Saturday, February 17, 2007

The Blood Intelligentsia - Edit Update #3

Early this morning I finally, finally finished the second draft of my novel. Here is what I have done so far:

1.) Read through the entire manuscript, highlighting the bad parts, and noting what parts need work or modification.

2.) Separated the work into chapters. As of now,I have close to 60, but that number may dwindle or rise depending on the next phase of editing.

3.) Noted the many grammatical and spelling errors. Because I wrote it like I was possessed, I found the book rife with various kinds of mistakes even elementary school teachers would cringe upon seeing.

At this stage, I am not happy with what I have. I know it can be much better, and over the next several weeks I am going to make it better. A lot.

It's odd, just in the time I finished the first draft of the novel on September 2nd last year and today, my writing has improved. So reading what I wrote months ago sometimes feels as though I am reading something someone else wrote. I still haven't quite found my voice in the traditional sense--my goal is to have a style so distinct you won't even have to read my name to know it is me writing it--but I am getting closer that level.

For now, the novel I have is quite workable. It may be my first, but I believe it is far better than many other first novels by other writers sitting on hundreds or thousands of hard drives out there. Of course, it won't matter until my book is out on bookshelves. I still have a good journey to endure before I reach that point. So here is what th plan is for the next round of editing:

1.) Separate the book into parts and chapters. I kinda did that while I went along, but in this next step I am going to really examine how it should be divided.

2.) Murder my darlings. I read something awhile ago that said no matter how much you love a certain passage or sentence, if it's coherent, and adds nothing to the story, ax it. "Murder your darlings," I believe is what I read. That is what I have to do.

But it's actually a good thing, because as it stands now my book is probably a bit too long. I don't remember the exact word count, but I know it is north of 125,000 words (519 double-spaced pages). That's impressive for any first time writer, but I've learned that most publishers don't accept many manuscripts from first-time authors over 100,000 words. There is actually a ton of common sense about that unwritten rule in publishing because new writers are a phenomenal financial risk to editors.

Especially nowadays, when it's become harder for publishers to remain unique and stay notices amid a flood of new works pouring out almost daily. The internet only increases the competition.
So, while there may be some passages I know I'll hate to clip, I'm actually looking forward to doing it. Besides, the more I take away, the less I have to proofread later on anyway.

3.) Format the book. This may seem like something I should do at the very end, but I think it's best to put the pages in the proper submission format so that I have an idea as I go along how long the book is and how it looks and such. Besides, I don't want to have to edit a complete mess. That's discouraging.

Every publisher has there own little guidelines, but the vast majority of them prefer (obviously) double-spaced pages with the authors last name and page number in the upper left, etc., etc. That's not hard to do these days with MS Office, so once I finish Step 2 from above, this will be the thing I'll do next.

4.) Proofread, proofread, proofread. What else is there to say? Have you ever been reading through a good novel and then suddenly you come upon a typo? Makes you think "This author is a total fracking moron," as you chuck the book in the fireplace, right? Well, maybe you don't react that way, but you get the idea. Typos scuk. So do grammar mistakes, no one be wanting them things either.

5.) Revise. Again, self-explanatory. I believe once I've removed some of the fluff this will make things easier.

6.) Get a first reading. I don't know who exactly I'm going to send my novel to for a first reading. For obvious reasons, my family and friends are out. I have given thought to sending it to one of those professional reader places that judge your work and tell you exactly what's wrong with it, what you need to improve--generally act as novel mechanics. I'm not sure on that, I just know that my book needs a good reading by a pair(s) of eyes that are not my own.

7.) Submission. This is still a gray zone for me. I have no experience and little understanding of how this whole process works. Yes, yes, I know you have to send in your work to a publisher and give them 6 weeks or see to hear back, but that's about it. Do I need an agent, should I submit simulaneously, who exactly should I submit my work to? Etc., etc. I have no fucking clue about any of this, so I'll need to investigate this on my own.

As I've said many times before, I do not intend for my novel to sit on a shelf somewhere not getting read, and forgotten by everyone except those I tell about it in assuredly wild-eyed fashion. For fuck's sake, if Freddy Got Fingered got the green light in Hollywood, surely I can make something off my book which is way better than that abomination Tom Green unleashed on the world.

That's about it for the next steps I'll be taking. I wrote this mainly for myself, so I can check back and remind myself what to do next. However, I like to think that this will help other writers who are traveling down the same road I am, or considering doing so in the future. Maybe this will give them some guidance, or at least make them feel not quite so alone in this wide world of publishing.

This is my first update here since November 5. Expect more updates to follow on a regular basis (probably every week). One day this blog will be a testament to my first book. For now, it's a place that provides somewhat of a refuge.


-Dean


Also, don't forget to check out my website:

www.actionadventurehomepage.com

actionadventurehomepage@gmail.com