Racing through the editing on my kid's book!
Hope I'm not getting scissor happy!
Ooh, it feels good to have a good edit!
Did 4 chaps, cut 1200 words approx, AND THAT'S ONLY THE FIRST EDIT.
RAH INDEED, AND RAH AGAIN!
Wednesday 26 September 2007
Tuesday 25 September 2007
Getting Rid of Useless Stuff
Yesterday I was struggling, today it was all change Chez KayJay, thank gawd. I'm all inspired again.
Thanks for the words of wisdom re my first chapter wranglings, I appreciate them all. And all comments generally, unless you're trying to get me to buy something I don't need.
I ploughed on with the novel this afternoon and got about 1000 words done, which is distinctly average (and I fear the words were distinctly average too) but at least I got over my wobble. It wasn't flowing, however, so after a bit I buggered off to editing my children's book, which went really well!
My kid's book was well over 16,000 words - far too long for a chapter book for 6-9 year olds. It was my aim to get it down to 14,000 initially, then 12,000 on the third draft. I made a new document called BIG EDIT and chopped and chopped and chopped. I'm half way through and I've lost about 2000 words (including an entire chapter!) and considering that the second half of the book is much more over-written anyway, I reckon I'll get down to 12,000 words easily. Ideally, it should come in under 10,000, so that will be my goal for draft 3.
Weird to think that the end result will end up at least 30% shorter! Seems like a huge amount to lose. But what an illustration of cutting away the chaff! I had an entire chapter of filler where nothing happened, my dialogue was overly long and indulgent and I kept repeating stuff!
My mantra must be: is it essential for the story? If so, keep. And all the clever twiddly stuff or the random ideas I'm so fond of have to go, unless they are beyond fabulous (and even then, some of them will probably have go).
Funny. I've just realised that I'm doing exactly the same thing in other areas of my life! I'm doing a huge chuck out at home. If it doesn't serve a purpose or is beautiful, bin it! Or preferably recycle. And that's what I'll do with the edits too. They'll go into a file and maybe have a whole new life in a different story.
I utterly love this. I just want you to know that I'm in love with the whole writing process. It is driving me insane at times, but I have such a hunger for it. Sometimes it's frustrating beyond endurance, sometimes scary or even (dare I say it?) dull! Depressing! Faintly ridiculous! But so far, the good bits always come around again.
Ah, well. I'm only a beginner. Give me time and I'll develop some bitter cynicism and festering bile.
Thanks for the words of wisdom re my first chapter wranglings, I appreciate them all. And all comments generally, unless you're trying to get me to buy something I don't need.
I ploughed on with the novel this afternoon and got about 1000 words done, which is distinctly average (and I fear the words were distinctly average too) but at least I got over my wobble. It wasn't flowing, however, so after a bit I buggered off to editing my children's book, which went really well!
My kid's book was well over 16,000 words - far too long for a chapter book for 6-9 year olds. It was my aim to get it down to 14,000 initially, then 12,000 on the third draft. I made a new document called BIG EDIT and chopped and chopped and chopped. I'm half way through and I've lost about 2000 words (including an entire chapter!) and considering that the second half of the book is much more over-written anyway, I reckon I'll get down to 12,000 words easily. Ideally, it should come in under 10,000, so that will be my goal for draft 3.
Weird to think that the end result will end up at least 30% shorter! Seems like a huge amount to lose. But what an illustration of cutting away the chaff! I had an entire chapter of filler where nothing happened, my dialogue was overly long and indulgent and I kept repeating stuff!
My mantra must be: is it essential for the story? If so, keep. And all the clever twiddly stuff or the random ideas I'm so fond of have to go, unless they are beyond fabulous (and even then, some of them will probably have go).
Funny. I've just realised that I'm doing exactly the same thing in other areas of my life! I'm doing a huge chuck out at home. If it doesn't serve a purpose or is beautiful, bin it! Or preferably recycle. And that's what I'll do with the edits too. They'll go into a file and maybe have a whole new life in a different story.
