Tuesday, March 09, 2010

On editing a new way

First of all I am at the Pink Heart Society, talking about Tolkien and his inspirations for Middle Earth in my Destination Life slot. Hint he never visited New Zealand...

I finished my Roman Undone yesterday and today it is the editing. And as ever, I am trying something new, something to shake me out of my comfort zone.

This time rather than doing my normal routine, I am shaking things up.
India Grey gave me some small moleskines for my birthday and one is perfect for this purpose.
I am making notes and trying to see what the problems are in each chapter before I fix them on the manuscript. It was such a fantastic gift from India and how she knew I'd need them, I don't know! She is just like that.
Normally I scribble and change things as I go but this time I want to get a real sense of what is happening and why.

Because it is a short piece, I am using the five point structure from the Manuscript Makeover, as well as trying to see if the scenes have any problems detailed. For example, writing down the purpose of each scene, the goals, the reversal and the turning points.
Already I can see that I am picking up things that I missed before. The proof however will be in how my editor receives it.
Right now nothing is concrete and everything is to play for.

And what is wrong with experimenting in any case?

I spent last night finishing Kate Hardy's latest MH -- Good Girl or Gold Digger. I thought the title did not really go with the book's content as it implied something else to me and the heroine -- Daisy could never be called a gold digger, not in a million years. But the book itself was a lovely read, full of Kate's heart warming touches. I was so pleased that she wrote her steam engine/fairground book. I do enjoy visiting the worlds she creates.
The question now is do I save her Medical for later in the month or do I read it straight away?

1 comment:

Donna Alward said...

Trying things a new way can open up all sorts of possibilities!

And I've read Kate's medical too. :-)