Never Ending Revision- Beach Dream

So I went through some of my unfinished works to see what I could work on next and I came across a short story I wrote a while back, called Beach Dream.  I have a physical copy of it printed out and chilling in my 'writing binder', but I can't seem to find an electronic copy (even though I obviously had one at some point and time).  No biggy, I happen to love typing, so this is a fun excuse for a lot of typing.
Of course, as I type I must read and as I read I find so many typos and mistakes, as well as parts that need serious revision.  Sadly this was a story I was hoping to have ready for the public soon because it is a completed work.  Or mostly completed.
Funny how our first drafts can seem like sheer brilliance.  I remember the first draft of Revenge Unknown, I was so proud of it, I felt like the scenes were so raw and emotion invoking.  They were perfection in one shot, I thought.  I mean, everyone who read it told me it was good.  That is until one guy read it and said to me "it's a good first draft".
I was highly offended of course.  I mean, who's this one guy to not recognize a great piece of literature??  Then I put the book away for a while, got distracted with life, and eventually came back to it a few months later.  And rereading it, I still felt that it was a great story and a good read, but needed a lot of work.  And so I worked on it, and worked on it, and worked on it.  I think I have ten drafts of the same story.

So here I am, in the same place with Beach Dream.  The story is fun and exciting to read, but needs so much work, it's almost intimidating.  For now I will focus on getting it typed up, so I can become reacquainted with the story, then I will begin the revising process.

Appreciation of My Work

Every time someone shows interest in my book, 'Revenge Unknown', I get an excited thri8ll.  I worked very hard on the story.  Every time I thought it was finished, I would read through it again, checking for typos and find ways to improve on the story.

For me, the hardest part to revise and edit was the dialog.  I found I had whole chapters of almost straight dialog.  I had to find ways to add descriptions and break up the constant dialog without being too distracting.

I also learned to not be too descriptive.  For one, it can be hard to find the right words without becoming too wordy.  The reader also needs to be able to use his or her own imagination.  Too many details become limiting.

One of the most headache inducing problems I had was having to convert colloquial terms into more universal terms.

The story itself was easy to write, flowing imagination to pen with so little effort my hand would be cramped,  my handwriting barely more than a scribble in an attempt to keep up with the flow of thoughts.

The revision process of turning a story into a readable book was a much more difficult and lengthy process and every person that takes the time out o their lives to read my work has my undying appreciation.

Why Multiple Personalities- Excerpt from Revenge Unknown

When I was a little girl, I dreamed of being a doctor.  Hwne I got older I lost interest in that field and was unsure what to do with my life.
Although I have laways loved writing and made up stories all the time, I did not believe I could make a living from writing.
Then a friend of mine was diagnosed with a serious mental disorder that I had never heard of.  So I looked it up and was introduced into the fascinating world of mental health and illness.  It was then I discovered my love for psychology.
Since then I have completed my associate's in psychology and am working on a BS in social work.  As excited I am to work in the field of psychology, I have discovered another place for what I have learned, the world of fiction.
In writing fiction, I find my characters are limitless.  I can explore mental illnesses from both the sufferer's and the counselor's perspectives.  This makes for a very dramatic story, the most fun to read!

Excerpts from Revenge Unknown

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