I utterly love this. I just want you to know that I'm in love with the whole writing process. It is driving me insane at times, but I have such a hunger for it. Sometimes it's frustrating beyond endurance, sometimes scary or even (dare I say it?) dull! Depressing! Faintly ridiculous! But so far, the good bits always come around again.
Ah, well. I'm only a beginner. Give me time and I'll develop some bitter cynicism and festering bile.
Monday 24 September 2007
I Don't Like Mondays
I didn't do half of the things I wanted to do yesterday. No writing, no Michael Palin...and as for the rest...
I'm finding it difficult to make the mental switch from the day job to my novel at the moment. I have been so in the zone in recent weeks that it has been easy to fit in an hour here, a couple of hours there. But at the moment I can't find it in me to be quite so random and still achieve anything worthwhile.
It doesn't help that I'm at a place in the plot that might naturally lag a little anyway. I guess it's the calm before the storm. I can't wait to get the next couple of chapters out of the way so I can concentrate on the Beginning of the End. I'm having a few doubts about where the focus of the story should be and the overall story arc, the 'through line'. I think the only way to deal with it is to get the thing written anyway (thus sticking to my originally plot line) then reassess it as a whole piece. I wouldn't be surprised if I end up ditching some of it and changing the emphasis considerably. We'll see.
I've also got it into my head that I want to make some major changes to my opening chapter. I love my opening chapter. I must have written it several years ago and of course, it has changed considerably since those first scribbles. Yes, it's gone through some major editing but I've been very happy with it for quite a while. Until now. I guess it's because I've been reading so many opening chapters on various different sites and obsessing about how mine compares in terms of impact, readability, voice - all in regards to getting an agent or publisher interested, of course. The chapter has strengths, I hope: it begins in the heart of the action, has a distinctive voice, humour, an intriguing ending? Then again, as I write this I wonder if it is ALL THAT. Maybe I love my opening chapter for the wrong reasons - ie what it represents to me on a personal level?! Maybe my voice is derivative and the humour is sucky - and who ever thinks they don't have a good sense of humour? Am I telling more than I'm showing? Is my style too...I dunno...kinda cheap? Maybe I use too many damn dashes - and (brackets) and pose too many questions? Or dot dot dot...
Sorry, went off on one there. Having a bit of a deconstructive wallow. I'll rally. Just need to give myself a break then dive into it again for a good stint, uninterrupted.
Any tips?
I'm finding it difficult to make the mental switch from the day job to my novel at the moment. I have been so in the zone in recent weeks that it has been easy to fit in an hour here, a couple of hours there. But at the moment I can't find it in me to be quite so random and still achieve anything worthwhile.
It doesn't help that I'm at a place in the plot that might naturally lag a little anyway. I guess it's the calm before the storm. I can't wait to get the next couple of chapters out of the way so I can concentrate on the Beginning of the End. I'm having a few doubts about where the focus of the story should be and the overall story arc, the 'through line'. I think the only way to deal with it is to get the thing written anyway (thus sticking to my originally plot line) then reassess it as a whole piece. I wouldn't be surprised if I end up ditching some of it and changing the emphasis considerably. We'll see.
I've also got it into my head that I want to make some major changes to my opening chapter. I love my opening chapter. I must have written it several years ago and of course, it has changed considerably since those first scribbles. Yes, it's gone through some major editing but I've been very happy with it for quite a while. Until now. I guess it's because I've been reading so many opening chapters on various different sites and obsessing about how mine compares in terms of impact, readability, voice - all in regards to getting an agent or publisher interested, of course. The chapter has strengths, I hope: it begins in the heart of the action, has a distinctive voice, humour, an intriguing ending? Then again, as I write this I wonder if it is ALL THAT. Maybe I love my opening chapter for the wrong reasons - ie what it represents to me on a personal level?! Maybe my voice is derivative and the humour is sucky - and who ever thinks they don't have a good sense of humour? Am I telling more than I'm showing? Is my style too...I dunno...kinda cheap? Maybe I use too many damn dashes - and (brackets) and pose too many questions? Or dot dot dot...
