Editing: the first phase

I began on the first phase of editing my book, Tomorrow's June. According to Chris Baty (see previous post), he recommends going through each chapter and writing down the characters who appear and the action that occurs.

Done and done.

The next step is to transpose the story into movable outline form, preferably on 4 x 6 cards.

Until then.

The next step

OK. I have given it a few days. I have mulled it over. I have given it every consideration. I am ready to begin the next step.

Editing.

I wrote in my last post about seeking out advice on editing from Chris Baty and being gobsmacked about what he wrote. Herein I berate myself for a sentence or two: I seem to operate in a dream land where I drift from topic to topic, thinking I know what I am doing but in reality have no idea. I have had my first novel finished for YEARS. I had no idea how to edit it, just a vague assumption, and I still didn't do it. Please tell me what that means?

I have lately come into contact with several old friends, mine and my husband's. Everyone is doing their thing and living their lives while I knock around with the same two chapters that need editing. It is ridiculous, really. I did a cursory look at the dozens of writing books on my bookshelf and none tell the reader how to edit a book. Instead, they are filled with advice on "capturing the muse." I don't need my muse captured, she lives in my basement.

So, what to do? Here is the advice, in a nutshell from Chris, keeping in mind that edits take at least a year:

1. Print out a copy of your manuscript.
2. In the margins of each chapter, write the following: the characters who appear and the action that occurs.
3. Transpose your story into movable outline form by using index cards or digitally. This is done by breaking down each chapter into its component scenes and creating an index card for each scene, noting the same information in #2: the cast, the action, and what role the scene plays in advancing the story.
4. Cull the cards. Remove unnecessary scenes. Make sure the remaining characters are central to the story and if they aren't, have a damn good reason for being there.
5. Figure out the pacing by moving the cards (scenes), testing structure and ideas, until the arc appears. Reshuffle the cards, literally.
6. Implement the changes in #5 to the manuscript.
7. Start a sentence-by-sentence, word-by-word rewrite. Look for wooden prose and awkward conversation. Check your research and facts.

Brilliance.

I found none of this advice in any of the books I spent all my hard-earned money on. So I will start from the beginning and begin to print my manuscript. I am going to start with my first book, then go to last year's NaNoWriMo story titled Three Weeks in Arizona, then this year's winner, which is untitled.

I plug in my printer, make sure I have enough paper, and hit print.

"Replace cyan cartridge" appears. I check my supplies for a cyan cartridge, which is blue and I am printing in black ink but it doesn't seem to matter because the printer won't print without it. I don't have one. Does Toni Morrison go through this? I mean really. I have to go buy one and money is tight.

This, readers, is in a nutshell, my writing life.

*** Update ***
I told my husband and he suggested we go to the university and print them, so I did and I now have a hard copy of two out of the three novels. He is going to print the third one for me this week.

Crisis averted.

A new challenge

So I wrote this 50,000 word novel, in fact I now have THREE 50,000 word novels to edit. I just signed up for NaNoEdMo, that's right National Novel Editing Month, which happens in March. The goal is to devote 50 hours to the task of editing. I can totally do that.

And here is an embarrassing confession: I really don't actually know how to edit a novel. Sure, I edit every day in my job, but a novel? To find an answer, I turned to Chris Baty, the founder of NaNoWriMo, and read his advice on how to edit, it was really great advice on how to take the novel apart and then put it back together. So I will be doing that for all three novels. In fact, I am going to start with my first book after I log off of here.

I re-read last year's NaNoWriMo entry last night, which I am going to title, Three Weeks In Arizona. It was pretty good! So I am going to include that in the editing mix as well. In fact, I might use Three Weeks as my editing project in March, but we will see.

NaNoWriMo WINNER!

Yes, it is official! I have won the 2008 NaNoWriMo! Here is my prize:



My story didn't turn out exactly how I had hoped, but like I said before, I can always edit. WOO HOO!

Word count 11/29

My word count for today is 47,809. I am 27 words ahead of the pace and only 2,191 from winning tomorrow. I am pretty relieved but I am disappointed in my novel and by the fact that I was unable to make my characters into heinous wastes of skin. They just plain refused to be horrible people. It was very frustrating. I'll have to work on them in the editing process.

