Okay, so I've finished the first edit of my wip. Still no word from the ed on whether she likes chapters 2 and 3. I had planned not to touch it until I heard from her but couldn't keep away. Anyway, it's done now and it's in better shape than the first time round. Wondering if I've over complicated things again with the resolution but won't think about that till the second round of edits. I'm kind of tempted to polish it up but I have no idea whether the ed will want more or, if she does want more, whether she'll get me to change it again so there's kind of no point in many ways.
This story has been a nightmare to rewrite actually. It's currently in its 5th iteration and I'm so close to the characters, that whole gentle reveal thing has been really hard. Plus the fact that having no external conflict at all, the reason the two stay together in the book is all down to their choice and if they realise they're falling for each other they would run a mile! So I have to keep them lying to themselves about what they're feeling which makes for a slow build book. They don't know they're falling for each other and keep telling themselves everything's okay - until right at the end when it blows up in their faces. Don't know if that's right but that's the way it's played out. And I've realised I've got quite a few love scenes in there. Ah well, the attraction between them is the excuse they use to stay together so it's a large part of the story. And each scene does forward the conflict - I hope!
Good news for the first edit though is that I cried a little at the end. Always a sign that you've written something emotional! I didn't in the first draft - first time ever - so I knew I'd have to go back and ramp everything up. So big yays for tears! Anyone else cry when they write their happy endings?
Right, nothing to do now but wait until I hear back from the ed - whenever that will be. Oh and I'm doing a writing tip on the Sisters' blog today too. Will go up UK time. I'm thinking I might do a little something on dialogue...
Showing posts with label editing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label editing. Show all posts
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
For the Love of Editing
I love editing. There, I've said. I love editing and I don't care who knows it. I love fiddling around with scenes and layering in little bits here and there, or even cutting out a scene that didn't work and rewriting it. In fact, in many ways, getting that first draft down for me is the hardest part. Once it's down, at least the bare bones are there and I can fiddle.
Maybe this goes back to being the kid who spent more time drawing little borders around her school work than actually doing the work. Or happily playing around with designing pamphlets when I used to work in the library (as opposed to actually writing the content). Yep, there was something satisfying in fiddling with stuff.
Anyway, I've finally finished the rewrite of a story I wrote during Nano the year before last and am now having fun with editing it. I loved the story - especially the idea and I loved the hero. But sadly when I wrote it, I was still getting the hang of conflict and so the characters...well....they didn't have any. However, I've learned a lot in the past six months and now I think I have the story to where I want it to be. As in there is actual conflict in there!
Of course because of having actual conflict, I had to change large parts of the story completely. I think in all there were three chapters I kept, plus a few minor plot points and then the rest I rewrote entirely from scratch. This will be my next sub so I hope it works. Of course, the only person who can say for certain that it does work is the editor and as I'm still waiting on news of my partial, I won't be getting any feedback for this story any time soon. Ah well, in the meantime I'll have fun with my editing and then perhaps think about which story I'll concentrate on next. After all, the best thing to do while waiting is more writing right?
So, how do you find editing? Do you spend your time drawing pretty borders around your work or do you hate that bit? ;-)
Maybe this goes back to being the kid who spent more time drawing little borders around her school work than actually doing the work. Or happily playing around with designing pamphlets when I used to work in the library (as opposed to actually writing the content). Yep, there was something satisfying in fiddling with stuff.
Anyway, I've finally finished the rewrite of a story I wrote during Nano the year before last and am now having fun with editing it. I loved the story - especially the idea and I loved the hero. But sadly when I wrote it, I was still getting the hang of conflict and so the characters...well....they didn't have any. However, I've learned a lot in the past six months and now I think I have the story to where I want it to be. As in there is actual conflict in there!
Of course because of having actual conflict, I had to change large parts of the story completely. I think in all there were three chapters I kept, plus a few minor plot points and then the rest I rewrote entirely from scratch. This will be my next sub so I hope it works. Of course, the only person who can say for certain that it does work is the editor and as I'm still waiting on news of my partial, I won't be getting any feedback for this story any time soon. Ah well, in the meantime I'll have fun with my editing and then perhaps think about which story I'll concentrate on next. After all, the best thing to do while waiting is more writing right?
So, how do you find editing? Do you spend your time drawing pretty borders around your work or do you hate that bit? ;-)
Friday, November 13, 2009
Finished
Big woots all round - I finished my story! Yep, now have 48k of...dross probably. :-) Got bogged down in the last third and I'm hoping it's not going to be as bad as I think. Dr Jax says I'm over-thinking the conflict. He's probably right. But won't know until I see what I've written.
One thing's for sure, already stuff has changed from the synopsis. Not the big things but some of the small plot points. Just goes to show how things can change once you've completed a manuscript. I guess that's why everyone says to sub the partial only once you've finished writing the whole thing. Not that I've ever done that! Maybe that's why I haven't had anything accepted yet! :-)
Anyway, the most certain thing about it is that I am going to have to do a lot of editing. If the initial draft is 48k it means that the polished ms will almost certainly be longer. Especially since I only kind of sketched the ending. Lots of work. Maybe I'll be so busy with editing it that I won't stress about the synopsis currently living in London. And considering the number of entries for the Presents competition, I suspect it will be living there for some time to come.