Sorry, went off on one there. Having a bit of a deconstructive wallow. I'll rally. Just need to give myself a break then dive into it again for a good stint, uninterrupted.
Any tips?
Sunday 23 September 2007
Ain't that the truth...
'The pages are still blank, but there is a miraculous feeling of the words being there, written in invisible ink and clamouring to become visible.'
Vladimir Nabokov
I love this quotation. Not that I'm this huge Nabokov fan or anything - I think I read the first page of Lolita and gave up - but it does describe how I'm feeling at the moment. (That's the quotation, not the first page of Lolita.)
Actually my word count has gone up in the last week, a little. It's just that right now there's a wee bit too much 'clamouring' and not enough 'becoming visible' going on. Still, it's Sunday, so that means there's time for a long walk, housework, sex, Michael Palin, a big lunch and writing! And not strictly in that order.
(I have just Wiki-ed Nabokov and apparently he was a synesthete! Fascinating. Synethesia is a person thinks Mozart sounds orangey or the number 3 is red or the letter f tastes of sherbet. I've always been a bit inclined this way...to find out if you are, look here. I'll bet a fair few of you are.)
Vladimir Nabokov
I love this quotation. Not that I'm this huge Nabokov fan or anything - I think I read the first page of Lolita and gave up - but it does describe how I'm feeling at the moment. (That's the quotation, not the first page of Lolita.)
Actually my word count has gone up in the last week, a little. It's just that right now there's a wee bit too much 'clamouring' and not enough 'becoming visible' going on. Still, it's Sunday, so that means there's time for a long walk, housework, sex, Michael Palin, a big lunch and writing! And not strictly in that order.
(I have just Wiki-ed Nabokov and apparently he was a synesthete! Fascinating. Synethesia is a person thinks Mozart sounds orangey or the number 3 is red or the letter f tastes of sherbet. I've always been a bit inclined this way...to find out if you are, look here. I'll bet a fair few of you are.)
Monday 17 September 2007
Miss Write...boo who?
The Search for the Next Big Thing in Chick Lit is Over! There ain't gonna be one!
Ah, well. I have the Cosmo/Waterstones/Sphere comp to thank for a hell of a lot. It got me to crack on with my Chick Lit book and introduced me to the blogs of the gals on the right hand side - well worth a read, if you haven't already done so.
The fact that I spent most of August on tenterhooks, waiting for the phone to ring, well...
It seems like the demi-gods who were judging the competition have decided not to appoint a winner. I have to say, on reading about the comp earlier in the year I was surprised by the notion that someone would be given a publishing deal on the strength of 3000 words and a synopsis. Rumours abound as to why the whole thing has been so 'badly managed'. Personally, I'm of the opinion that this was somebody's bright idea that was passed on to someone else with a different agenda and not a lot of time on their hands (sounds good, doesn't it?). Either that or we were all a bit crap.
I'm sure if you've been anywhere near as obsessed with the whole thing as me you've already read the news, if not, check out the blogs on the right for the low down.
I don't feel so bad, really. It's fab for the runners up to get some time with Louise Candlish, pick her brains - that would have been a great experience. Just because I didn't make the cut, I don't think it's any huge reflection on my book. Sphere have a list and the winner's novel would have to work within that list. Cosmo have a demographic, and I'm the wrong side of it! Waterstones have never liked me, either.
Anyway, a heartfelt congrats to those who were runners up, and a huge slice of sympathy for those who weren't. Not that we need it, huh?
(Use the pain, goddammit!)
Ah, well. I have the Cosmo/Waterstones/Sphere comp to thank for a hell of a lot. It got me to crack on with my Chick Lit book and introduced me to the blogs of the gals on the right hand side - well worth a read, if you haven't already done so.
The fact that I spent most of August on tenterhooks, waiting for the phone to ring, well...
