(writing) Val's Method of Editing

[vg_ford]

So, here's the first in a series on how I write. Remember, y'all asked for this, so don't cry when you find out how incredibly OCD I am when it comes to this kind of thing. :)

(Okay, to be perfectly honest, I'm pretty OCD about a lot of things, but that's neither here nor there. This is about the editing.)



Step One: Write completed first draft.

Notice the word "completed" up in there. I do not edit while I'm writing my first draft. If I try to, I never finish said first draft. If I find something that I hate, I grit my teeth, throw down a lousy facsimile of what I know I want down and MOVE ON. It can be fixed in the rewrites, but only if there's something there to fix in the first place. I know some people revise on the fly - I can't. YMMV. And yes, I have used the whole "Insert fight scene here" to get me through a draft.

Step Two: Walk away.

Unless I'm on a tight deadline, I let my drafts sit for months. Belladonna Dreams, the novel I'm editing now, has been sitting on my thumb drive since March. I've just now printed it up and started editing it. Even on a tight deadline, I let stuff sit for a few days. You need some distance. And trust me, it needs to sit. Otherwise, I look at it, shudder, and trash the entire thing.

Step Three: The printed page is your friend.

Then, once it's done sitting, I print the entire monster out (Dreams clocked in on this draft at 292 pages, just as an example.) and I read through it. While I'm reading through it, I have a notebook beside me, and an assortment of colored pens. This is where the OCD comes in, but it works for me.

As I read, I re-outline the book in the notebook, using various colors. Here's what the outline for the first chapter of Dreams looks like in my notebook:

Chapter 1: Charity ball. Intro to Sapph, Maggie, Vinnie. First hints of trouble w/Sapph. Dream. "I'm calling in my favor." Alis call.

These notes above are in blue. Then, in green (but Val is not HTML-savvy enough to do it here) I have, "Who is this guy in the garden? I need to answer this question for me, not necessarily in this book."

I color-code because I need to see both what's in the book already (blue) and what I need to add (green). As I go on, if I have symbols or recurring themes I want to highlight, those will be red. By the time I'm done, I have a map I can follow as my rewrite.



Okay, more later. This is an on-going process, after all, and it's time for me to head home.

Comments

[snitchcat.livejournal.com]

Interesting technique. I use something similar, except in the actual draft.

[vg-ford.livejournal.com]

I just find that if I do something while I'm writing, I never finish the draft. And wait til you see what comes next. :p

[cucumberseed.livejournal.com]

Sounds like what I was trying (and failing) to do. Oh well, on to bitter work!

[vg-ford.livejournal.com]

It doesn't always work - but it's the method I found works best. And yes, I do this with every draft.

[suelder.livejournal.com]

I tried to do that in the computer, but it didn't work terribly well.

I may try that with hard copy with The Basiltine Guild, since boyfriend will be out of town for part of this coming weekend.

Sue

[vg-ford.livejournal.com]

I always find it easier to edit on hard copy, because then I don't have a bunch of documents up while I'm trying to write. And I love all the different colors.

[zombiegoat.livejournal.com]

I slug through the scenes that I have a problem doing and don't let myself use the "insert fuck scene here" escape hatch. If I do, I won't actually write that scene until I've finished editing and re-drafting the rest of the book, so I'll have something sticking out like a sore thumb.

Walking away; yes, so very important. So VERY important. Jumping right back in is the kiss of death. I'm getting ready to start doing the rewite for "The Phoenix Initiative," which was last year's NaNo. I probably won't get to anything else before March...

...which reminds me. I need an email addy to send you "The Final Nine." Mine is z o m b i e g o a t 7 3 @ g m a i l . c o m, so get rid of those spaces and drop me a line so I have contact for you.

Peace!

[vg-ford.livejournal.com]

Sent! And seriously, I only do it when I've been beating my head against a scene for days. I've only done it a few times, and in all but one, I've found later that the scenes were unnecessary. Usually, I just slug through as well.

[ezworld.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the post, Val!

I'm definitely a convert to the 'finish first draft before revising' method. I use an outline, though, so I've really got no excuse. I'd never thought of putting 'insert scene x here' ;) I just write it even if it makes me cringe.

[vg-ford.livejournal.com]

"Insert scene here" is my last resort when writing a first draft. I'd much prefer to throw something perfectly horrid but there on the page and move on, but there are some scenes I just can't conceptualize at that time. Sometimes they end up being unnecessary too, so I just delete the "insert" and go on.

I use an outline too. That's a different OCD post. ;)

[jackoutofthebox.livejournal.com]

"Sir Robin's Minstrels" is done as this

<*font*COLOR=BLUE*> "Sir Robins Minstrels" <*/font*COLOR=BLUE*> just remove the * from the listing

[vg-ford.livejournal.com]

Sweet!!! Thanks! (am a true HTML idiot)

[elfmagics.livejournal.com]

That's actually pretty cool. I tried doing something like that once with highlighters but having to flip back and forth kinda defeated the purpose. The two stories I have in the editation phase are beyond that point but I may have to try it next time.

[vg-ford.livejournal.com]

Well, these steps set me up for the next phase of editing, which is re-outlining to incorporate the edits. But I can see how it might take some getting used to.

Like I said, I'm OCD. :) This system might not work for everyone.

[time-testudinem.livejournal.com]

Do you read matociquala's LJ? I love reading when you two are both giving separate perspectives on the writing craft. Which is weird, because I don't WRITE anything. Maybe it is just because writers know how to make their work sound interesting in a written format. Glad to hear you ducked out of having to travel in the snow this morning. It was not fun.