Hey folks!
This year is busy! I've made a plan on my publishing schedule for the first half (H1) which I'd like to share with you (both for accountability and to keep you in the loop! Heh.)
There won't be any new stories published until March as far as the schedule is planned out.
In March we will have one novella (at least). A few of you will have heard of this before (especially if you follow me on Twitter or regularly check my blog)
The Torn Planet is set to be published on the 2nd of March 2019.
I am also working on a story called Heart of Askelion which is brand new and deals with the premise of lovers separated by time BUT not in a cheesy way. These two guys are true soldiers (knights actually) born into two different worlds (times) who only get to know each other when one of them (called Lorne Lionheart at this point) is sent to the other's (Captain Ash's) time to retrieve a catalyst that started a rupture in time which has now gone out of hand and is causing them to be overrun by an age-old race of warriors.
The tentative publishing date of this will probably be around May. But that's not certain yet. It depends largely on how my bigger project (Hourglass) is going by then.
The fourth project is another WIP currently in the editing stage. The working title is Mimicry and you can find more information on it by clicking on this LINK. There are also details about beta-reading opportunities in this post if you're so inclined!
This is of course only what's planned for the first half of the year. The second half is still a bit shadowy in my mind but once it sorts itself out there will be an update!
I hope this was informative and you're excited to hear more about all the projects soon!
Cheers!
WriteBot.
Showing posts with label editing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label editing. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 9, 2019
Saturday, January 5, 2019
2019: current sci-fi WIP: The Torn Planet
Hey everyone!
I want to introduce you briefly to another world I've been working on since late 2018. This currently has the working title 'The Torn Planet' and is (as the title suggests) science fiction. The first draft is complete at ~25.000 words - which makes it a novella.
It's one of my best stories if I'm any judge of this myself. It has a clear outline considering plot and the characters stand independently in the story. Although they are only three (five if you count the aliens) main characters their actions are clear and truly do speak louder than words.
The Torn Planet is about a time in the future when Earth has been entirely depleted of its resources and become toxic to human life. Those who had the money (big corporations and governments) built orbital stations (think ISS but much bigger) in order to preserve the human race. And since station life is difficult most of the people are in cryo-stasis. They have been frozen to be thawed when a.) a solution arises to Earth's toxicity problems (spoilers: it's not likely) or b.) a new planet is found to inhabit.
The company Ad Astra is one of those corporations that managed to build a station in time and saved a lot of people with it. They represent both a company and part of the United Arabian government. Their goal is simple: They want to get away from Earth before it gets WORSE. They know humanity cannot survive as it is at that moment (frozen and non-living by any most standards). They want to find a new planet to settle on but do not have the means to travel to it.
Enter Zinnia. Zinnia is the main character of The Torn Planet. Zinnia is a woman who wants to build a family (children are a big topic for her) and live a peaceful life on the station supporting her husband Beni's research into the science of wormholes. This is her duty as well as her desire even though she was 'built' for more: In the past her father (director Muhammed of the Ad Astra company/government) chose to give her genes (enhancements) that would aid in wormhole research but because she chose Beni and her family over going into science herself these enhancements have been neglected. Beni however refuses to have children as long as they are stuck around Earth. He promises instead that they will have them as soon as he has opened a wormhole.
But then Beni dies and without him Zinnia is momentarily lost. Her father implores her to pick up where Beni left off. With his death the way for Zinnia to unravel the mysteries of wormholes is cleared. On top of that she is promised a batch of Beni's genes to still have his children even though he is dead. IF she manages to create a wormhole and bring the Ad Astra ship called the Tree of Life to safety in a new galaxy with a new planet.
That's the setup of The Torn Planet in a nutshell. What happens next is (hi)story. It involves space travel and aliens. It involves betrayal. It involves irreparably broken hearts and damaged minds and the revenge of a super-human mind against those who have committed the greatest crime of humanity. And all that in only 25.000 words!
