While walking Rascal this morning, I saw a scrap truck go by. Lately I've been seeing them more often in the neighborhood. Maybe it's a sign of the times that more people are making money that way.
Anyway in scrap trucks you can see all kinds of interesting items made up mostly of metal, which were considered junk by the owners, but are valuable to scrap collectors. Today, among the contents were a wheelbarrow, an air conditioning compressor, a motorcycle and more.
Seeing the truck made me think about writing scrap. What do you do with yours? You have a good phrase, paragraph, page or maybe a chapter or two but suddenly it doesn't fit in your manuscript. You need to get rid of it.
Are you a saver? Do you keep the scrap in a separate file on your computer in case you need it for another book, do you throw it out, or, if you're charitable, do you offer it to another writer?
Please share.
Morgan Mandel
Killer Career Coming Aug 15
Book Launch Party Aug 16
http://www.morganmandel.com
http://morganmandel.blogspot.com
11 comments:
I keep a file on every book called "Notes"--for the longest time these were paper files, but I've recently graduated to the electronic document version :). If I feel I need to cut something but just can't bear to delete it completely, I copy it and put it in my "Notes." Most of the time, I never return to it, but it's there if I want to someday...
I keep a 'scrap book' on my computer but I'm not sure why. I think it's too painful to simply delete something I spent hours working on. So far I have never gone back to use any of the material. Guess I need one of those scrap trucks to make a tour through my saved files!
I save all my scrap writing because I can usually use it later or another idea can come from it. I'll take it one step further and also save all my edits from each printing. I like to see my writing progress from start to finish.
I keep an ideas file into which thoughts go in never to come out again. It feeds my vanity to think my unused light bulbs merit preserving.
Bob Sanchez
http://bobsanchez1.blogspot.com
Save in a separate file, though to be honest, I don't think I've ever used any said "scraps" on a new project!
I do save scraps. Each book has a file called "Discards." You never know...
Helen
Straight From Hel
I save my scraps in a folder on my desktop computer. It's hard to let them go. I I was able to save a chapter I scrapped the other day, so I was happy to have the file ready when I needed it.
I'm a saver.
I tend to title the scrap files something like, "Really good like with character X" or "Great scenery, just didn't fit"
I save my scraps. They may turn out to be a short story, or they may fit, with a bit of rework, somewhere else in the book.
I just hope that junk truck is not coming to my hometown - we have a junk yard that is H U G E with stuff all over the entrance, blocking the road!!!!
As for scrap words - I love to save them - but rarely re-use them.
DL Larson
I save mine, too. I have 'cuts' or 'snips' folders for my manuscripts.
I've even used some of them elsewhere, with appropriate modifications.
Post a Comment