It seems like the demi-gods who were judging the competition have decided not to appoint a winner. I have to say, on reading about the comp earlier in the year I was surprised by the notion that someone would be given a publishing deal on the strength of 3000 words and a synopsis. Rumours abound as to why the whole thing has been so 'badly managed'. Personally, I'm of the opinion that this was somebody's bright idea that was passed on to someone else with a different agenda and not a lot of time on their hands (sounds good, doesn't it?). Either that or we were all a bit crap.
I'm sure if you've been anywhere near as obsessed with the whole thing as me you've already read the news, if not, check out the blogs on the right for the low down.
I don't feel so bad, really. It's fab for the runners up to get some time with Louise Candlish, pick her brains - that would have been a great experience. Just because I didn't make the cut, I don't think it's any huge reflection on my book. Sphere have a list and the winner's novel would have to work within that list. Cosmo have a demographic, and I'm the wrong side of it! Waterstones have never liked me, either.
Anyway, a heartfelt congrats to those who were runners up, and a huge slice of sympathy for those who weren't. Not that we need it, huh?
(Use the pain, goddammit!)
Wednesday 12 September 2007
A Whole New World of Hurt
Beginnings are always difficult. Beginning a new book, beginning a chapter, beginning a new writing session, sitting gazing at the monitor and willing it to start filling up with words.
And so it is with some trepidation that I begin this blog. Not my first blog - I popped that particular cherry a few years ago - but my first writing blog. Writing blog. So now my blogging has to have some vestige of skill to it...
Anyway, the hard facts. I'm a thirtysomething female, tapping away at the keyboard (as my mother calls it, doing 'Tappy Lappy', hence the title) and dreaming of being published. I live in London, run my own business, largely from home, and write whenever the phone stops ringing.
I've written several children's plays that have been performed by professional companies, but as yet I haven't been published. Plays are huge fun - and in a previous incarnation I was an actor - but writing children's books and women's/comedy fiction is where my real desires lie.
Currently I'm working on two books: firstly, I'm editing a chapter book for 6-9 year olds, which is far too bloody long for its own good; secondly there's my Chick Lit book, which is two thirds of the the way through its first draft.
Being a former actor, I am well acquainted with rejection, creative blockage, general gnashing of teeth and dreaming of big dreams. But writing is lonelier. The social life isn't as nearly as good. So, I'm creating this blog to try and reach out to my fellow scribes in the hope that we can all help each other with dealing with this wierd pursuit.
(If all the above sounds a tad pompous, don't fret. I get more user-friendly the more you get to know me. And hopefully the writing will improve. So stick around?)
Right. That's the end of the beginning. Not as concise and enthralling as I'd like, but no doubt I'll go back and edit it when I'm stuck on the middle bit or the tricky ending.
And so it is with some trepidation that I begin this blog. Not my first blog - I popped that particular cherry a few years ago - but my first writing blog. Writing blog. So now my blogging has to have some vestige of skill to it...
Anyway, the hard facts. I'm a thirtysomething female, tapping away at the keyboard (as my mother calls it, doing 'Tappy Lappy', hence the title) and dreaming of being published. I live in London, run my own business, largely from home, and write whenever the phone stops ringing.
I've written several children's plays that have been performed by professional companies, but as yet I haven't been published. Plays are huge fun - and in a previous incarnation I was an actor - but writing children's books and women's/comedy fiction is where my real desires lie.
Currently I'm working on two books: firstly, I'm editing a chapter book for 6-9 year olds, which is far too bloody long for its own good; secondly there's my Chick Lit book, which is two thirds of the the way through its first draft.
Being a former actor, I am well acquainted with rejection, creative blockage, general gnashing of teeth and dreaming of big dreams. But writing is lonelier. The social life isn't as nearly as good. So, I'm creating this blog to try and reach out to my fellow scribes in the hope that we can all help each other with dealing with this wierd pursuit.
(If all the above sounds a tad pompous, don't fret. I get more user-friendly the more you get to know me. And hopefully the writing will improve. So stick around?)
Right. That's the end of the beginning. Not as concise and enthralling as I'd like, but no doubt I'll go back and edit it when I'm stuck on the middle bit or the tricky ending.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
