The Edit that Book Challenge

Sassy3421 · May 19, 2010

I don't know maybe I'm the only person out there that goes to sit down with all intents and purposes to polish off the manuscript deemed to be the next bestseller? ...but then...it stalls...all the enthusiasm I had going for...stalls.

So I got to thinking, we have a finish that book challenges, challenges for reaching target word counts - all are terrific and have helped me along the way! But I got thinking why not an Edit that Book Challenge? just somewhere we can all drop in and share where we're at, how we're feeling, get encouraged.

I'll start. I just finished a book and I thought while it's sitting aside I'd go back to my first mystery to polish it off for queries. Well - whahh - it's like I'm hitting my head against a wall. :Headbang:

I've written 3 mysteries total now and I know so much more than then. ...to condense this I find that I'm pretty much going to have to do a complete revamp. But I know there's a story in there worth saving....it's just going to take time and work.

Guess that's where I thought this thread might help me and some others of you that might be struggling with the same thing.

Let's get that manuscript published!

Namatu · May 19, 2010

Were you inside my head earlier when I was thinking, "Oh yeah. That book. I'm almost done editing it. I don't want to edit any more. I'm done with it. On to new book!"

Were you there? Because I don't appreciate your listening in.

Damn. Now I have to finish. I'll see how much I can get done this weekend. :poke:

Sassy3421 · May 19, 2010

Awesome Namatu! It's so much easier to say "next" but we can't let ourselves

Ugawa · May 20, 2010

Good idea

. I hope I can join in with this thread soon.

Sassy3421 · May 20, 2010

great Ugawa

today's goal for myself: focus without hyperventilating

Namatu · May 20, 2010

Sassy3421 said:
Awesome Namatu! It's so much easier to say "next" but we can't let ourselves

But why not? </whine> (I don't even mind editing. I'm just dragging my feet.

)

Ugawa · May 20, 2010

Namatu said:
But why not? </whine> (I don't even mind editing. I'm just dragging my feet. )

I find editing more enjoyable than writing the first draft. lol. I'm just weird. I can completely edit a MS in about 2 weeks, but it takes me months to write that first draft. Blah. lol

x

ETA: Those two weeks don't include line-by-line edits.

Sassy3421 · May 20, 2010

I'm a foot-dragger too....and much rather write the first draft. hoping we can help each other going. and I wouldn't mind if you rubbed off on me a bit Ugawa

Ugawa · May 20, 2010

Sassy3421 said:
I'm a foot-dragger too....and much rather write the first draft. hoping we can help each other going. and I wouldn't mind if you rubbed off on me a bit Ugawa

Lol. Think of a first draft as a block of marble. Once you have it, that's when you begin creating your masterpiece.

Always helps me during edits

x

Monkey · May 20, 2010

I'll join.

I've got one scene that needs more fleshing out, I need to double-check for time-consistency, and I need to do line-by-lines.

Sassy3421 · May 21, 2010

welcome Monkey! how did your line by lines go yesterday?

hopefully this little thread catches on

Namatu: I think we owe it to ourselves to finish what we started.

Ugawa: I'm going to have to start looking at it the way you do. It might help more. I know I take a deep satisfaction in it when it starts resembling a polished gem.

I took today off as a vacation day so that will make for a 4 day weekend! Today, I plan on entering marked edits from my first 80pgs or so, and doing what I can for story revamp. (I had a chapter that had a lot of forensic findings all dumped in one chapter...they need to be sprinkled throughout the book)

Monkey · May 21, 2010

I got a couple of pages done, but mostly I worked on a chapter-by-chapter synopsis.

CheyElizabeth · May 21, 2010

I'm popping over here from the Finish that book challenge, where I've successfully finished my book!

I'm hoping to get it edited within a month. Right now I'm doing a full read thru and taking notes.

Sassy3421 · May 21, 2010

I managed to work my way to pg 52 on edits and I'm feeling pretty good about it right now. time for a break.

Namatu · May 21, 2010

I entered corrections in for two chapters last night and printed out the remaining 50, single-spaced, tiny-fonted pages (saves paper). This is a line-by-line and any changes will be light. Hoping to get through most of it this weekend.

year90ninezero · May 21, 2010

Here's a thread I need. I am definitely a "nexter", always prepared to move to the next novel before the last one (or the one before the last one) is edited. I like to do two edits before a draft sees a beta reader. I'm currently working on my second novel's line by line, and dear jebus, it is a slog.