In the meantime, I have joined the Romance Writers of Australia in the hope of entering this baby into the Emerald Award. I know, I kind of went off contests but they sure give you something to do while you wait. Am even considering this one for the RWNZ Clendon award too.
Right, that's the end of my insights for the day. Having one's four year old daughter wake up in the middle of the night twice is not conduicive to thinking about writing sadly. What's everyone else up to?
One thing's for sure, already stuff has changed from the synopsis. Not the big things but some of the small plot points. Just goes to show how things can change once you've completed a manuscript. I guess that's why everyone says to sub the partial only once you've finished writing the whole thing. Not that I've ever done that! Maybe that's why I haven't had anything accepted yet! :-)
Anyway, the most certain thing about it is that I am going to have to do a lot of editing. If the initial draft is 48k it means that the polished ms will almost certainly be longer. Especially since I only kind of sketched the ending. Lots of work. Maybe I'll be so busy with editing it that I won't stress about the synopsis currently living in London. And considering the number of entries for the Presents competition, I suspect it will be living there for some time to come.
In the meantime, I have joined the Romance Writers of Australia in the hope of entering this baby into the Emerald Award. I know, I kind of went off contests but they sure give you something to do while you wait. Am even considering this one for the RWNZ Clendon award too.
Right, that's the end of my insights for the day. Having one's four year old daughter wake up in the middle of the night twice is not conduicive to thinking about writing sadly. What's everyone else up to?
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Having a Whinge
Having a grumpy 'I hate waiting' day today. Also a 'my mansucript sucks and is boring' day. There's lots of emotion in there - I'm actually wondering if there's too much! - but it still feels boring! Maybe I'm too close. Maybe I need to put a car chase in there to liven things up. ;-) But y'know, with Modern Heat, it's all about the internal conflict and that means keeping external stuff to a minimum. My characters don't seem to do much but go from his house, to her house, to a restaurant, to a beach, back to her house... You see what I mean? This does seem to be the case with other Modern Heats I've been reading (and actually some Moderns too!) but when I read mine, it just feels like there should be more happening. I could stick in a mountain climbing scene, since my hero is a climber, but then that adds nothing to the romance and I'd only put it in to indulge myself.
Aaanyway, which is why I'd really, really like to hear back about what they think of it right now. Like everyone else with subs out there, right? :-) Think I need to go out on an NTAI spree...
Failing that, I could work on the five other manuscripts that I've got festering away on my computer, all in various stages of being re-written. In fact, I seem to have been in re-writing mode for the past six months. I've got the initial stages of a new idea but I keep getting distracted by my earlier manuscripts and ideas on how I can make them stronger.
Anyone else re-writing an old manscript? Or do old stories go down the bottom of a drawer never to be heard from again?
Aaanyway, which is why I'd really, really like to hear back about what they think of it right now. Like everyone else with subs out there, right? :-) Think I need to go out on an NTAI spree...
Failing that, I could work on the five other manuscripts that I've got festering away on my computer, all in various stages of being re-written. In fact, I seem to have been in re-writing mode for the past six months. I've got the initial stages of a new idea but I keep getting distracted by my earlier manuscripts and ideas on how I can make them stronger.
Anyone else re-writing an old manscript? Or do old stories go down the bottom of a drawer never to be heard from again?
Monday, August 17, 2009
Three Cheers for Editing!
No, that's not sarcasm you hear. I'm actually being serious. Yep, I have been dreading editing this hideous story and yet, now that I'm in the middle of it, I'm actually quite enjoying it.
Of course, I've only done the first half. It's the second I should be worried about.
Now, I had a really clear idea of what I wanted with the first half so the first draft of that isn't too bad. But unfortunately I have a feeling that the second half is going to be vile. I already know that the conflict hasn't focussed on the right things, that I've got distracted and let other issues complicate it - namely concentrating on my hero's emotional growth to the detriment of my heroine. Argh! So it's going to be the devil's own job untangling it - plus not letting it get tangled up again! And I am going to have force myself to do a better job of the ending rather than using placeholding phrases such as "And it all worked out in the end. Cue kiss. HEA." Oh yes, and there's the epilogue to go too.
Sigh. And it's already at 49k! Ah well, I'm hoping I can cut screes of 'just's, 'that's, 'suddenly's and other words I seem to use ALL the time. Not to mention all the smiling and grinning my hero seems to do.
What an exciting week for me. :-) Good job I've got the RWNZ Conference to look forward to!
Of course, I've only done the first half. It's the second I should be worried about.
Now, I had a really clear idea of what I wanted with the first half so the first draft of that isn't too bad. But unfortunately I have a feeling that the second half is going to be vile. I already know that the conflict hasn't focussed on the right things, that I've got distracted and let other issues complicate it - namely concentrating on my hero's emotional growth to the detriment of my heroine. Argh! So it's going to be the devil's own job untangling it - plus not letting it get tangled up again! And I am going to have force myself to do a better job of the ending rather than using placeholding phrases such as "And it all worked out in the end. Cue kiss. HEA." Oh yes, and there's the epilogue to go too.
Sigh. And it's already at 49k! Ah well, I'm hoping I can cut screes of 'just's, 'that's, 'suddenly's and other words I seem to use ALL the time. Not to mention all the smiling and grinning my hero seems to do.
What an exciting week for me. :-) Good job I've got the RWNZ Conference to look forward to!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)