Are you excited? You should be! I aim to publish The Torn Planet before May. The exact date isn't yet certain but in a couple of weeks I'll be looking for beta readers and shortly after will update you on the fixes publishing date.
Stay tuned!
WriteBot.
I want to introduce you briefly to another world I've been working on since late 2018. This currently has the working title 'The Torn Planet' and is (as the title suggests) science fiction. The first draft is complete at ~25.000 words - which makes it a novella.
It's one of my best stories if I'm any judge of this myself. It has a clear outline considering plot and the characters stand independently in the story. Although they are only three (five if you count the aliens) main characters their actions are clear and truly do speak louder than words.
The Torn Planet is about a time in the future when Earth has been entirely depleted of its resources and become toxic to human life. Those who had the money (big corporations and governments) built orbital stations (think ISS but much bigger) in order to preserve the human race. And since station life is difficult most of the people are in cryo-stasis. They have been frozen to be thawed when a.) a solution arises to Earth's toxicity problems (spoilers: it's not likely) or b.) a new planet is found to inhabit.
The company Ad Astra is one of those corporations that managed to build a station in time and saved a lot of people with it. They represent both a company and part of the United Arabian government. Their goal is simple: They want to get away from Earth before it gets WORSE. They know humanity cannot survive as it is at that moment (frozen and non-living by any most standards). They want to find a new planet to settle on but do not have the means to travel to it.
Enter Zinnia. Zinnia is the main character of The Torn Planet. Zinnia is a woman who wants to build a family (children are a big topic for her) and live a peaceful life on the station supporting her husband Beni's research into the science of wormholes. This is her duty as well as her desire even though she was 'built' for more: In the past her father (director Muhammed of the Ad Astra company/government) chose to give her genes (enhancements) that would aid in wormhole research but because she chose Beni and her family over going into science herself these enhancements have been neglected. Beni however refuses to have children as long as they are stuck around Earth. He promises instead that they will have them as soon as he has opened a wormhole.
But then Beni dies and without him Zinnia is momentarily lost. Her father implores her to pick up where Beni left off. With his death the way for Zinnia to unravel the mysteries of wormholes is cleared. On top of that she is promised a batch of Beni's genes to still have his children even though he is dead. IF she manages to create a wormhole and bring the Ad Astra ship called the Tree of Life to safety in a new galaxy with a new planet.
That's the setup of The Torn Planet in a nutshell. What happens next is (hi)story. It involves space travel and aliens. It involves betrayal. It involves irreparably broken hearts and damaged minds and the revenge of a super-human mind against those who have committed the greatest crime of humanity. And all that in only 25.000 words!
Are you excited? You should be! I aim to publish The Torn Planet before May. The exact date isn't yet certain but in a couple of weeks I'll be looking for beta readers and shortly after will update you on the fixes publishing date.
Stay tuned!
WriteBot.
Wednesday, January 2, 2019
Hourglass editing progress
Hey folks!
I just wanted to give you all an update on Hourglass. A lot of you have made some edits in the early Google Docs chapters. Thank you for that! I really appreciate it. At this point however I've decided to take the manuscript off Google docs to work on it by myself. It's been a long time since I did an edit on it and I realized after your first few comments that it simply needs to be updated. That's what I'm currently doing and I'm at the moment on chapter two.
It has been going quite well. The first ten pages were easier than the most recent six pages. I couldn't even do more than six because it was just really hard. However I finished them and updated most of the manuscript on my PC (I edit on paper). They will need another edit (desperately!) but for now it's time to focus on the next few pages instead. If I get bogged down here, then I'll never finish it, and that's what this draft is for. To finish a recent edit of Hourglass.
I've also considered how to best keep you folks in the loop and decided it's probably best to upload a chapter weekly once they are publishable. This is what I aim to do from January 10 onwards. A chapter a week will be posted on Google docs (link shall be revealed on January 10) and you can leave as many comments as you'd like! I appreciate every feedback you have!
Does this sound good? Great! I look forward to seeing your comments on the new draft soon!
See you again tomorrow! Enjoy your day/night.
