
Waltz was published in May 2012. It
is the story of Adam and Elizabeth Carlson's courtship, set in northern Montana
at the end of World War II. The Return of
Cassandra Todd was released in
February 2013. It is set in modern day Denver, and is the story of Cassandra's
desperate flight from her abusive husband, and the timely assistance she
receives from Turner. I am currently working on my third novel, Following Rain, which deals with the
saving power of truth and love.
