I slept in today, as I always seem to do on Sundays whether I want to or not. Anyway, I'm still on track for finishing my novel, but I need some help. It involves the forbidden word of NaNo. Editing.
I've never really edited before, much less something that's the length of my NaNo. I need to have last years novel edited by mid-april. I've read up some on big picture editing, but I still don't really know what I'm doing. So if anyone reading my blog has tips or resources, I would love to see them. Thanks!
EDIT: Heh, I have a few more questions actually. How long does it take for you to go through your novel one time? And when you go through, do you edit majorly, or do you mostly do little stuff? I've looked online a bit, and I found this editing recipe, and it's kind of what I'm going by, but like I said, I still don't really know what I'm doing.
Also, I don't actually need to have this done by mid-April, I'd just like it to be done by then.
2 comments:
that was a great site! wish I'd seen it when I started editing last year... :)))
(heads-up, a long comment...)
mainly, the more you read your manuscript (albeit possibly with eyes that ache) the better you know it, know your story, know what you want to say, what you want to lose.
I take it in stages; the first few times I read, I clear out the easy bits. poor wording, basic mistakes, errors, etc.
then comes the harder bits...
like reworking paragraphs, splitting things into chapters (although now I tend to write in 'chapters', so that's a bit easier.) and the real nitty gritty, rewriting.
there is a difference, at least to me. editing is that- going about the manuscript fixing bits here and there.
rewriting is another animal entirely.
I do everything on my laptop. partially feeling printing out an entire copy is a detriment to trees) I never print out a copy, unless I'm reading it for a purpose. (a college station here has a twenty minute slot for NANO winners, and I read last year's except over the air!) otherwise I do all my editing on my computer. I do make a 'dump' document, so all that I really slash and burn is saved (and I keep a copy of the original manuscript, just in case). I'll take whole scenes, put them in the dump document and rework them, then cut and paste back into the main manuscript.
and I do that quite a bit. :)))
really, it's finding the best way that fits your mood and style. depending on how much work is needed matters too. I start with the easy approach, because it's not so overwhelming, I get to know the story really well, and then once I feel like I have something more than a lump, I go after it.
reading it aloud, which is tedious, is REALLY a big help. you hear how it flows, dialogue catching your ear for contraction usage (so it sounds real), and just adding your own inflections to characters makes what they say better. I mostly edit silently, but when I do read aloud, I am always amazed at what I catch.
the timing is also a personal thing. I've found I look over a manuscript within a few weeks, not very long. but then I leave it, for maybe up to 6 months. give it an overview, then let it simmer. you come back to it with fresh eyes, ideas and usually a better sense of what to say, what you'd like to convey.
man, this is really a long comment!
well, I should wrap it up. I love reading your blog, because when I was your age (this sounds sort of dorky!) I wanted to write, and I never got around to it until just the past few years. don't know what would have come had I started earlier, but NANO is a great force for getting the words out. the more you write, the better you get. hope the end of November is a blast for you!
now if only our football teams could get a win... sigh.....
Wow...thanks for all of the tips! I hate stumbling through things without knowing what I'm doing, so everything really helps. I don't know if I have time to let things simmer as much as I'd like, but I'll be sure to keep it in mind. And I'll keep reading your blog for more ideas :)
Our teams really do stink this year, don't they? I don't even pay attention to the scores anymore...maybe next year.
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