WriteBot.
I just wanted to give you all an update on Hourglass. A lot of you have made some edits in the early Google Docs chapters. Thank you for that! I really appreciate it. At this point however I've decided to take the manuscript off Google docs to work on it by myself. It's been a long time since I did an edit on it and I realized after your first few comments that it simply needs to be updated. That's what I'm currently doing and I'm at the moment on chapter two.
It has been going quite well. The first ten pages were easier than the most recent six pages. I couldn't even do more than six because it was just really hard. However I finished them and updated most of the manuscript on my PC (I edit on paper). They will need another edit (desperately!) but for now it's time to focus on the next few pages instead. If I get bogged down here, then I'll never finish it, and that's what this draft is for. To finish a recent edit of Hourglass.
I've also considered how to best keep you folks in the loop and decided it's probably best to upload a chapter weekly once they are publishable. This is what I aim to do from January 10 onwards. A chapter a week will be posted on Google docs (link shall be revealed on January 10) and you can leave as many comments as you'd like! I appreciate every feedback you have!
Does this sound good? Great! I look forward to seeing your comments on the new draft soon!
See you again tomorrow! Enjoy your day/night.
WriteBot.
Thursday, November 22, 2018
The importance of resetting your mind when you're stuck
Hey folks!
I survived the mouth hygienist and my teeth look all fancy now. I did however bleed like someone who was stabbed... Aaaand of course they told me to floss every day. I'M TRYING! They recommended me some tools and I actually bought them. A few different kinds of sticks and pokey-thingies and brushes to clean my teeth.
Anyway. I guess that's enough about my teeth.
Today's post (as you can see from the title) will be about inspiration and ways to get un-stuck in your writing project. Let's start with inspiration itself. There are lots of people who will go around and ask authors the age-old question 'Where do you get your ideas??'.
This question is both easy and very difficult to answer. As a lot of authors have said before me 'I get my ideas everywhere!'.
But this is of course quite vague. 'Everywhere' is not a place you can go to in order to get your ideas.
So what are you supposed to do?
I think there are really only three secrets to getting fresh ideas. They all have to do with getting out of your OWN head and into someone else's. Or just out of your own head.
-read a lot
-go outside and meet people (that favourite of mothers' which is almost always ignored)
-think a lot
These are my personal favourites.
Why? Or: Why is it important to get out of your own head? It's simple. Your brain needs to reset. If you've been working very closely on something for a long time you'll eventually become biased (and usually against it). Ideas that seemed fresh and AMAZING the first time around are suddenly stale and boring and your brain keeps telling you 'no one wants to read this kind of stuff'. And anyway. You don't know what to write/edit any more either way.
When this happens this is usually a cue that your brain wants some rest. It's a good opportunity to take a break and do something else: gaming/reading/watching TV.
Will you feel guilty? Perhaps.
Will you be angry at yourself for not working on your own project? Probably.
But will it help you reset your mind and in the long run give you more and better ideas? Also yes.
If you don't have any hobbies -
If you know nothing about the world -
If you don't know PEOPLE -
If you have no experience -
What are you even going to write about? So take a break when necessary! Breaks are just as important as 'actual work'. No matter how much you love something, you can't do it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. And you probably don't want to either.
Does this seem like a no-brainer? It is. But still a lot of people become workaholics when they truly care about a project, and they needed to be reminded every once in a while that it's ok to rest. You don't have to wear yourself out. You don't have to throw all of your splendid ideas at one project. It's fine if you wait until later with some of them.
WriteBot out.
PS: This particular piece of advice is valid not only for writers but ALL professions. If you're stuck, take a break. The world will look fresh and new pathways will open up for your tomorrow.
Enjoy your night/day!
I survived the mouth hygienist and my teeth look all fancy now. I did however bleed like someone who was stabbed... Aaaand of course they told me to floss every day. I'M TRYING! They recommended me some tools and I actually bought them. A few different kinds of sticks and pokey-thingies and brushes to clean my teeth.
