Sarah commented on the previous post, "I think your editing plan sounds very sensible. I did a total of four passes through my novel, and with each one I felt able to work at a deeper level, as the easier bits were corrected or smoothed out."
I think I'll end up with about four passes, too. In this first pass, I'm treating my manuscript like someone else's, making notes and tracking changes, going through really quickly. World-building notes are going on a piece of paper, and scene-specific notes are going in the margin of the document.
This quick one, then another to implement notes I made in the first. I think that will be the hardest and take the longest.
On another pass I'll work on dialogue and tightening up, spell checking and all that good stuff, then I'll send it to betas. And of course there'll be a pass after that to implement those changes.
And I plan to do that in a month. I figure if I don't dally on the easier stages I can devote about 20 days to the second stage, the major re-writing. That's twice as long as authors for Eternal Press (my old editing job) were given to implement changes...but of course mine needs about 3 times the work, and that doesn't allow for getting burned out. Or for feeling like your uterus is going to explode, which I have found today can seriously curtail your butt-in-chair time.
On schedule so far. Cross your fingers for me.
Oh, and if anyone knows Spanish, I've got some questions for you.
Monday, January 25, 2010
I think your schedule sounds pretty sensible on paper as well. Don't pull a Kristy and forget to allot for those occasional unplanned things that get you off track. I've learned that when I do stuff I have two different timelines... my self-imposed one and when the real deadline is. I tend to leave myself a bit more breathing space that way.
ReplyDeleteOooh! I wanna beta read. Pick me, pick me!
Whoa wait a minute. Your 'old' job? Did you quit to focus on your novel? Did I miss something here? Sheesh, I'm a slacker!
BTW, hope you feel better soon.
I give a novel several passes, but it takes me a year. I need to work faster.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your editing. And you know, I teach ESL. I don't speak Spanish, but I've got access to native Spanish speakers. Of course it will depend on which country the person is from because there are some differences--just to make your life difficult.
Thank heaven for laptops, huh? I've moved to the couch where I'm way more comfy. As for the editing job, yeah, I did exactly that, quit so I could finish this novel. That all happened while you were away, but you didn't miss much. I quit. The end. :)
ReplyDeleteSo far I've been setting a deadline, and then if I get to the deadline and haven't finished I just extend the deadline a week. I don't allow myself to get down about it, and maybe extending it "only another week" tricks my brain, or keeps me from feeling overwhelmed. And what do you know, it only took two extensions to finish the first draft.
Yeah, and you know what I did? I made one of them from Spain and one from Mexico. So...yeah. I'm dumb. I also have a Scot who is about to become Scottish-American for the same reason. I don't know why I make things so endlessly complicated.
ReplyDeleteThanks for offering up your students. I'll holler if I need 'em. :)
You know, I can't ... um ... relate, I guess, to the exploding uterus stuff. Is that a metaphor for something writerly? I hope so, 'cause otherwise ... EEEWWW!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with it all. ;)
A month? To do all of that? Seriously hon, allow 3. I mean it - that's a lot of work and if you push yourself TOO hard on it you'll lose interest and motivation in your story. Be gentle with you!
ReplyDelete*hugs*
And it'll all be fine hon, don't worry. :)
Not ew. Ow. And I'm better now. :)
ReplyDeleteWell, if I don't get it all done by my deadline, I'll just tack on a week. And if I have to, I'll tack on another. And eventually, it WILL be done! :D
ReplyDelete