Writeover

I've recently come across advice that editing a piece should require completely retyping it. Supposedly, merely rereading a story and editing in the process allows the writer to pass over various errors. Only typing out every word a second time allows the proper amount of attention to be given to every aspect of the work.

I'm not sure about that myself.

Of course, the time difference is unappealing, but it shouldn't be a problem if it really helps the writer catch all of the details, right? I just doubt that it does everything it's supposed to. I've been using this method for Tributes and Tribulations, and it does do some good, don't get me wrong. I've made several changes in word choice, and I've caught a few other errors.

One big advantage it gives me is that, since I'm retyping previous paragraphs before I write the next ones, it gets me into a rhythm. Staring at a blank page is one thing, but if I've already typed several paragraphs—even if you haven't actually "done" anything in the process—it feels like I've already started.

The thing is, this really just works for line-editing... and it's not too good at that. It takes so much mroe time that the writer is given a more limited view of the piece each session, so some plot details or long-ago-mention character qualities have more opportunities to slip through. Furthermore, retyping doubles the odds of making typographical errors. I've caught some in the first draft, but I've also made several new ones during retyping.

Maybe those less prone to typing mistakes will find this method more effective. It is, of course, only one round of editing, and I personally would advise to use it last, for the line-edits.

Have you tried rewriting a work, word for word? How well has it worked for you?

Do You Really, Truly, Actually Need That Adverb?

Along my quest of editing The Long and Winding Road into its eventual end product, I've butted heads with many adverbs. Some say to never use them, but they're part of our language for a reason, right? At the same time, I do see them weakening verbs and adjectives from time to time. So, if it's all right to keep them sometimes, and it's all right to nix them sometimes, when do I do what?

I decided to make a sort of flowchart for my own theory on proper adverb use, as a reference during editing.

What do you think? Decent adverb theory? What's your stance on the dreaded modifiers?

Just Look Here

It comes to my attention during revision that I overuse quite a few words. Ignoring articles and conjunctions, which shouldn't be an issue if I don't keep repeating the same sentence structure, the worst offenders are "just" and "look."

"Just" is tricky—it sort of adds a vague limit to the sentence, and it's hard to get rid of without getting an uncomfortable twinge. The best trick seems to be unanimously deleting them in editing without paying attention to the context and then adding it back in if I notice it missing. "Quite" and "a bit" are in the same boat.

"Look" gets overused because it's more vague than some other verbs. If I try to plug in synonyms, it doesn't always work for me. It doesn't help that I use it as a verb and a noun all of the time.

This isn't exactly a comprehensive list. It's hard to figure out how much each kind of word should be used. The "glue" that's necessary for correct usage of the English language in general can't be skipped, but exactly how "invisible" is each word? "Said" can be used often and is indeed recommended more than its relatives, but is it the only non-copula verb of its type? How invisible is "look"? "Just"? Others?

You Can Almost Taste It

I have a tendency to neglect a lot of senses in my detail writing. That's not to say I do a lot of detail writing—I've even been described as "minimalist" (although not in an insulting way)—but it seems like I really have a tendency to leave out things that aren't seen.

I've read a lot of warnings to this tune in writing blogs, so I don't think it's a unique problem. The vocab most people seem to get in English class is "imagery," which (surprise) concerns detailed images. I've heard alternate definitions where it's expanded to include more sensations, and, while I don't think this is particularly wrong, it doesn't quite fit the word.

In whatever case, I don't think I include enough senses in my stories. I already have a "detail edit" planned for The Long and Winding Road (which I increasingly believe is going to be retitled Along the Winding Road) because, even when I set a goal to include more imagery/soundery/smellery/what have you, I don't do it. I get too involved with writing the plot or dialogue to think about such things. When the characters are eating or, in one case so far, kissing, I'll include smells and such, but aside from that I can't be bothered with it much. I do think that it's an issue, though, thus the plan to work on it in editing.

What kind of sensory details do you put in your stories? What kind do you like to read? How much is too much, or too little?

Also, Post #150! Hooray!

Abandonment Issues

Sometimes ideas go places. Sometimes they go places I don't want them to. And sometimes they just don't go anywhere.

In any case, a lot of stories just aren't going to see the light of day. That's part of the reason I'm sharing so many of my novel ideas—I have little interest in some of them, and some I may just never get to, but I feel like they all deserve a little bit of limelight time just for being nice enough to tap on my shoulder and amuse me for a while.

That being said, not every idea needs to be written. I've yet to find a story that beckons me to write it every moment of every day, but I still need to feel some sort of pull to do any actual writing. Ideas that are just a world without much of a story (as in the first draft of Wanderers), or characters without much of a story (as in Suture), or some such thing just can't draw me much. Even if I like the basic idea, I can't see anything happening in my head if, well, nothing's happening in it. I'm guilty of doing very little plotting before I actually start a story, but I'm fine with winging it if I've at least identified a few points along the journey.