Anyway. I guess that's enough about my teeth.
Today's post (as you can see from the title) will be about inspiration and ways to get un-stuck in your writing project. Let's start with inspiration itself. There are lots of people who will go around and ask authors the age-old question 'Where do you get your ideas??'.
This question is both easy and very difficult to answer. As a lot of authors have said before me 'I get my ideas everywhere!'.
But this is of course quite vague. 'Everywhere' is not a place you can go to in order to get your ideas.
So what are you supposed to do?
I think there are really only three secrets to getting fresh ideas. They all have to do with getting out of your OWN head and into someone else's. Or just out of your own head.
-read a lot
-go outside and meet people (that favourite of mothers' which is almost always ignored)
-think a lot
These are my personal favourites.
Why? Or: Why is it important to get out of your own head? It's simple. Your brain needs to reset. If you've been working very closely on something for a long time you'll eventually become biased (and usually against it). Ideas that seemed fresh and AMAZING the first time around are suddenly stale and boring and your brain keeps telling you 'no one wants to read this kind of stuff'. And anyway. You don't know what to write/edit any more either way.
When this happens this is usually a cue that your brain wants some rest. It's a good opportunity to take a break and do something else: gaming/reading/watching TV.
Will you feel guilty? Perhaps.
Will you be angry at yourself for not working on your own project? Probably.
But will it help you reset your mind and in the long run give you more and better ideas? Also yes.
If you don't have any hobbies -
If you know nothing about the world -
If you don't know PEOPLE -
If you have no experience -
What are you even going to write about? So take a break when necessary! Breaks are just as important as 'actual work'. No matter how much you love something, you can't do it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. And you probably don't want to either.
Does this seem like a no-brainer? It is. But still a lot of people become workaholics when they truly care about a project, and they needed to be reminded every once in a while that it's ok to rest. You don't have to wear yourself out. You don't have to throw all of your splendid ideas at one project. It's fine if you wait until later with some of them.
WriteBot out.
PS: This particular piece of advice is valid not only for writers but ALL professions. If you're stuck, take a break. The world will look fresh and new pathways will open up for your tomorrow.
Enjoy your night/day!
Monday, December 25, 2017
Merry Christmas!
I haven't been able to do too much these last few weeks. I called in ill Tuesday the week before last and haven't been to my day job since because of burn-out. In the first four days after calling in sick I managed to write 40k words because another project fell apart. I'm now working on it from another angle.
Depression's kept me mostly in the house meanwhile. As stated in my last post I ordered lots of food because I was too exhausted to make any. HOWEVER. I have also been more productive with THINGS THAT MATTER (TM) than in the months before.
I have FINALLY FINISHED a novella I've been trying to work out the last two years since early (March) 2015. This is called ELEGY OF THE STARS and you can read the first 'chapter' (It's not really meant to be read in chapters) here: Elegy of the Stars Chapter 1
This novella was extremely emotionally taxing and the last kick I needed - apparently - was the absolute and complete meltdown I had last week. I spent a few hours crying to myself and ranting on reddit and then spent some more hours pitying myself. This happens to me approximately once a year or so. It's no longer a big deal. It stills feels bad. It felt bad enough I didn't manage to send proper Christmas gifts or invite anyone over. (However a quiet Christmas is sometimes nice and it gives me additional recovery time!)
Anyway... let's go back to the novella now that you have some insight in what depression has been doing to me the last few weeks.
As I said this novella was insanely difficult to finish despite being only 30k words. I picked it up and dropped it about 4-5 times before because it was just so incredibly emotionally taxing to write it.
Elegy of the Stars is about this little girl (Oria) struggling to survive on the streets of a small planet called Glast. The plot's already explained in the post linked above so I won't go into more detail. I'd rather talk about the worldbuilding of it! Here we go.
