I'm done with my hard edit (scribbling in my printed out first draft)! It took me two and a half weeks. The biggest ploblem I had was that there was too much to add. I couldn't write it all in. My muse hates longhand, but she sings when I'm at a keyboard. I have references, hints, action, entire scenes that I want to add to my book, but didn't write in. (Not in any detail, anyway.) So I ask myself: How do I make sure I get everything in?
One thing on my to-do list is to type up a synopsis. Preferably one page, since then I can send that to agents upon request. So, since I've stolen about four days from my work schedule, I'm going to write up that synopsis this weekend (AFTER I get my homework done, of course). I'll type up everything that happens in my book, and in another color, type in everything that I want to happen that's not in my book. (I'll trim it down to one page next month.)
Then, starting September 1, I'll edit my novel on the computer using all the marks and changes I wrote in the hard copy as well as all the additions I put into the synopsis.
Keeping a writing journal has been so helpful. I never realized how many steps are actually involved in writing a novel. So far I'm done with the planning, first draft, and hard edit. Then I have the synopsis, soft edit, quick read-over, query letter, and submitions to agents. And then I'm dependent upon other people to progress much further than that.
It's a tough gig. I only do it because I have to :) (My muse is making me!)
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2 comments:
If I were you, I'd consider doing a third draft...the reader's comments I've gotten back so far have been great...Fai read it, and I read it, then did edits, so I thought we found most typos right? WRONG! Also, something you like might be something that bugs your readers, in my case the name Read...Evidently, it's annoying, to several people,so it's getting changed to Reid...
I think the plan you have is great Emily. It sounds like you'll be quite busy indeed. Something you may want to think about is getting a beta reader. They will be able to catch most of what you missed, they will ask questions about things they don't understand, ect. I know from experience that they are very valuable. I plan on having my husband and best friend to beta my project when it's done.
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