Word count 11/28

Two more days left! My word count for today is 45,561, one more ahead of schedule. I am glad this is almost over. It has been extremely stressful this year. I'm exhausted.

Word count 11/27

Happy Thanksgiving! I didn't write yesterday because I was a day ahead. I did write tonight. My word count for the day is 43,379.

I sketched out the rest the story and will be following it to the end. It is a little too coincidental for my taste but I have to get it finished then fix it. There are also a couple of twists whose impact will also have to be fixed. The story didn't turn out exactly how I wanted it but I still think it is pretty good for coming with something out of whole cloth.

I can see the end now. I am 6,621 words away from winning. I don't want to jinx it.

Word count 11/25

Word count for today is 39,047. I made my goal today and am thinking that I may write more tonight, so I will hit 40,000 soon!

I decided to let my characters do whatever the hell they wanted. They were fighting me every step of the way and I had it!

***UPDATE***
I wrote more this evening, jumping a day ahead. My new word count is 41,140. I now have to start wrapping this book up before I have a nervous breakdown. Thursday is Thanksgiving and I don't know how busy I will be over the weekend so I really wanted to work ahead.

Word count 11/24

I had a really good day today. I used word sprints to get to my goal in a little over an hour!

Word count: 37,040 a little ahead of schedule. I wrote 2,565 words today.

I am feeling good, but last night I was unable to sleep. I was up until 4 a.m. I feel like I am in the manic stage of a manic-depressive episode and I know it is because of this novel. I am caught up now and I feel good about it, but this weekend was certainly a hair-raising experience. The word sprints are working and they are allowing me to not over think my novel, just to write it. I have a new direction one of the characters is going on and I think it is going to be interesting.

Word count 11/23

My word count for today is 34,475. I didn't have a 10,000 word weekend, but I had a 7,743 word weekend and I caught up with where I am supposed to be. So if I stay on track every day until the end of the month, then I will win.

I have been writing on my couch instead of being in my room downstairs. I really needed the change of pace. I am not sure where I will end up writing tomorrow, but the couch worked out well. I have had various and sundry dog and cats laying on me, helping me with my creative process. It has been nice.

One thing I did to facilitate meeting my overall word count goal was to make mini goals. I would say that in 30 minutes I want to write 500 words. This really helped me. I don't know why I didn't do it before.

Also, I let my characters off their tight leashes and they showed me a bit of what they were about. Last year when I was writing this, the story wrote itself because I didn't have a plot. I had a plot going into this and it has proved more difficult than I imagined it would be. So it is a live and learn situation. I am still having a problem with plot but I feel like I have identified what it is about and maybe I can fix it or work around it or live with it.

Plot and other terrible things

I have been thinking about plot and the creative process and I have realized that I have convinced myself that I am not a serious writer because my plots always run out of steam. If I have a really great idea for a book or a movie, I usually don't have enough plot to get it there. Because of my inability to come up with a plot I don't write. So it isn't a question of whether or not I can write. It is if I can come up with enough to get there. Because if you can't come up with enough, then it isn't a novel, it's called a short story.

Which brings me to my dilemma. I have figured out how to save my story so my main character, who I like, isn't the bad guy. I found a perfectly willing bad guy to take the fall. How do I get there now? I have the biggest block in my head. You can say that I am a block head. I just know that if I could get past the plot problems I always have then I could be a really great writer.

I am thinking that all writers must go through this. It is incredibly painful and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I read somewhere that Beethoven used to pour ice water on his head to stimulate his brain.

I will have a word count later and post it in a new post.

Word count 11/22

Word count for today is 30021, so I broke 30,000! WOO HOO!

Word count 11/21

Word count for today: 26,732. I am off the pace by 1,052, due to acute animal distractions. I am aiming for a 10,000 word weekend this weekend and will hold myself to it. I have nothing scheduled and all the time in the world to write. There is no excuse.

Word count 11/20

I am still one day behind but at least I am only one day behind. Word count: 25,564. I am only 4,442 away from 30,000. YIPPEE! I may just win this thing.