Glast:
This planet isn't in view of any sun (the planet Reath is blocking the sun year round) and so scientists had to make their own artificial star - the Seirios. The Seirios sits on top of the main Administrative building in the only and very small and dirty city of Glast - Oblivion - and the star's light is transported via light pipes to fields and so on to keep the planet lit. The streets are harsh: during the creation of the Seirios radiation went rampant and a lot of people (90%) got infected by the mutation virus that came with it. They're not all that there any more and part of that infected population has formed a cult around the Seirios. There's also miners who like little girls and boys. However the most problematic part of this population is the healthy citizens of Oblivion. They've always had access to the radiation vaccine and they basically rule the planet. They're the cultivators who produce the food and supplies everyone needs but almost no one can afford. They're also not altruistic.
This is the world Oria has to navigate and she can only rely on herself. During the years on the street she's allowed one person to rely on her but eschews all other forms of communication or teamwork with even fellow street rats. This changes when she meets Quinn. He saves her life and suddenly she's in his debt. He has an easy solution to getting rid of that debt but when she agrees to it instead of getting rid of Quinn she falls into even deeper debts to him.
There is a lot of pain and struggle in the story. It's not something that I'd usually write (probably that is why it was so hard). I don't like reading depressing stories and don't like writing them either. And yet. This was a story I couldn't get out of my mind. I mean I could. I got it off my mind a year and then another - but at some point I had to return. I had to try again. And it's finally done!
So what are the next steps?
I've commissioned my cover artist to make cover for the story and I hope to be done with the last edit (spellings and general polishing) by the time the cover is done. And then it's off to KDP!
Again! If you want to read the first chapter please click here: Elegy of the Stars Chapter 1
I'll post some more chapters (probably the whole novella) in the future and will have some small comments about what was so difficult! Tune in if you like.
PS: I'm also always happy about comments!
Depression's kept me mostly in the house meanwhile. As stated in my last post I ordered lots of food because I was too exhausted to make any. HOWEVER. I have also been more productive with THINGS THAT MATTER (TM) than in the months before.
I have FINALLY FINISHED a novella I've been trying to work out the last two years since early (March) 2015. This is called ELEGY OF THE STARS and you can read the first 'chapter' (It's not really meant to be read in chapters) here: Elegy of the Stars Chapter 1
This novella was extremely emotionally taxing and the last kick I needed - apparently - was the absolute and complete meltdown I had last week. I spent a few hours crying to myself and ranting on reddit and then spent some more hours pitying myself. This happens to me approximately once a year or so. It's no longer a big deal. It stills feels bad. It felt bad enough I didn't manage to send proper Christmas gifts or invite anyone over. (However a quiet Christmas is sometimes nice and it gives me additional recovery time!)
Anyway... let's go back to the novella now that you have some insight in what depression has been doing to me the last few weeks.
As I said this novella was insanely difficult to finish despite being only 30k words. I picked it up and dropped it about 4-5 times before because it was just so incredibly emotionally taxing to write it.
Elegy of the Stars is about this little girl (Oria) struggling to survive on the streets of a small planet called Glast. The plot's already explained in the post linked above so I won't go into more detail. I'd rather talk about the worldbuilding of it! Here we go.
Glast:
This planet isn't in view of any sun (the planet Reath is blocking the sun year round) and so scientists had to make their own artificial star - the Seirios. The Seirios sits on top of the main Administrative building in the only and very small and dirty city of Glast - Oblivion - and the star's light is transported via light pipes to fields and so on to keep the planet lit. The streets are harsh: during the creation of the Seirios radiation went rampant and a lot of people (90%) got infected by the mutation virus that came with it. They're not all that there any more and part of that infected population has formed a cult around the Seirios. There's also miners who like little girls and boys. However the most problematic part of this population is the healthy citizens of Oblivion. They've always had access to the radiation vaccine and they basically rule the planet. They're the cultivators who produce the food and supplies everyone needs but almost no one can afford. They're also not altruistic.
This is the world Oria has to navigate and she can only rely on herself. During the years on the street she's allowed one person to rely on her but eschews all other forms of communication or teamwork with even fellow street rats. This changes when she meets Quinn. He saves her life and suddenly she's in his debt. He has an easy solution to getting rid of that debt but when she agrees to it instead of getting rid of Quinn she falls into even deeper debts to him.
