So, I've completed one big re-write of my Work-in-Progress (WIP), and now I've started editing all that I've rewritten. But before getting into the nitty-gritty of line-by-line of 73,000 words, I am reading through to identify dropped or forgetten plot points or elements.
For this, I use a notebook, different colored pens and highlighters and a cup of coffee. Each chapter, I write a summary of the scene and jot down things like, "The bedroom has a ceiling fan. Mention again elsewhere." or "They talk about going on a weekend getaway - does she make a reservation? When the trip nears, does the hotel call and confirm?" They may seem like random things, but random gives your world context. Pulls your story out of the generic. Gives your character more obstacles, even if they're small. I also highlight clunky sentences, weak words and passages that can be improved. Also highlighted: passive verbs like be, was, am and are.
Once I'm finished, my WIP will look like a Pride Parade.
This exercise also gives me an excuse to roam the aisles of Office Depot and buy new pens and notebooks. Squee!
What is your process for editing the Beast? And do you prefer Staples or Office Depot?
Home » How I Write » Editing the Beast
Popular Post
-
Required reading: Bill Moore's EVWorld review and Martin Zimmerman's LA Times piece about their test drives of the Toyota Plug-in ...
-
Lately, I have encountered several questions regarding the performance of Entity Framework (EF) . I have been conducting feasibility study o...
-
Because out of it comes gems like these. Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf “The only good thing to say about this 'literary' drivel i...
-
in the middle of the gauge above, on the left it says "Park" and on the right "City" ... and in the below photo on the ...
-
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1979320/ A biography of Formula 1 champion driver Niki Lauda and the 1976 crash that almost claimed his life. t...
-
After I published the benchmark results for Entity Framework (EF) vs. DAAB , I was asked to verify whether the performance of EF can be imp...
-
Lots to see in this photo which demonstrates the anatomy of an Aberdeen Street: in this case, Broomhill Road. Essential Services. The driver...
-
Photo: Diane Edwardson, December 22, 2010. There's nothing more iconic than the LA River/Egret/plastic bag/shopping cart photo. (Cl...
-
According to a new report from Autoweek , the future of the V12 engine under the Daimler nameplate will be left in the hands of Mercedes-Ben...
-
Digital Slot Car Racing in 1/32 Scale by Dave Chang (Crowood Press, 2011, $34.95) Reviewed in April 2012 by Philip Hendrickson Dave Chang’s...
No comments:
Post a Comment