Slogging Away At Editing And Additing

For the last two nights I've sat at my computer editing and it feels good. No longer do I feel like a little lost lamb in my writery world.

The first draft was some 90,500 words, so I need to get it down to about 81,000. Hmmmm ...

At the moment I am editing, taking words away, but very poorly. Only lost 200 words so far. But to be honest, I'm just whizzing through it, reformatting, taking out obvious words like 'just' and trying to fix the bigger issues. But my brain works chronologically. I know that something needs fixing at say around chapter 20, but I have to read through and fix minor things on the way.

I've been noting down stuff too. Something recommended by Sophie King in Writing Magaznie a few issues back in her 'How To Write A Novel' section. Like if one of the characters mentions or does something, and I need it to appear earlier, or later, I'm making a note of it, so that I keep up the consistency ... making sure the gun that appears in chapter one, does get fired in chapter ten sort of thing.  (Yes, I know I'm writing romance and there is no gun, but you know what I mean!)

I read it through via my Kindle initially and that was good to see pace and realise what I'm repeating. (Throw it all at the wall in first draft!). So I know there is plenty of words than can come out.

Not sure if there is a right or wrong way, but this is how I feel comfortable doing my editing. It took me a while to get into it, wasn't sure where to start, but I'm chugging along nicely now.

It will get another read through, another nit pick to reduce words - I think it will be easier to do one word at a time, too (that's how my brain works). So at the moment I'm editing and additing (where I add stuff in).

Additing is a word I created for NaNoWriMo 2006 - I completed the novel, but knew it would need more stuff, to back up the consistency of the story and I called it additing, and it stuck. And that's my word for Morton Gray's Word Challenge!

At least one person can back me up that I've used this word, and created it from NaNoWriMo 2006 - she knows who she is!

Not sure how the editing and additing will come along this weekend as I have to work, however, I might make time to do some reading or even tackle assignment 12 (2nd fiction).

Editing Is Creative!

Look what I've created via Wordle! Thanks to Morton Gray for recommending this site!  Guess the names of my hero and heroine. 

I copied and pasted my whole manuscript into the text part and pressed go. Then fiddled with the colours etc and limited it to 50 words (it's default is 150 words) and here they are. My most used 50 words in the novel. Some are obviously going to remain the same (Adam and Sophie), but some like 'just' and 'felt' I will need to go filter out.

I didn't put it on the gallery, yet I did copy and paste (print screen, then paste into paint, then crop) it so I could keep the result and show you guys here. I have also printed it off (plus the 150 word version), which it gives you the option on the website.

I finished reading it through last night, and was chuckling at places (you're supposed to chuckle at). Hubby asked me if I was supposed to be laughing at my own novel. Now means working through some notes a friend has given me and going from there. I don't know whether to work on the big stuff first, or the small stuff. Help!

I've also got to crack the two space after a sentence habit. Something my new 'fiction' tutor has advised. Gah, it's going to be like trying to give up smoking or something, impossible (not that I actually smoke, or know what it's like to give it up) - only they don't give out patches. But I'm trying to do it with my blog even now. I have to pause after every full stop. Crazy. It just feels weird hitting the space bar once.

The Editing Process Begins

I'm up to 56% through my novel, The Wedding Favour, so Kindle tells me. I've just finished reading chapter 16 - it's one of my favourite chapters.  It's still one of my favourite chapters, I fear it could even be a 'darling'.  I hope I don't have to kill that darling!

I don't think I will have to.  Might need some general editing, but I think it was pretty impressive, if I do say so myself.  It was nicely revealing for the characters, and also ups the angst between them.

I hope I'm doing this editing lark right.  It feels a bit different to editing my fan fic.  I mean, if I got the editing wrong with the fan fic, it wasn't too serious.  I might get the odd terrible review (luckily that never really happened - only strict, constructive criticism at the beta/draft stage) - but it wasn't the difference between being published and not being published.

Anyway, the process has begun.  I'm going to read through the whole story, so I have an idea of how it flows - like a true book.  Then, I'll start doing the things I know that need fixing - thanks to those that have given me some feedback - then I work on reducing the word count.  It's around 90,000 words believe it or not, so Stephen King (On Writing) says I need to lose about 10% of it.

I have noticed that I've used 'can't quite put his finger on it' a few times.  Those are going to have to go!  They stand out like sore thumbs.

I've also realised I've got Sophie swearing too much.  Not very lady like.  There are a couple of times where it's allowable, but a few times I think I could tone it down.  She's not me - who swears like a trooper!

Right, well, I can't sit around here chatting, I've got a novel to edit.

Book Review: The Scarlet Kimono by Christina Courtenay

The Scarlet Kimono by Christina Courtenay

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Firstly, I don't really read historicals.  It's not that I don't want to read them, I just don't seem to choose them - if that makes sense.  The last historical I read was Anne Rice's 'The Feast Of All Saints', and although interesting to read the about 19th Century New Orleans and the gen de colors, I used to be able to put the book down and forget about it.  Maybe it lacked romance? 

However, I won this book through Choc Lit's Flavour of The Month Award in February (2011) and the minute I started reading I could never forget about it.  I begrudgenly would have to put it down, real life getting in the way.

For the first third of the book the hero (Taro) and heroine (Hannah) don't meet.  But you know they will, it is their fate.  The sensei (Taro's seer) has seen it.

We see two lives unfolding, one in Japan and another in England (then at sea).  We go from one culture to the other in the 17th Century - and for me it was believable. 

I loved the development of Hannah's relationship with Hoji - the ship's 'Chinaman'.  Hannah really was an endearing character.  (I think maybe this was because for a modern day woman we have so many more choices and freedom - equality).  She's intelligent, well mannered with her upbringing, yet not ignorant, which serves in her favour.  But she's tough, stubborn and a fighter for what she wants/believes - otherwise she wouldn't be stowed away on a ship pretending to be a boy!

Through Taro's patience with his wife, and her intolerable sister, Lady Reiko, you learn he's a fair, patient man with very attractive qualities - Oh boy, did I LOVE Taro! He is a good man.  (I have a theory about Lady Hasuko and her behaviour, which wasn't quite answered in the book but can't mention it here, for it would be a spoiler... but happy to discuss with anyone who has read this book to see if you came to the same conclusion).

Towards the end, I felt there could have been some more emotion enforced - especially when Hannah's life is truly in danger - I would have liked to have sensed more fear, but it is a small nit in the grand scheme of things with this book.  I just enjoyed it for easy reading, a conflicted romance, a loveable heroine and a fanciable and very attractive Japanese hero! (Why is fanciable not in the dictionary?)

Right, off to add Trade Winds on my to-read list!


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Wow - 14 books read so far!  Will not pick another up yet until I've finished reading through The Wedding Favour.  Reading might be a bit slower now I've got to concentrate on editing my novel.  But I'm way ahead of my target's schedule, so that should be fine. 

May - You Write Your Novel

April (Oh gosh that's today!) I will be editing The Wedding Favour, however, depending on how well I get on with that, I might take up Christine and Sally's challenge - 80,000 words in 80 days - May - You Write Your Novel.  Starts 1st of May if you're interested!  So keep an eye on the blog!

I've got a second novel in mind, and though it needs some research, I could definitely use this challenge to attempt to write it.   And when you think about it, it's a 1000 words a day.  That's do-able, isn't it?