There is a lot of pain and struggle in the story. It's not something that I'd usually write (probably that is why it was so hard). I don't like reading depressing stories and don't like writing them either. And yet. This was a story I couldn't get out of my mind. I mean I could. I got it off my mind a year and then another - but at some point I had to return. I had to try again. And it's finally done!
So what are the next steps?
I've commissioned my cover artist to make cover for the story and I hope to be done with the last edit (spellings and general polishing) by the time the cover is done. And then it's off to KDP!
Again! If you want to read the first chapter please click here: Elegy of the Stars Chapter 1
I'll post some more chapters (probably the whole novella) in the future and will have some small comments about what was so difficult! Tune in if you like.
PS: I'm also always happy about comments!
Thursday, December 21, 2017
A long hiatus... but I have good news!
I know I haven't posted in a while. I'm sorry. I'll be trying to post more but I didn't want to spam y'all with useless posts. If I have nothing to say I'd rather shut up most of the time. (Unless it's an argument I need to win!!!!)
Anyway! I wanted to take the time to list some accomplishments before the new years starts and you're all welcome to participate/tell me about yours! (PS: this blog will turn more informal than it has been.)
So.
What have I done this year?
1. I've finished the third draft of my post-apocalyptic dinosaur and cyborg book. This is great news because it means only one more draft and it's done! I'll be sending it out to agents (and publishers in some cases) and hope someone takes it! My beta reader has also been very positive about this book so that makes me double happy.
2. I wrote about three short stories. I've sent one to the New Yorker because it applies to the real world (strangely enough) and is about a popular current topic (children's privacy on the internet/especially concerning pictures). I'm pretty sure they won't want it but hey! Worth a try anyway. I'll probably be putting it into a collection on amazon soon. It's called KIDNAPPING SKY.
3. I have three wonderful covers on three of my short stories! I love them and they're done by the very talented Hannah Hilton (link to follow shortly).
Here they are:
also following shortly with amazon link
4. I've also read 30 books of my 53 book goal! I'd hoped to do more but am not terribly disappointed. 30 is good. 52 would be better but I did my best and it just wasn't possible. I'll try again in the New Year! :)
That's it from me folks. How about you?
PS: Merry Christmas! It's only three more days!
Anyway! I wanted to take the time to list some accomplishments before the new years starts and you're all welcome to participate/tell me about yours! (PS: this blog will turn more informal than it has been.)
So.
What have I done this year?
1. I've finished the third draft of my post-apocalyptic dinosaur and cyborg book. This is great news because it means only one more draft and it's done! I'll be sending it out to agents (and publishers in some cases) and hope someone takes it! My beta reader has also been very positive about this book so that makes me double happy.
2. I wrote about three short stories. I've sent one to the New Yorker because it applies to the real world (strangely enough) and is about a popular current topic (children's privacy on the internet/especially concerning pictures). I'm pretty sure they won't want it but hey! Worth a try anyway. I'll probably be putting it into a collection on amazon soon. It's called KIDNAPPING SKY.
3. I have three wonderful covers on three of my short stories! I love them and they're done by the very talented Hannah Hilton (link to follow shortly).
Here they are:
 |
| On Amazon! |
 |
| On Amazon! |
 |
| On Amazon! |
4. I've also read 30 books of my 53 book goal! I'd hoped to do more but am not terribly disappointed. 30 is good. 52 would be better but I did my best and it just wasn't possible. I'll try again in the New Year! :)
That's it from me folks. How about you?
PS: Merry Christmas! It's only three more days!
Wednesday, August 10, 2016
Why editing is superior to writing (highly subjective of course)
Hi people (and otherwise!)
I want to explain why editing is so much better than writing itself. (Warning: this might not be as useful to plotters, but it certainly is to pantsers who don't have much patience to think every plot detail through.)
