It’s been a busy week of outside obligations, which means I’ve been called away from my office and not working on either my book or this blog as consistently as I’d like. Hopefully that’ll change next week!
So yesterday was my first day to attack edits.
I must admit to wondering how well I can carry out the really great suggestions I was given from my editor. It seems a common enough feeling: can I convey on paper what changes I see in my head?
Wait a minute. This isn’t a common feeling, it’s a familiar one. Aren’t these the same thoughts I have whenever I begin a book?
Ignoring my doubts, I did the logical thing. Started the process. And guess what? Working pushes away doubt. It happens every time, so it shouldn’t surprise me.
Doing edits makes me excited all over again about this project. Maybe it’s a combination of achieving a fresh eye for having set aside the project for a couple of weeks, getting positive and helpful feedback, or just that feeling of worth that comes along with work. I don’t know. All I do know is that I’m loving this process.
All the writers I know are given edits—from fairly significant to something just above copyedits (fixing grammar and checking facts/consistency). In the past, the kind of edits I’ve received depends on a few different factors. The most obvious factor is the state of the novel. Did I have enough time to do the project justice to begin with? Did I have distractions along the way—unexpected family demands or issues?
Sometimes an author’s best work is their first novel, because before publication we have more time. Without a deadline, ideally we can rewrite to our heart’s content, and ask countless others to critique our work, in essence, edit. I like to think experience makes up for time, so authors don’t have to spend years on each subsequent book, but it’s never a good idea to commit to too many projects and have to rush through of any one of them.
The amount of edits also depends on the editor. I’ve worked with several, and each one has his or her own style and amount of input. I’m happy to say most of my experiences with editors have been extremely positive. I feel like they’ve attained their position for a reason, that they’ve gained the trust of the publishing house that’s paying me, so it behooves me to listen. (I’ve always wanted to use the word behooves.)
Bottom line, blogs are the only places writers get to write without being edited. There’s something freeing about that, I suppose, but here it’s rather rough. Thoughts might jump from one to another, sort of like a free-flowing conversation (okay, soliloquy).
But no one pays to read a blog, at least not directly. People do pay to read a book, even if it’s through taxes at the local library.
I want to share some of the specific things I’m working on to give you an idea that even writers who’ve written several books don’t produce a finished product the first time through. This one is my ninth published novel, but I’ve written others that are tucked away. (Hey, I’ve been writing since I was ten, so this isn’t as prolific as it sounds.) The truth is the best novels make it seem as if the words just poured out with ease, but chances are that’s because a good editor was involved.
So here are some of the specific things I’ll be working on:
- The heroine, as I mentioned earlier.
- Moving the romantic plot along quicker. This was another one of those things that I just knew would need work, so here I am devoting the time I should have taken before turning it in.
- Omitting a few characters – or at least the names of those who aren’t important to the plot.
- Not missing any opportunities to bring out the main theme, not losing sight of that in secondary plot
As you can see, these suggestions were given from the birds-eye view I mentioned before. It means going through the novel again as a whole, with these sorts of things in mind.
Each segment of writing, from creating a novel to doing the edits, is work. Each element has its challenges. But to me it’s all like putting a puzzle together, and when the pieces end up fitting, there’s just nothing more fun.
So, it’s off to work for me…
Join Me!