I had to have two separate conversations about my novel tonight, which is a NaNoWriMo no-no, but it was essential. I was having a major plot problem, but I think I am OK now.

Onward and upward!

Word count 11/19 and falling behind

I haven't written in a couple of days but wanted to provide an update on my progress. I ended up not writing at all on Saturday. Consequently, I am now 4,887 words behind. I am just getting ready to write tonight so I will see how much I catch up.

Word count for today 23351. I am 2205 behind pace. I will catch up. I had a good day, about 3,200 words, so I shouldn't have a problem catching up. Feel my confidence!

Word count 11/14 and some inspiration

Here is a quote from NaNoWriMo forum poster tessatj that really resonated with me:

Writing is a lifetime process. Even highly accomplished, respected authors have to sit down and face a blank screen again after they've been published (or won a Pulitzer). And I don't think it's ever easy. It's a matter of practice (writing and reading everything) practice (more writing and reading) and discipline.

If you don't hit 50,000 words, that doesn't mean that you aren't meant to be a writer. It just means you didn't hit 50,000 words. Most artists -- whether writers, actors, or visual artists -- went through periods of rejection, failure, and frustration. The ones who eventually made it were the ones who kept at it.

This random message made me feel better.

Word count: 14,453, one word better than my goal for the day. I am hoping to have a 5K weekend and I am going to shoot for it, but if I don't, I am still going to keep plugging away. I want to challenge myself but not make myself crazy. I have a pretty good idea of where I am going with the story, so I feel pretty confident in it.

Word count 11/13

12,313 words. A little above my target, which is good. Writing was easy tonight.

Word count 11/12

10,023 words today, slightly ahead of schedule.

I haven't been making a big deal out of writing after my freakout from the other day because I committed to this and it is really ridiculous to cry and moan about it. This is the business we have chosen!

Anyhow, I have been thinking about what happiness is and how excruciatingly painful writing is for me and how this can't possibly make me happy. Then what can? Maybe I have to wallow in the pain. I am afraid that every time I sit down I won't be able to come up with anything. That is my fear. I stop writing in my journal because I run out of things to say. The truth is that sometimes life is very boring and sometimes I don't want to talk about my feelings. I think I have grown out of that navel gazing somewhat. So I stop writing for a while to refresh my thoughts. I go run, or I sew, or I make a bracelet, or I knit something and it is refreshing and then I come back to writing after a while.

Maybe this is how it is for me.

Word count 11/11

It's 11/11! My word count for the day is 7824, right on schedule.

The painful reality

I had a horrible writing night last night. I think I wrote 20 words. This is after I went upstairs to complain to my husband and to whine that "maybe I wasn't a writer." When I think about all the accomplished people, the thing that sticks out is that they worked hard to get where they are. How do I work hard to achieve success? By writing. But why is it so horribly painful? Excruciatingly, terribly awful. I am proud of what I write but getting there is like having my teeth pulled without novacaine. I actually had a dentist who filled a tooth without novacaine once when I was young.

Anyway, I am determined to do this year's NaNoWriMo. I am at approximately 3342 words. I didn't count last night's abomination. I did some math and determined that I have to write 2222 words a day until 11/30 to achieve 50,000. This is only an extra 555 more words a day.

I can do it. I will check in later with my word count.

Word count for Monday: 5565, so I am one up on my count (was to be 5564). I feel pretty good about writing tonight. I worked halfway through, then took the dog, and came back and finished. If all writing sessions went this easy!

Writing habits

A couple of posts ago, I talked about coming to terms with my writing habits and goals. I want to be a novelist, but am unsure if that means not having a day job? It would be really great to be able to travel for weeks at a time, but maybe I need the discipline.

I received The Writer yesterday, and there was an article titled "Writing on the Fly," by Sandra Hurtes. In it, authors talk about how they fit their lives around their writing. This excerpt stood out for me. Hurtes is talking about Stacy Sims, a Cinncinati writer and Pilates studio owner:

With two day jobs she's emotionally invested in, finding the time to fit her writing job in isn't easy. "I don't have an expectation that I will write every day," she says. "Except for revising my play, I haven't had time to write in two months." She reconnects with her writing by going away for short periods of time and writing nonstop. That means spending enough time with her character that they "tell me everything I need to know," she says.

