Old People Writing for Teens, IV
- Thread starter mcnorth
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Good grief, gals. It's so quiet in here, you can hear a skunk whiff.
Okay, Cydney (my wife) and I watched a double-home-movie-feature tonight. Gah! Stay away from John Carter. Something that had the cash behind it, should've been cool...turned out to be the most boring thing I've seen in a long time. (Yes, I've seen "Out of Africa" and "Ghandi." Street-hopping, jumping actioners in comparison). The second film was Burlesque. Squirrley, dumb-headed, gaggable dialouge..actually, it was a lot of fun! And even though Cher is approaching Michael Jacksonesque levels of plasticity, the girl can sing.
Sigh. Blowing off writing by watching crappy flicks. Not even horror films, either!
Okay, a pertinent question. How do you guys edit? I'd like to know if you go chapter by chapter, day by day, whatever. I hate editing. I usually'll pound out the book, writing feverishly, 'til the thing's completed. Then, I go back and edit. And I cringe. Yikes! Sometimes my writing's embarrassing.
Okay, Cydney (my wife) and I watched a double-home-movie-feature tonight. Gah! Stay away from John Carter. Something that had the cash behind it, should've been cool...turned out to be the most boring thing I've seen in a long time. (Yes, I've seen "Out of Africa" and "Ghandi." Street-hopping, jumping actioners in comparison). The second film was Burlesque. Squirrley, dumb-headed, gaggable dialouge..actually, it was a lot of fun! And even though Cher is approaching Michael Jacksonesque levels of plasticity, the girl can sing.
Sigh. Blowing off writing by watching crappy flicks. Not even horror films, either!
Okay, a pertinent question. How do you guys edit? I'd like to know if you go chapter by chapter, day by day, whatever. I hate editing. I usually'll pound out the book, writing feverishly, 'til the thing's completed. Then, I go back and edit. And I cringe. Yikes! Sometimes my writing's embarrassing.
I was writing up beta notes and reading a billion query threads.
Yep, a billion.
/exaggeration
Yep, a billion.
/exaggeration
I usually finish the book before I make any major edits...unless the edits I want are so distracting that I have to do them before I continue. Minor things, like the word I just wrote a second ago being spelled wrong, I fix automatically so to stop myself would take more energy than to just do it. I tend to have pretty clean first drafts (grammar and spelling-wise) and usually have to focus on the plot problems when it comes time for editing.
And I don't break up editing into any specific schedule. I edit when I have time (which sounds like I never have any, which is false). I do tend to deal with the big things I knew I'd have to fix while writing first. Then I print it out and do a pass or two on paper, hoping to find the big as well as the small. Usually by then I feel like it's not worth it to do any more until a beta tells me the big things I've missed, so I send to betas. And they school me, so it's back to editing again.
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Are you thinking of editing as equal to revising, or as something different? Sometimes I edit myself while writing to keep it relevant to a YA audience (like adjusting the language in a scene, or making a love scene rated PG), which is different than revising. I think I have developed an actual process for that now.
Strong work parumpdragon!
Strong work parumpdragon!
I always say editing=revising? But maybe that's not true? I don't edit or revise or anything until I have a completed MS. I then give it right away to my betas so I don't look at the darn thing (because at that time I think it's the best thing evar/So0o Amazing!). I then get their notes, read them, re-read my MS, re-read the beta notes and go chapter-by-chapter.
I use "editing" to include revising, but I know there's a difference for many people. For my above explanation, revision is what I do right away, then possibly after betas, then most likely after agents have responded.
I edit as I write, which is actually a huge mistake as i makes it really hard for me to edit at all once I'm done. On the bright side, I don't usually *need* major structural changes once I'm done, but the down side is that it takes a lot longer to *be* done.
I revise as I draft but at some point, I force myself to stop and just write. I could probably edit one chapter for weeks and still find things to change. That's kind of where I am now. Once I'm done with some tiny edits in Chapter #1, I'm just going to plow ahead and not look back as hard as it is. It means spending more time editing when I'm done (talking months here) but at least it's actually done and I didn't burn out after 10,000 words.
Hello! I've wondered this for a loooonnngg time - exactly how old are you "Old People"?
Does 26 count?
I don't fit into "teens writing for teens" or "college kids writing for teens."
Does 26 count?
I don't fit into "teens writing for teens" or "college kids writing for teens."I revise as I draft and then again off beta notes. I sometimes edit as I go, but often times I leave editing for the very end. I think of revising and editing as two separate things, but I guess I'm in the minority. For me revisions includes changing/dropping/adding sentences/scenes or even chapters or completely rearranging the order of things. Editing for me is more of the tiny stuff like eliminating words I used too often (just, really, that, etc), finding missing words in sentences, misspelled words, punctuation issues, etc. I generally have a couple of my beta readers who will catch some of the stuff I missed in editing, so it usually gets all caught.
Hi AGID! Welcome. 26, while not "old", is def qualified to be in this forum. We have a fairly good range of ages here, but we're all young at heart
Revisions... I'm writing as part of my MFA, so right now I write during the semesters and revise during the summer/winter breaks. It's not heavy revisions or anything - those come after the dang WIP is finished - mostly sharpening the direction I want to take the story.
Hello all! Sorry I've been MIA. My muse came out of his hiding spot, so I've been writing like crazy the past few days. Yay! Unfortunately I'm only at 38k and nearing the climax. Even if I squeeze another 20k out of it, I feel like that is short for a thriller. Oh well, just means I'll have a lot to do in draft 2!
Welcome, everyone
Stiger-Good luck. It took me 7 drafts to get to 50k. Don't worry about it. I'm sure you'll get your thriller nice & fat
Also I'm 23 (still adjusting to saying that
), but I sometimes post in the College Students thread bc they can't get rid of me there
Stiger-Good luck. It took me 7 drafts to get to 50k. Don't worry about it. I'm sure you'll get your thriller nice & fat
Also I'm 23 (still adjusting to saying that
), but I sometimes post in the College Students thread bc they can't get rid of me there stiger, you're more than welcome to borrow some words from my thriller I can never seem to STOP writing. Grrrrr. My mystery thriller (and a little horror) is prob going to be around 85k. blech. cutting will suck but i'd love to query it below 80.
I can never seem to STOP writing. Grrrrr. My mystery thriller (and a little horror) is prob going to be around 85k. blech. cutting will suck but i'd love to query it below 80.Hi MellyMel! Sweet, I belong somewhere!
Hiya! Love your avi! Where did you get that photo? I'd love to add it to my inspirational photos board on Pinterest!
And you can just call me Mel
Stiger, if you need a beta reader let me know. I LOVE thrillers (and my stories always have a thriller element).
ETA: Smiley, do you still need a beta reader or are you all good at this point? I have no beta projects currently, but do admit it can take me anywhere from a week to a month to get it done depending on how hectic life is.
ETA: Smiley, do you still need a beta reader or are you all good at this point? I have no beta projects currently, but do admit it can take me anywhere from a week to a month to get it done depending on how hectic life is.
Just sent a version to K, so I think right now I'm okay... Thank you though! <3 Plus I'm waiting on 30pg crit from agented-contest.
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