Monday, 6 June 2011

Kill your darlings...

Talking with a knowledgeable friend about the short story: she would like me to remove the beginning; I am attached to it.

Kill your darlings! they say. Following that decree, I should get rid of it, though I can't see why.

Changing the story to the first person was a fruitful exercise - it is now longer and more fleshed out. I think I can do more of this, catching events that seem to be almost at the periphery of my consciousness, which gain unexpected importance as I write about them. New vistas open up.

Does the short version leave too much unsaid, especially for those who have no other insight into the society and times that are described? It is interesting to think about.

Still no letter to the publisher re the translation: I must just do it.

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