F
A
L
L
I
N
G
into the never-ending editing hole.
I love editing, to see a work gradually take a better shape--breathing life into the words I worked so hard on in the first place. And I have some amazing input from my betas and editor.
But, I still feel like I'm falling... struggling to grab hold of the perfect words and best fixes. I know a book is never perfect, but I want to give it everything I have. When I finally hit publish, I want to know it's the best version.
No more complaining, I'm heading back to my manuscript. Wish me luck!
What's your best trick for effective editing? Is it all about staring it down and not resting until it takes shape? Or, do you attack chunks at a time and then take a much-needed breather?
On Mondays, I post my A Round of Words in 80 Days (ROW80) updates. But editing is my only update. It's my very existence right now. But I did read the first three chapters of a book I'm really excited about, thanks to Shauna Kelley. That was a nice break!
Wishing everyone an amazing week!
3 comments:
Tia, I just try to take it one scene or chapter at a time. If I have a beat sheet, then I'll have a grasp of how each scene fits into the overall structure and what that scene needs to accomplish. That allows me to see each piece as part of a whole. I usually need a couple of editing rounds before I'm finished so I can be sure I've covered all my bases--character, structure, conflict/tension, voice/style, etc. Good luck with your edits!
Work it one scene at a time. Don't worry about perfection! You and I both know that comes later. :) Get the STORY the way YOU want it, then we'll work on syntax, grammar, and punctuation (as well as tension). Huggles! Hope it goes well :)
WRITE ON!
Denise -- Great advice. It's so much easier for me with someone else's work. I feel like with mine I'm either ripping through it and excited to make it better or simply staring at it with nothing but crickets in my head. ;-)
Jo -- Knowing you are there for me helps SO much!
Post a Comment