Although I've taken a bit of a break from writing new stuff, that doesn't mean I've done nothing. In fact, I just completed the second round of edits on a novel I finished last year - Wrongful Death. It took ten days for me to get through, and I managed to cut out another 900 words. That brings it down from an initial 68,000 words to just a hair over 64,000.
I know, I know - that doesn't sound like much, and you're right. I haven't cut near as much with this book as I did with my first two novels. I kept looking for extraneous words that failed to add to the content, but there weren't as many as there were in the past. I'm hoping this means that I've got better at eliminating that kind of stuff during the writing process, unconsciously.
More than that, although I've got one more round of edits to go, where I look at the novel as a reader rather than as an editor, I'm feeling very good about where this one has gone. I think it creates the same level of emotion as my previous novels despite its target audience being different(this one is more of a young adult novel). I didn't initially have high expectations for it, but I've come around and could see myself reading this one if I came across it in a bookstore. Most ghost stories are told from the point of view of the one being haunted, so I thought it'd be a fascinating change of pace to figure out the ghost's motivation, as well as his techniques. Showing this while still including an element of suspense possessed a degree of difficulty that took some work to figure out, but it was worth the effort.
Does all of this seem braggadocios? Sure, but who in their right minds puts out a book they don't feel is good work? I write novels I'd enjoy reading, and this one is no different. This one flows well, and the first person context allows the reader to get to know and care about the main character. You get an insight into the mind of the protagonist, and first person limited does this in a way that doesn't make thoughts seem overbearing the way third person omniscient does.
I know, I know - that doesn't sound like much, and you're right. I haven't cut near as much with this book as I did with my first two novels. I kept looking for extraneous words that failed to add to the content, but there weren't as many as there were in the past. I'm hoping this means that I've got better at eliminating that kind of stuff during the writing process, unconsciously.
More than that, although I've got one more round of edits to go, where I look at the novel as a reader rather than as an editor, I'm feeling very good about where this one has gone. I think it creates the same level of emotion as my previous novels despite its target audience being different(this one is more of a young adult novel). I didn't initially have high expectations for it, but I've come around and could see myself reading this one if I came across it in a bookstore. Most ghost stories are told from the point of view of the one being haunted, so I thought it'd be a fascinating change of pace to figure out the ghost's motivation, as well as his techniques. Showing this while still including an element of suspense possessed a degree of difficulty that took some work to figure out, but it was worth the effort.
Does all of this seem braggadocios? Sure, but who in their right minds puts out a book they don't feel is good work? I write novels I'd enjoy reading, and this one is no different. This one flows well, and the first person context allows the reader to get to know and care about the main character. You get an insight into the mind of the protagonist, and first person limited does this in a way that doesn't make thoughts seem overbearing the way third person omniscient does.
(Right on target)
I won't pick this up again for another few months, and I'm still unsure as to where in the order it'll be released - that's a story for a future post - but I'm pleased. Now I have to figure out a cover...
Cover! It really does never end ...
ReplyDeleteNope, it's just constant. But I wouldn't have it any other way.
Delete