So yesterday I pushed through and got the last dozen chapters edited. Spelling and grammar, check. Sentence structure and tightening, check.
Next up, tieing characters to the plot and taking an axe to the story line. Here's the litmus test: if it doesn't move the story forward, it gets cut.
I started with the biggest chunks first. There was this one whole chapter that I didn't like. It had absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the story. Didn't advance the plot. No bearing on the rest of the story, so away it went. 2,000 words at the push of the button. I've a few more ideas about what to get rid of, but right now I'm concerned with my cast of characters. To that end I'm going to write a little short story featuring each character. I'm reasonably sure these won't see the light of day, but I might weave them into TR to flesh out the characters. Think of it as shots of adrenaline for ailing people. I need these guys to be up and about, not shuffling listlessly through life.
In my mind, I had a time table. The edits would take X amount of time. Submitting the story for publication (which would be immediately accepted.) would be done inside a month.
Only a fool would think it was that easy.
That little time table in my mind allowed me to set a pace. Every time I touch TR, rough patches disappear. Corners get smoothed over. The story becomes streamlined.
It's not that I think the story is no good, quite the opposite. The book needs to be living up to it's potential.
American football season is over, at least for our high school.Whew! Not a moment too soon. We have a cold front coming in tomorrow. Laugh all you want, but the collective IQ on a San Antonio driver goes down about 75 points when the ice and snow hit.
This weekend I bought a small wine rack to lay my mead sideways. I'm actually looking at recipes to try and make five gallons of mead sometime in the near future. On a side note, I think a line was crossed when I realized the need for a wine rack in my house.
This way when my family comes for a visit, I'll have some mead properly bottled and aged. Which reminds me, I better get a label maker. Any suggestions?
Next up, tieing characters to the plot and taking an axe to the story line. Here's the litmus test: if it doesn't move the story forward, it gets cut.
I started with the biggest chunks first. There was this one whole chapter that I didn't like. It had absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the story. Didn't advance the plot. No bearing on the rest of the story, so away it went. 2,000 words at the push of the button. I've a few more ideas about what to get rid of, but right now I'm concerned with my cast of characters. To that end I'm going to write a little short story featuring each character. I'm reasonably sure these won't see the light of day, but I might weave them into TR to flesh out the characters. Think of it as shots of adrenaline for ailing people. I need these guys to be up and about, not shuffling listlessly through life.
In my mind, I had a time table. The edits would take X amount of time. Submitting the story for publication (which would be immediately accepted.) would be done inside a month.
Only a fool would think it was that easy.
That little time table in my mind allowed me to set a pace. Every time I touch TR, rough patches disappear. Corners get smoothed over. The story becomes streamlined.
It's not that I think the story is no good, quite the opposite. The book needs to be living up to it's potential.
American football season is over, at least for our high school.Whew! Not a moment too soon. We have a cold front coming in tomorrow. Laugh all you want, but the collective IQ on a San Antonio driver goes down about 75 points when the ice and snow hit.
This weekend I bought a small wine rack to lay my mead sideways. I'm actually looking at recipes to try and make five gallons of mead sometime in the near future. On a side note, I think a line was crossed when I realized the need for a wine rack in my house.
This way when my family comes for a visit, I'll have some mead properly bottled and aged. Which reminds me, I better get a label maker. Any suggestions?
2 comments:
tieing characters to the plot should be "tying".....
Thanks Auntie Jo, that's why we have editors.
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