What????!?!?!!? will be the reaction of most of the people reading this. I don't blame you. But consider this:
1. you write... a first draft. It goes all right (at least if you're a pantser, you're normally not as concerned with what-on-earth is going on in your ms. At first.) You have a finished product, and if it's anything like mine, then it'll be the bare bones of the actual book. It'll be so minimalistic no one else would ever want to read it. The characters are great, they're actually life-like, and each has their own personality, but their emotions, and the reasons they do things (which they do!) might be lacking clarity. The plot, too, could be refined, just so on page one-hundred Max isn't a guy, when he was a girl before. (Unless that's the sort of story you're writing!)
Congratulations! You now have a skeleton (in your drawer!). It might have 60-100k words (or a looot more) and you can put it aside happily.
It's time to wait.
Wait...
Wait...
Ok. Let's pretend a month has passed. (A month is a good time to get over your initial furious writing draft and start to see things more objectively.)
This is when editing comes around.
What's next?
If you're at all sensitive to story structure/characters/plot you can now tell what the manuscript needs. I don't normally read through any of my drafts in detail. I just skim over them and usually edit as I go. This works for me. It might not work for you.
There might be a lot of things to do... such as:
reordering scenes
writing more scenes you forgot/didn't know at the time but which need to be in the manuscript
clarify text
tighten prose (or on the opposite side/the thing I have to do often: add meat to the bones)
strengthen your rambled adjectives into some more descriptive nouns
cut characters that serve no purpose
cut scenes that serve no purpose
cut mercilessly
add description of places/emotions (or perhaps cut them if they're too much or too fluffy!)
In short: you finally get to edit. You have the bones of a story you find brilliant, and now you have to flesh them out, so other people will be able to get a glimpse of the grand picture in your mind. This is FUN! I don't understand why people seem to hate it. It is the best thing of the whole writing process, when you finally have a framework, and can start doing what you set out to do in the first place.
I do however know why it might turn people off: because the first draft might not be good enough to love editing as much as you should. Do you ever run into problems such as 'the whole plot doesn't make any sense because it's based on something stupid?'. I'll give you an example: say you have an artefact which someone has and someone else needs. The two characters meet very early in the story... and the one in the position of 'more' power (who is also the one who needs the artefact) fails to realize it's next to her - and not because the other character is actively trying to hide it... but because... PLOT. The whole plot would have crumbled if she got the artefact when all intelligence implied she should have. (Yeah this was one of my early drafts.. actually my first finished book... and it was broken beyond repair. Don't worry. It's since been shelved.).
How can you love editing then, if your plot is not a plot, and if you're so close to the manuscript nothing ever works? I tell you what: Trust your instinct. Put the manuscript aside for at least a month, then look at it again. There will be things you hate/which don't feel right. You can cut them (though I do advise keeping them in a separate document in case you change your mind later - which I usually don't, but it doesn't hurt to have backup) immediately. There will be things you will want to expand. That's great. That's lovely. You'll know more now than you did when you first wrote it (unless you're an outliner, and I don't know how useful this essay will be to you!), and you can now put this all into motion.
Here's a quick tip: I don't normally use notes. I make a lot of notes in the month between first and second draft, but I rarely look at them while editing. The important details stick - as all good ideas do. The rest... can be dismissed if it wasn't important/exciting enough to remember in the first place. Plus: your notes might be conflicting (say one note says character A must do X to comply with the plot... but another say character A can't do X or the plot will break) ... and they'll just confuse you to no end.
This editing gives you so much freedom! You finally know what your story is about. You can finally put it the way you wanted it. And don't worry, if even after the edit the story still doesn't make sense. There's always the option to improve on the next draft. And you'll write other stories Your current manuscript is not the only thing you'll ever write! And the more you practise the better your next manuscript will be!
Does this help? I hope it does and I hope you'll have a great week! As usual I'd be excited to have some comments (or sales! Ahahah). Cheers!
J.M.
I want to explain why editing is so much better than writing itself. (Warning: this might not be as useful to plotters, but it certainly is to pantsers who don't have much patience to think every plot detail through.)