She advises writers, "Don't waste time on unhealthy habits. like spending your time thinking about how you are not writing! Thoughts are energy and they can keep us stuck."

I think this is helpful and addresses the first part of my problem. The second part of my problem is more insidious and has to deal with the emotional aspect of writing. I have the following problems:

• Don't have anything to say.
  
• Am terrified of writing.
  
• I find it incredibly painful.
  
• Don't think I know enough about plot.

Even as I wrote those words, they sounded wrong. Am I really terrified? I don't know if I would say that, but I do feel anxious. I don't know what the answer is. It feels good to write about it though.

AWOL

I have been AWOL for the last five days but now am ready to get back into writing mode. According to my schedule, I should have 11,669 words written by the end of day today. I have 1,161, so I am 10,508 behind. I will have to add to my word count on a per diem basis. If I am not caught up by 11/15, I will have to revise my day-to-day totals.

And I am off to write. I will be back later with a word count.

OK. I wrote all night. I am at 3342. Still five days behind, but I feel pretty good. I am inspired for the future.

Word count 11/2

1,161 words total. The time changed last night so I am really tired. I came to a conclusion about my writing habits, but I will write on it later.

Word count 11/1

I have been trying to use the official NaNoWriMo website and it is really, really slow. So slow, that I can feel my frustration level rise. Instead of dealing with that ridiculous mess, I am going to post my word count on here. 673 words today. I am supposed to write 1,667 a day and I am already behind, but I am very tired and will make it up later.

Writing is incredibly hard and I am going to have to come up with some tricks to keep me focused on the task at hand. Or I could figure out how to solve my problem. I will work on it this month and blog about it.

NaNoWriMo begins

Today marks the start of National Novel Writing Month wherein the participants write a 50,000 word novel by Nov. 30. I have signed up and will do it. I'm pretty excited. I have had a story bumping around in my head for a couple of years. It will be nice to let it out on paper.

Also, I have looked back at this past year and all of the blown-off deadlines and I think that I have finally found something to get me motivated to send my book out and realize my author potential. My husband, Tim, is going to collaborate on a book, that will most surely be published, with a co-worker. Talk about motivation! So while I am immersing myself in word counts while being in the writing zone, I am going to finish my sample chapter and send my book out. It would be terrible if my non-writing husband had a book published before me, a writer. To be fair, I have had several articles published, but I have always wanted to be a novel writer. What better time than now?

Fall and new goals

You know that I am not the type to run from a problem, but I am one to run from a goal. I, for the past two months, have not done any writing whatsoever, besides stuff for work. I missed my goal of having my two chapters to send out. It always seems that as soon as I have a breakthrough (see last post), it is like giving me permission to stop writing.

I shouldn't be too hard on myself. I have been feeling really scattered without knowing the reason why. I have been doing other stuff, but I get that feeling that there are not enough hours in a day to get everything done. What is that? I don't know. Anyway, enough with the old. Here is the new.

My new goal is to have my second chapter finished by the end of October (next month) to send out in November. Also in November, I am going to participate in the NaNoWriMo. I haven't given up on last year's NaNoWriMo book bug I have a good idea of what I am going to write about this year. I have to review the rules, but I think you can have an idea, it just can't be written down or started.

I also want to start writing in my journal again. My last post was 8/12/08. So much better than it being 8/12/07! See how I have become an optimist?

Tackling boredom and depression

I wanted to provide an update of my writing. I started on my second chapter after having a bit of a breakthrough regarding my inability to write. At the risk of revealing too much personal information, I realized exactly what my problem is. Everything comes back to this one thing. I came upon this as I was reading The Writer's Portable Therapist. My exact problem isn't covered in the book, but there are a couple of chapters that come close. I always was mystified about how to solve a behavioral problem. Is realizing it enough or do you have to completely change who you are, which is very difficult? I am not sure. I am trying to change who I am and it is a little difficult, especially when I have been living with myself for so long.

