Meredith Mansfield, Author

It’s an interesting experience. I’ve had something like it when I started the rewrite of THE SHAMAN’S CURSE.

But that was something I’d first written at the beginning of my writer’s journey. A story I still wanted to tell, but had told badly the first time I tried. That was an experience in realizing just how bad those first efforts were.

After publishing the boxed set of young adult fantasies, BY SWORD, TALE, OR MAGIC, I started reading them.

At first, I thought it was an in-depth format check. But I’ve found I got sucked into my own stories–and I know how they’re going to end if anyone does. Not to say I haven’t found things I’d do differently if I wrote that story today.

Probably the biggest one is scenes I clearly remember, but didn’t remember cutting from the finished novel. Most were rightly cut. There’s always some of that in the editing of any story. Others I can’t recall why I cut. Probably trying to fit within some externally dictated length. A few, I wish I hadn’t cut. That’s an interesting perspective to carry with me into my next set of revisions.

A useful experience. And affirming. All writers need that from time to time.