Most of you probably know that one does not simply write a book and then publish it.
I hope. *looks around suspiciously*
Anyway, after 19 long months of slaving away over my novel Primus’ rough draft, the next step is, of course, to edit the darn thing. But it’s so large, the idea of going through it line by line is somewhat, well … overwhelming.
But! I think I have a plan.
A long time ago, I attempted to edit one of my finished rough drafts. Basically, this editing attempt included me printing out my entire manuscript, then retyping it back into the computer while adding in additional scenes as they came to me and deepening the original scenes. The result: I ended up with a manuscript twice as long rather than slimmer and tighter, not to mention never actually finished the edits, as it was an extremely time-consuming and inefficient process.
But that was a long time ago.
I’ve learned a massive amount since then. I’ve even taken a few workshops, read a few books on self-editing, and am currently enrolled in Angela James’ Before You Hit Send workshop to pick up even more tricks.
So. This time I’m going to be a lean, mean, editing machine!
The general plan is as follows:
PHASE ONE
*Read through the entire manuscript via the printed copy from Lulu.
*Make notes on problem areas or plot holes as I read in my trusty accompanying notebook and note the chapter/page/scene.
*Make additional marks within the copy itself for typos, wordy sentences, redundant phrasing, etc.
PHASE TWO
*Work on world-building based on what I feel is needed after the initial read-through. This includes things like slang, swear words, mythology, legends, lullabies, more detailed societal standards, government policies and branch names, geography, climate, etc.
*Incorporate noted fixes from notebook and page notes into a digital draft to produce the revised draft.
*Flesh out plot as necessary to fill in plot holes, make the story less skeletal. This includes writing any additional scenes as necessary and incorporating the fleshed out additional world-building.
*Send revised draft to beta readers.
PHASE THREE
*Review beta reader feedback and determine what needs to be incorporated and what does not.
*Work on revisions based on beta reader feedback.
*Listen to entire revised draft via read aloud feature on computer and make notes of anything else that needs to be fixed.
*Make final edits.
*Query/submit to pre-selected agents/presses.
Wow. That massive list did not actually do anything to make me feel better about this process, that’s for sure. But hey, at least I have a plan this time. It is open to adjustment, of course, and this will be a “trial by fire” kind of thing, but we’ll see how it goes. From a distance it appears to be a sound strategy, if a very lengthy and involved one. But there’s really no way around that aspect of editing, so it’s pointless to resist.
And this, my friends, is why you really need to LOVE the novels you write. Because you sure will be spending a CRAP LOAD of time with them …
🙂
Sounds like a real plan you have there 🙂 I wouldn’t be able to have the stamina to last writing a whole novel which is why I stick to short stories. I find that editing is the most important process in writing yet it genuinely bores us because we’re eager to send our work out. This is why I thought that short stories were better for me because I can write and edit quickly. I guess it’s all down to preference but the fact is that we are required to check our work regularly and not just once 🙂
Sounds like a great plan!
I agree – looks like an excellent plan to me! And any plan is better than no plan for mammoth-esque jobs like a 500 page novel.
I knew there was a reason I write for kids! Shout out if I can help with anything 🙂