I suffer from a lot of boredom/depression and the last time I was complaining about it, my husband said I should throw myself into something and see what happens. I did tonight and I feel so much better! I finished another session in the therapy book, I updated both of my blogs, and I am torn between working on my query letter and my chapter. I think I will work on both to foster that feeling of accomplishment.

Cryptic messages

I left a somewhat cryptic post last night that I wanted to expand on today. I have been extremely distracted lately. Part of my routine in writing is to write in a journal every morning. I mentioned it as part of Dorothea Brande's process of becoming a writer. My journal entries were getting shorter and shorter with some days not seeing any post at all. This is unacceptable. To be a writer you have to write at least something every day.

Like I said, I have been distracted by world events, especially politics. It is appalling to me that people can be so selfish and cruel and to read about it every day is to really lose hope. I was talking to my husband and he said that I can't change the whole world, just my corner, and it is sound advice. On that note, I am imposing a news blackout until such time where I feel I can handle people and their ridiculousness.

In a couple of posts back, I was talking about editing the two chapters of my book to send them out. I originally said that I would be taking June and July and then I later revised that to just June. I did finish the first chapter in June, but have yet to tackle the next chapter, which I feel is my most challenging chapter in the book. In it, I have to traverse a long passage of time without glossing over what my character is going through. I don't want it to read like a diary entry, but I don't want to pore over every detail either. I have been avoiding working on it because maybe I don't know enough about the craft of writing to pull something like this off? See, this is progress to admit this. I think reading Plot will help.

I also have come up with an idea for another book, a chick lit book. The idea came to me during my nightly run and I fleshed out the whole plot during a week of activity. I am going to outline it and get moving on the writing. There is a process to writing fiction and it is about time that I figured out what it was.

And finally, my freelance career. I have a great idea for an article and today I am going to formulate my interview questions and send them out to my sources.

See? I have a plan. I just had to get back on track.

Mid-ish July update

I wanted to update everyone. I have been working on my article ideas and compiling sources. I have yet to write a query letter; it was my goal for the week. However, writing one will be my goal for next week.

Summer is here

Hey everyone! I wanted to pop in to give an update on my writing. I know that I said I would have my sample chapters ready by the end of June, and I have been working on them! But I only have one done. I am going to take the long 4th of July weekend and work on the other one. I always approach editing with trepidation, but it always works out!

In other news, I have been identifying markets to write for. I think I am going to try my hand at two travel articles and one personal essay. I love travel writing. Good travel writing, and the personal essay is good, too.

I have picked up a couple of really great writing books I wanted to share. The first is titled The Craft & Business of Writing, by Writers Digest. This book contains everything you ever wanted to know about writing fiction and nonfiction. It is fantastic and I highly recommend it.

I also bought a book on the essays of Michel de Montaigne, who is considered "the greatest essayist who ever lived." Why not learn from the master?

I have also begun reading, "How to Become a Famous Writer Before You're Dead," by Ariel Gore, which is filled with great advice on how to be fearless in your writing.

So you can see I am pretty busy with reading and I am squeezing in some writing. I would like to up my writing quotient in July. I will keep you posted.

Checking in

I wanted to check in with an update of what I am doing. I have been working on my book this month. I recently had some positive feedback about my writing so I am pretty encouraged. In the interest of keeping myself motivated, I have been working my way through some writing books, such as One Year To A Writing Life by Susan M. Tiberghien (most excellent); Too Lazy To Work, Too Nervous To Steal by John Clausen (wonderful, practical advice on freelance writing); and The Writer's Portable Therapist by Rachel Ballon, Ph.D. If and when I sell my book I am flying out to Los Angeles where Ballon maintains a practice and shaking her hand. She has helped me write through some of my ridiculous fears and I am not even a third of the way through her book! I highly recommend all three.

I have decided on the second chapter that I am going to polish and I am going to start next week. I have been writing daily and feel pretty good about it and am ready to start the next step in the Brande book on writing by appointment. I will start that tomorrow. It doesn't seem that there is enough hours in a day to get everything done. I also want to sew as I have a lot of projects to complete, but writing is more important than that. I am going to have to create a schedule to fit everything in. This will dovetail perfectly with the Brande book. I think they call it kismet.

