Writing A Novel - Editing

After you think you are done writing your novel, when you first reach "The End", you can sit back, relax and brace yourself for the real work ahead of you: EDITING. Depending on who you talk to, this is either the most exciting part of the writing process, or the most dreaded. I fall somewhere in the middle. I am well aware that this is my least practiced skill (so therein lies the dread), but when I have successfully worked on editing short pieces I have felt more fulfilled than ever before.

Since I have much to learn about the process of editing a novel and feel ill-equipped to advise on the topic, I instead offer you some notes I've picked up along the way.

On The Terror of Editing

When you are faced with the decision to cut out words and sentences that you created it feels that brutal. Your novel - every sentence, word and piece of punctuation - is personal and a piece of you. To admit that some of those don't belong, or are "wrong" can be painful. (This is also why it can be difficult to hear even the best intended criticism of these words!). Here are a couple of thoughts from authors reflecting the terror of editing:

• "To make the piece work, it's essential to murder on demand." - The Memoir Project, Marion Roach Smith p. 103
•  "...what's left out may haunt you as much as what gets included." - The Memoir Project, Marion Roach Smith p. 102
• "Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts." Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott p. 25

On Why Editing is Necessary

In short, Anne Lamott's terrifying statement above - that all good writing begins terribly - is why editing is a necessary evil.   However, to get an idea where the "terrible" comes from, here are a few more notes on the topic:

• "It's not volume we need. It's precision aimed at illustrating your unique point of view, and that's what editing is all about."- The Memoir Project, Marion Roach Smith p.105
•  "The difference between a word and the 'right' word is the difference between a lightning bug and lightning. " - Mark Twain
• "The effect of judicious cutting is immediate and often amazing -- literary Viagra." - On Writing, Stephen King p. 223
•  "What the Formula taught me is that every story is collapsible to some degree." - On Writing, Stephen King p. 223

On How Editing Is Done

It's feared. It must be done. Everyone has their own method (I'm still developing mine!). Here are  tips on how to edit your novel from some seasoned veterans:

• "Pencil in hand, touch each word in every sentence, make hard decisions." - The Memoir Project, Marion Roach Smith p. 108
• "If you find yourself skimming a sentence or paragraph thinking the reader will enjoy herself later, forget it." - The Memoir Project, Marion Roach Smith p. 109
• "Toss it even if you love it." - On Writing, Stephen King p. 197
• "Your job during or just after  the first draft is to decide what something or somethings [your book] is about. Your job in the second draft -- one of them, anyway -- is to make that something even more clear." On Writing, Stephen King p. 201
• "2nd Draft = 1st Draft - 10%. Good Luck." - On Writing, Stephen King (in quoting an editor's note from a submission to Ellery Quenn's Mystery Magazine) p. 222
• "The story always comes first." - On Writing, Stephen King p. 231
• "...take your story through at least two drafts; the one with the door closed and the one you do with it open." - On Writing, Stephen King p. 209
• "It's a good idea to wait awhile before your reread your writing." - Writing Down The Bones, Natalie Goldberg, p. 205

On Dulling The Pain Of Editing

Natalie Goldberg's book Writing Down the Bones is just about one of the best reads for the insecure writer. She has a wonderful way of freeing writers from fear and bring joy back to every part of the writing process - even editing. Here are some soothing words to end off on, to remind you that editing is something every writer goes through and that it can be just as creatively fulfilling as putting together your first draft:

• "See revision as 'envisioning again'." - Writing Down The Bones, Natalie Goldberg, p. 209
• "Often you might read page after page in your notebooks and only come upon one, two, or three good lines. Don't be discouraged." - Writing Down The Bones, Natalie Goldberg, p. 210

More Guidance On Editing

If these wise words are not enough for you (and I do realize they only scratch the surface) , them I highly recommend you read the books they come from.

 

In the meantime, here are some click-able resources:

11 Resources to Make Editing Your Novel Easier

Editing Your First Novel: 7 Things You Need to Know

 How To Edit Your Book In 4 Steps

How to Edit a Novel Manuscript

My January 2012 in Review: Books

You may or may not have noticed the challenge button I have on the sidebar of my blog from goodreads. It's my 2012 reading challenge. If you haven't seen that, then perhaps you've been keeping up with my ROW80 check-ins where I discuss this challenge. Either way, if you have not, here it is:

I will read 52 books in the year 2012.

This is doable. All I have to do is read at least one book per week, or four books per month. Well, January ended and I was already behind! I only read three books. No worries, though. I've got a whole year ahead of me. Right now I just want to tell you about those three books!

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott

I was introduced to this book thanks to the good people at the WriteOnEdge blog. This was the second selection for the online reading discussion ReadOnEdge after we read Stephen King's On Writing. I must say Lamott's book was an excellent choice.