What????!?!?!!? will be the reaction of most of the people reading this. I don't blame you. But consider this:
1. you write... a first draft. It goes all right (at least if you're a pantser, you're normally not as concerned with what-on-earth is going on in your ms. At first.) You have a finished product, and if it's anything like mine, then it'll be the bare bones of the actual book. It'll be so minimalistic no one else would ever want to read it. The characters are great, they're actually life-like, and each has their own personality, but their emotions, and the reasons they do things (which they do!) might be lacking clarity. The plot, too, could be refined, just so on page one-hundred Max isn't a guy, when he was a girl before. (Unless that's the sort of story you're writing!)
Congratulations! You now have a skeleton (in your drawer!). It might have 60-100k words (or a looot more) and you can put it aside happily.
It's time to wait.
Wait...
Wait...
Ok. Let's pretend a month has passed. (A month is a good time to get over your initial furious writing draft and start to see things more objectively.)
This is when editing comes around.
What's next?
If you're at all sensitive to story structure/characters/plot you can now tell what the manuscript needs. I don't normally read through any of my drafts in detail. I just skim over them and usually edit as I go. This works for me. It might not work for you.
There might be a lot of things to do... such as:
reordering scenes
writing more scenes you forgot/didn't know at the time but which need to be in the manuscript
clarify text
tighten prose (or on the opposite side/the thing I have to do often: add meat to the bones)
strengthen your rambled adjectives into some more descriptive nouns
cut characters that serve no purpose
cut scenes that serve no purpose
cut mercilessly
add description of places/emotions (or perhaps cut them if they're too much or too fluffy!)
In short: you finally get to edit. You have the bones of a story you find brilliant, and now you have to flesh them out, so other people will be able to get a glimpse of the grand picture in your mind. This is FUN! I don't understand why people seem to hate it. It is the best thing of the whole writing process, when you finally have a framework, and can start doing what you set out to do in the first place.
I do however know why it might turn people off: because the first draft might not be good enough to love editing as much as you should. Do you ever run into problems such as 'the whole plot doesn't make any sense because it's based on something stupid?'. I'll give you an example: say you have an artefact which someone has and someone else needs. The two characters meet very early in the story... and the one in the position of 'more' power (who is also the one who needs the artefact) fails to realize it's next to her - and not because the other character is actively trying to hide it... but because... PLOT. The whole plot would have crumbled if she got the artefact when all intelligence implied she should have. (Yeah this was one of my early drafts.. actually my first finished book... and it was broken beyond repair. Don't worry. It's since been shelved.).
How can you love editing then, if your plot is not a plot, and if you're so close to the manuscript nothing ever works? I tell you what: Trust your instinct. Put the manuscript aside for at least a month, then look at it again. There will be things you hate/which don't feel right. You can cut them (though I do advise keeping them in a separate document in case you change your mind later - which I usually don't, but it doesn't hurt to have backup) immediately. There will be things you will want to expand. That's great. That's lovely. You'll know more now than you did when you first wrote it (unless you're an outliner, and I don't know how useful this essay will be to you!), and you can now put this all into motion.
Here's a quick tip: I don't normally use notes. I make a lot of notes in the month between first and second draft, but I rarely look at them while editing. The important details stick - as all good ideas do. The rest... can be dismissed if it wasn't important/exciting enough to remember in the first place. Plus: your notes might be conflicting (say one note says character A must do X to comply with the plot... but another say character A can't do X or the plot will break) ... and they'll just confuse you to no end.
This editing gives you so much freedom! You finally know what your story is about. You can finally put it the way you wanted it. And don't worry, if even after the edit the story still doesn't make sense. There's always the option to improve on the next draft. And you'll write other stories Your current manuscript is not the only thing you'll ever write! And the more you practise the better your next manuscript will be!
Does this help? I hope it does and I hope you'll have a great week! As usual I'd be excited to have some comments (or sales! Ahahah). Cheers!
J.M.
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