It's National Novel Editing Month: Courage, Friends, Courage!

Hello fellow writers! So you've taken up the challenge and are finally revising that #NaNo that's been lying around all of these years waiting for you to put on your adult pants. We have a month to go through and figure things out. So step one is fairly easy. Sit down with your WIP and read it. Now if you're doing this on a print out you'll need a highlighter. If you're doing it on your computer get familiar with your "notes" feature. Step one, every time you see a plot hole, inconsistency, or anything you don't like, mark it. Mark it and move on. If you have a hot idea for how to fix it, write that in the note. We'll fix it later. I promise.

 

If you're revising on paper, keep a separate sheet for the ideas that pop into your head while you're working. If you're on the computer start a new file and switch back and forth between the two. You need a list of notes for the ideas that are not related to the pages you are reading. Now that we've done that it's time to talk about process and a schedule.

 

Editing is not a simple thing and your process will be different than mine. But generally speaking there are 3 phases or passes you'll make on a manuscript. I will be blogging about these as we go, but here's an overview.

 

Pass 1: Content-This is where you go through and correct plot holes and continuity errors. You aren't worried about style or grammar at this point, just the content and arc of your story. So if need be, pull out your old outline or notes and compare your draft to your original idea. I write from a spreadsheet and make a more detailed outline on this pass. I find this works for me, but your experience may vary. Make detailed notes in your draft.

 

Pass 2: Imagination-has each scene lived up to it's potential? Could it be done better? Rewrite the ones that need rewritten. Tighten and delete words. Make your sentences flow together. Are all of the ideas in your paragraph on topic?

 

Pass 3: Grammar and Style- Have you split your infinitives? Have you over used words? Have you forgotten a comma, missed a typo or been autocorrected into the wrong word. Check, check, check. I call this clean up. And then when you're done you're done.

 

 

 

Feb 1st. Hopefully have at least a second draft ready for Grammar and Style review, send out to beta readers.

 

OK EdiMos, let's get to work!

 

Love,

Melanie

 

PS- For those of you waiting for the Writing Games to begin they will debut on my birthday, February 5th.