As I am endeavoring to take the leap into the writing word it is important to get sage advice from those who have been through the ringer a couple of times. While King discussed the idea of rejection and his own experiences with it, I don't think he captured the emotional tumult that one goes through during the process of writing as vividly as Lamott did. Reading that the feelings of insecurity I am having now seem to be a natural part of the game was strangely comforting.

Along with anecdotes from a writer's insecure mind were some incredible pieces of advice. So many of them so simple one has to wonder why the thought of them has been so elusive. A perfect example of this is the story behind the title of the book. Lamott reflects upon her brother, ten years old at the time, waiting until the last moment to do a report he had months to do. He was besides himself, this project was on multiple types of birds and was overwhelmed. Their father (also a writer) walked in the kitchen to find his son distraught over his enormous project. The father calms him by saying he needs to just take the report "bird by bird." Lamott, a writing teacher, tells her students this story year after year so that they too understand that their manuscripts can not be written en masse, but rather piece by piece, or "bird by bird."

There are so many snippets of advice, so much writers can learn from reading this. I highly recommend this book if you are interested in writing at any level.


Gregor The Overlander by Suzanne Collins

I have had this audiobook for years. I bought it back in 2009 when I was first diagnosed with IIH and couldn't read anything, not even a computer screen. I had just finished The Hunger Games and I wanted to see where this Collins woman came from. I don't know if it was the narrator. I don't know if it was that I was so sick at the time. I don't know if it was because I was always laying down when I listened to it. All I do know is I literally could not stay awake in this book. When I saw it still in my iPhone in January I decided I would give it another shot, but only play it when I was wide awake.

Well, that was the trick! I really loved the book. I was listening to it like crazy just to know what happened next. I couldn't help but make comparisons to The Hunger Games while listening, but otherwise it was a book all its own. Suzanne Collins seems to have a real knack for creating worlds that run on different rules (Panem in The Hunger Games and the Underworld in Gregor). While the Underworld's rules are not as shocking as Panem's in THG, the setting is.

Taking place completely underground, this book takes a young boy, Gregor, and his little sister Booth to a place they had never dreamed of. There are larger than life creatures and characters, a prophecy and a mission to save a father. The book is filled with adventure, action and just the right touch of "icky" that I believe it would be especially appealing to a young male audience.

Although this book is the first in a six book series, the story itself contains enough closure to be a one-shot read if you so desire. However, I can tell you I'll be back! I'm too fascinated by the Underworld and the fascinating cast of characters I left there.


Seriously... I'm Kidding by Ellen Degeneres

The third book I read in January was one of my Christmas gifts. I asked for it because I read Ellen's first book, My Point... And I Do Have One back in 1995, and I seriously thought it was one of the funniest things in print. I bought it because Ellen amused me, but the book had me wiping the laughter tears out of my eyes. My friend and I can still quote excerpts from the book.

Also, Ellen's stand up has the same affect on me. Pure, unbridled joy brought on by hilarity. My husband knows, any time it is on, he can flip over to it, I can recite the jokes along with the show and still be laughing. My husband and I often pull out some of the Ellen jokes whenever apropos.

So I'm an Ellen fan. I was really looking forward to the book. Maybe I raised my expectations too high. Maybe I'm not as easily amused anymore... who knows.

The book was funny, but not hilarious. It was more of a memoir with a twist. It was a stream of monologues from the Ellen show all wrapped up together. Do I recommend the book? Absolutely. It is a fun, quick read and I still love Ellen for her messages of positivity and living in happiness. She is my idol in this way and in her silliness (when my students would tell me I reminded them of Ellen I would secretly dance in my heart for the greatest compliment paid, second only to, "Thank you, Miss."). She explains why she left American Idol, she discusses her pride in her show and being the spokeswoman for CoverGirl, her love of her wife and family, and she even included coloring pages for your kids (I thought that was pretty great)! There are some seriously funny parts, I suppose I just wanted more.

Want To Get Your Own?

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Messes

What people somehow (inadvertently, I'm sure) forgot to mention when we were children was that we need to make messes in order to find out who we are and why we are here -- and, by extension what we're supposed to be writing.

~Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life page 

I love that I just read this at the end of my epic cleaning day.

I am a messy person. It is who I am. I know that it is a part of everything that I create and everything that works for me.

There are days I wish I wasn't a messy person, but those are the days, like today, where I do epic, brute-force cleaning of everything in sight. Those days are filled with deep thought and, just like Anne Lamott wrote, finding myself.

Ideas abound on these days.

Problems are solved on these days.

Plans are made on these days.

The only problem with these days is that there is little time to jot any of this brilliance down.

So... here's to hoping that something sticks tonight.