Even if an idea comes with enough of a plot for me to get started, that's still no guarantee the book will be finished. If, for any number of reasons, I lose interest along the way, there's no promise I'm getting it back. I may not find the characters interesting enough to play with, and I would have to go back and change too many things (i.e., do too much work) to get another chapter out. I may start the fic without realising the scope of the story and what I'm getting myself into. I may start a story for the sake of fans rather than my own interest only to crash and burn halfway through. I may just stop caring because of life and time constraints. I have indeed finished a few fan fictions, and I completed NaNoWriMo last year, so I'm not always doomed to give up on my stories. I am somewhat scared by the number of those left incomplete, but I know I'm capable of finishing the writing of a story.

Of course, once the last chapter comes to a close, the story still isn't really finished. I hacked out 50,109 words for my NaNo novel and reached the concluding sentence, so it is in one way complete, but I haven't looked back at the thing since I uploaded my final word count. I don't know if I ever will. I have a certain writer friend who says I should look it over and try to publish it, and another who has browsed it and found it doable, but I'm still not sure. To be honest, I don't even know how I was able to stick with my one awkward idea for an entire fifty thousand words, let alone how I can summon the verve to revise the monster. It is certainly in no condition to be published at present, and I feel it's probably less than half the length it should be for its genre. I don't feel the pull to put that much effort into it. I proved I could finish writing a novel, but I want to go elsewhere to prove I can finish revising a novel. I don't know whether I'll get The Long and Winding Road or Mayflies into publishing condition first, but I am certain that both of them will beat out Dreadful Valley (the NaNo novel).

So, out of some 33 novel ideas to date, only five (The Long and Winding Road, Mayflies, Chasers, Piracy Cruise Lines, and Figments) have made it to the writing phase. Only The Long and Winding Road, Mayflies, and Piracy Cruise Lines are being written currently. Will they all be finished? Will they all be revised and sent off to be published one way or another? I can't say for sure until I've reached that point, but at least The Long and Winding Road and Mayflies are looking pretty good right now. I'll just keep working at it and hoping the muse will hang around where she ought to until I'm done.

Revised Chasers Excerpt

Thanks to the feedback on the first version of my Chasers excerpt, I've come up with a (slightly) revised new one. I've cut off after Clyde's entry because I made no changes after that.

This certainly doesn't have to be the final draft, per se, so let me know if I should add a little more.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

She awoke with asphalt grating her back. No warm light touched her face, and a look straight ahead to the sky confirmed the sun wasn’t out. Nor were any clouds, nor were stars. Only a vast black canvas hung above her.

Something seemed off about that.

With an exhale, she pushed herself up to a seated position. She could see well enough despite the lack of celestial bodies. Tall streetlights, which contributed no more to the lighting than the absent sun, stood on either side of a pristine street, painted lanes glowing brightly over the black asphalt. No sputtering of engines filled the air, but she felt it was still a good idea to get to the sidewalk.

Managing to stand easily enough, she hurried onto the stone slabs and rubbed her arms. While the atmosphere wasn’t as cold as it appeared to be, her short sleeves still left her with a bit of chill.

In front of her now was a tall building, more window than steel. A reflection watched her: bangless, pale blond hair, some of which was pulled back into a ponytail; tanned skin with haywire patches of freckles; a round face with thin lips, thinner eyebrows, and blue-green eyes squinting in scrutiny. Apparently all of it belonged to her.

Unsettled by the lack of familiarity, she turned away and walked, keeping the building in the corner of her eye to catch any doors. There weren't any; the glass of the next building also had no way of entry. The next still had no door, and after passing another, she realized no signs marked the buildings, either. All of the glass was the same, shining in the lack of light, free of handprints and smears. A few buildings edged their windows with brick rather than steel, but they had no more discernible a purpose than the others.

“Oi!”

Draft Dodging

Overall I'm quite new to the editing process. I've certainly had rought drafts, etc. for school papers (ten pages over historical reasons for the theory of the humours... ugh), but I've rarely done such things for my fictional works. Usually I just churn out a chapter of fan fiction, fix any of those pesky squiggly red lines, and post it.

I've been a bit better on The Long and Winding Road. I've still done little editing, but I at least reread the chapter and edit for flow issues, misincorporated words, etc. I haven't read up on any "official" terms for editing techniques, but I would consider this something like fine-level editing.

So, if the raw writing is my first draft, the published fan fiction would be my second draft. After that, some major editing needs to be done in accordance with the original characters in the alternate version of the story. Once that third draft is done, another fine, readability edit is a good option so I'm not distracted by small errors, and that gives me my fourth draft.

My fifth draft, then, would be the result of larger-scale editing: seeing if individual scenes or even chapters are necessary to the storyline and such. I'm still only vaguely sure about how this whole process works, so I really can't be sure about anything past that. I'll need to make sure things are consistent with each other and with the real world (or the post-apocalyptic real world, at any rate). Extra revisions may be needed after giving that draft to a test audience, and then I guess at some point I'll come to my nth, final draft and hit Smashwords.

I'm sure my 2YN class is going to cover editing quite well, so I'm not too worried about my inexperience just yet. Still, it all seems quite daunting, especially when my previous editing experiences weren't for anything I really enjoyed.

How many levels of editing do you aim for? Any tips for me?