I wanted to pop in an update my writing. I have been thinking about it a lot, 'cause you know, thinking is SO much better than writing! HA! Anyway, I have been thinking about it and I have picked a chapter in my book to polish and send out. I need two, so I am thinking about the other one. As soon as I decide I will let everyone know! I know you can't wait!

Enough of the sarcasm. I have been writing every day. I wrote a poem the other morning, even. I am feeling pretty good about my writing. As for the article at work, my editor liked it but felt it needed a subtle push in the direction it was going, so I was sweating out a phone interview I needed to do: the person in question hadn't called me back and deadline is tomorrow! Well, he did and I got my interview and I will add the extra material and will happy when I can send it on to layout. Whew! The writing wasn't as horrible as I made it out to be in my mind. I always work myself up for no reason, but it turned out really good, I thought. I told my editor I wouldn't be averse to writing again in the future.

OK, and I'm out! Cheers!

Work, work, and more work

I have been busy writing an article for work. I don't like to mix work (I am an editor for a magazine) with my private writing, but I have been enjoying the excruciating pain that comes from writing for a deadline. I may really like writing after all! Which is really great because my whole problem is not wanting to write.

Anyway, I have been reading on my off time and will begin the editing of my two chapters next week after I finish my article.

Checking in

I wanted to check in keep the blog current with my news of nothing. Really, I am doing stuff, it just moves very slowly. I have been writing every day and I started this exercise where I notice something fresh and new and comment on it in my journal. So far, so good. I mentioned on my myspace blog about DailyLit.com where you can sign up to have an installment of a classic work of literature sent to you daily. Perfect for those with short attention spans who flit around their ateliers in a state of permanent disarray. Like myself. Check it out.

I have been kicking myself for letting my habit of writing first thing in the morning slip, but nothing can be further from the truth! I have been on a diet since the beginning of the year and every morning I write in a notebook on what time I woke up, how I am feeling, etc. I have done this every day without fail. Writing is writing and a habit is a habit. I have to stop being so hard on myself.

That being said, I have once again begun to write in my journal dedicated to early morning thoughts beyond weight loss efforts. So I am writing in two places now! Not bad for someone who doesn't think she does anything.

Tim, my husband, has become a big fan of Garrison Keillor and has taken to downloading podcasts of his Lake Woebegone series, especially Guy Noir, and the daily Writer's Almanac, which Keillor narrates. I really enjoy the Writer's Almanac as it exposes the listener to new poets. One, Denver Butson, has really caught our attention. Mr. Butson received his MFA at my old stomping grounds, BGSU, so is kind of like a kindred spirit. Tim did his magic at the library and procured a copy of Butson's triptych as well as his master's thesis for me to look at. I enjoy poetry, I just don't get to read a lot of it, not being exposed to new poets. Except for now, thanks to Garrison Keillor.

Emerging from my cocoon

I am always surprised at the way I just walk away from writing as if it isn't the most important thing in the world to me. Maybe it isn't and I just don't care. Or maybe because in my career I edit on a daily basis it satisfies my need for words? I don't know. All I know is that I stopped writing on 2/16/08 and haven't looked back. Maybe it is time to take stock?

I have written a novel, really two novels, but the first one is my baby. I would like to send it out but it isn't ready 100% and the thought of going in and editing it terrifies me for some reason. So does sending it in. Is it because I refer to it as my baby? No one has ever said that they think my writing sucks so I am not sure what the problem is. Maybe because it is such hard work for me? It is excruciating for me to sit down and try and come up with something that I avoid it. I don't know why. But I am going to find out.

I think the key is goals. I have been on a diet and I have found, much to my surprise, that small goals really help. So here are some small goals that will ultimately lead to the big goal of sending in my book:

-I have once again picked up Dorothea Brande's book, Becoming A Writer and will finish reading it.
-I will pledge to write every day.
-I will pick two chapters, by April 30, to polish up for an agent.
-After I pick the two chapters, I will work on them individually for one month each, for a minimum of five times a week.
-I will meet back here at the end of June 08 with a progress report, although I will post regularly about my progress. I need a place to whine.

I'm determined to find out if I have anything to say or find out if it is time to go grad school and become a librarian.