111: The Balance of Writing & Rewriting
4/20/2016
It’s been a long while since I sat down to update this journal. I had another change of address on September 6th to Connel, where I am now. Only now is it beginning to be conducive for writing (a lot of roommate drama). But I’ve been busy rewriting Book Two: Left Behind, which I just finished doing on December 27th.
As it is now, Left Behind has 43 chapters and 279 pages. The rewrite was extensive diction adjustments and deletions, with only a couple minor content changes for story and character consistency. My friend Brandon read the entire thing with each chapter as I rewrote it, which helped me stay on task and get it done reasonably fast.
I have outlines for twelve additional chapters for Left Behind as well, though they’re all for the larger story as a series and secondary character development: Wanyana’s last scene on Mount Kunama, the death of Tamal’s 2nd brother, etc. None of which is absolutely necessary for the Left Behind story by itself. But they would flesh it out thematically quite a bit.
I’m daunted by the work of writing those twelve chapters though and am tempted by how easy it would be to just call it all done as is right now. At any rate, the bulk of the work is done, and I’ll be mailing what I have to Uncle Paul to archive for me. Just as soon as I compile my notes from it.
Rather than keeping a word for word copy of all the books I write, I decided it would be more economical and practical to keep detailed notes of every chapter, listing all the essential information I might possibly need for future writing. This cuts my paperwork here dramatically. It’s also easier to sift through and keep a clear memory of it all.
Unfortunately, I didn’t do this with the first two Parts of Book One: Wings of Providence, which I already mailed to Paul to archive. So, there’s a lot of details in that I will no doubt need down the road. But I’ll deal with that later.
I still haven’t done a damn thing on Wings of Providence since I last wrote in my journal here eight months ago. I still have 20 chapters yet to create and eight to rewrite in that first book before I can call it done. A lot of work yet to do.
I’m in a decent spot right now to get work done. Not ideal, but good enough. No excuses beyond laziness now for getting to work. We’ll see what happens. Updating this journal was my first step.
Present-Day Reflection
9/13/2026
Looking back on this entry ten years later, I’m struck by how easily we fall into the trap of measuring productivity solely by raw output. I tend to get down on myself for doing little more than rewriting without creating new material, but they’re both equally valuable. I just need to make sure they have their time and place in equal measure. The equal measure part is the difficult part to manage. It’s hard to maintain a proper perspective and balance when you’re in the midst of juggling things. It’s much easier to gauge in hindsight.
Allowing myself to take breaks in order to recharge and actually live a life outside of work is also difficult to balance and is easier to judge in hindsight. If the goal is to minimize regrets when looking back on my life – not wasting time or opportunities – I think I’ve done fairly well for myself. Because, though my Batu work is at the top of my priority list, it’s not the only thing on the list. The rest of the list matters, too.
A writer who doesn’t live has nothing to write about. And to keep the material relevant and alive even as I create it, I can’t draw entirely on the past – rewriting about issues and themes that are no longer present in my life. So, I have to keep one foot in the present as well, continuing to live and write about current issues.
Writing and rewriting both have their place.