I think the manuscript is in the absurd number of pages (600+ probably?), with four parts, eight chapters in each part, plus another chapter at the beginning and the end. I'm only about fifty pages into it. Daunting, daunting, daunting.

I think I'll try to do at least three pages a day. That way I should finish in about six months at the latest. At some point I'll start the "second" edit, which is incorporating my line by lines into the beta draft, along with any restructuring or new prose.

Keep ya'll posted for good measure and motivation.

Sassy3421 · May 23, 2010

up to pg 72 now...going slower than I'd like in some ways but the story's having new life breathed into it.

great idea year90ninezero - giving yourself a deadline.

I hope to be finished this round of edits on Ties that Bind by July 1st. will still have to go back and do it again - I'm sure. I've never done a line by line edit before.

Namatu · May 24, 2010

Did not make nearly as much progress this weekend as I'd hoped, but still counting it as progress.

Sassy3421 · May 25, 2010

Namatu said:
Did not make nearly as much progress this weekend as I'd hoped, but still counting it as progress.

Hey progress is progress!

today I'm back to the day job so I won't get as much done but I hope to improve an existing scene and write a bit of new ones to insert after it.

Sai · May 25, 2010

Yay, an editing thread! I revisiting an old novel, still in it's rough drafts. The story's all there, but the problem is that it's currently only about 50k and I need to beef it up as I write. I think I know how: there's a certain underdeveloped side plot that I need to flesh out more. But that also means doing a bit more research and planning, and then writing and more editing...ever feel like a snake eating it's own tail?

Sassy3421 · May 25, 2010

welcome to the thread Sai

today wasn't a good one...for editing anyway. I feel like I'm falling into a void...I'll work at pulling myself out tomorrow...

ebennet68 · May 25, 2010

Okay, I guess I'll join this thread. I have two completed manuscripts. I have started a third. My first one has gone through two revisions that I thoroughly enjoyed because after all, it was my "first born." It's the second one that's giving me fits. I know I have to get to it and I did get one chapter revised. (Took me three days for it, after it sat for almost six weeks.) It's just that the new one is so shiny and bright and exciting. I'd rather work on it! So, revising on the one I need to work on stands at one chapter done out of twenty.

AnnEndicott · May 25, 2010

May I join you guys?

I had a few casual requests from editors at a conference I went to a few weeks ago, and am trying to edit the manuscript now so I can send it off.

I've read it through once and did little fixes here and there -- adding a line, changing a word, fixing a tense, etc.

I'm about 30k in (60k total right now) of reading it through again, and marking it up with [add her thoughts about this] here and there. My next time through will be the "hard" work of adding this stuff, but for now, baby steps.

I'm not sure about you guys, but I alternate between "I'm the next best thing!" and "My work is complete crap!". Right now I'm at the "crap" stage, and am trying to get past that so that I can edit and feel like I'm making improvements, instead of just hating on my story.

I didn't get any edits done today, but I found you guys! Does that count towards progress?

ebennet68 · May 25, 2010

Okay, so since I posted a few hours ago, I got started revising Chapter 2. I got one scene done. (About 4 pages worth.) So, it was a scene that was pretty clean on the first draft and it wasn't that bad but I still needed to change a few things so it still counts.
By the way Ann, of course finding the thread counts!

Sassy3421 · May 26, 2010

Welcome Ebennet68 and Ann

AnnEndicott said:
I'm not sure about you guys, but I alternate between "I'm the next best thing!" and "My work is complete crap!". Right now I'm at the "crap" stage, and am trying to get past that so that I can edit and feel like I'm making improvements, instead of just hating on my story.

Ann, I hear you! that's where I was yesterday (feeling like it's crap) and because of it I'm almost afraid of picking up my book today but I'm going to make myself.

The Edit that Book Challenge

Plotting murder..most of the time

Lost in mental space.

Plotting murder..most of the time

It's a catastrophic success!

Plotting murder..most of the time

Lost in mental space.

It's a catastrophic success!

Plotting murder..most of the time

It's a catastrophic success!

Is me.

Plotting murder..most of the time

Is me.

My horn can pierce the sky!

Plotting murder..most of the time

Lost in mental space.

following a secret path

Plotting murder..most of the time

Lost in mental space.

Plotting murder..most of the time

Book lover/Spy

Plotting murder..most of the time

Avoids editing by procrastinating

Avoids editing by procrastinating

Plotting murder..most of the time