Losing the will to edit... http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/novel-draft-aftercare/threads/49844 ashleynichols I recently finished a trilogy of novels--yeahhh I'm a NaNo rebel but I did knock out a lot during November--and have started the editing process because I'm aiming for publication. It's going so. so. slow. I loved writing the books and went at quite a rapid pace but about 33 pages into editing I find I will do anything (including going on forums ^_^) to procrastinate the process. I also fear that by the time I finish editing my books they'll be too short for publication (literary fiction genre and first drafts range between 90-95K). Is anyone else in the same boat, hopefully with advice on how to drag myself through this? Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:33:51 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/novel-draft-aftercare/threads/49844?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1112420 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/novel-draft-aftercare/threads/49844?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1112420 Webgoji For me, and this is only my experience, choosing times to edit and saying, "I'm sitting down at X to do this for 45 minutes" just doesn't work. If I'm burned out on the manuscript from writing, I have to be careful or I'll start resenting it. Or worse, I think I know what I've written and end up not finding the problems because I've memorized the story. So what I do is put it down and let it "go stale". During that time I start on my next project; plot development, character matrices, timeline, etc. Once the manuscript is significantly forgotten by me, then I start editing. It's at that point that I start falling in love with the story again because I've forgotten much of it and am experiencing it all over again. It helps me get jazzed to find the errors, plot holes, stuff like that. It also helps me avoid skipping over problems because I THINK I know what I said rather than seeing what I actually wrote. I don't know if that helps, it's just what I do . . . Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:15:48 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/novel-draft-aftercare/threads/49844?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1112469 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/novel-draft-aftercare/threads/49844?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1112469 AnitaC Am sympathising with this - I've just started to edit my NaNo from 2011 and it is SO hard and I know it is gonna take SO long.... pretty daunting but will, I keep telling myself, be worth it if it means I end up with something I can actually share with others... Keep going! Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:43:01 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/novel-draft-aftercare/threads/49844?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1112509 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/novel-draft-aftercare/threads/49844?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1112509 42n8 Me I know exactly what you mean. Writing, at first, seemed so ... romantic, and creative. But editing feels more like WORK. Still, there are days that I enjoy it. This is my first NaNo experience and my first novel. A lot of the process is new to me. I find the forums helpful -- but, like now (this very instant), they sometimes provide another way to procrastinate. :-\ I guess I need to log off, and get back to work. I'm aiming to get at least 3 solid hours of editing in today. We have to keep at it. A little support (as in this thread) can help push us along. Good luck all! :-) Wed, 14 Mar 2012 16:58:31 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/novel-draft-aftercare/threads/49844?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1212684 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/novel-draft-aftercare/threads/49844?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1212684 Carolf Also first Nano and first novel. And first time I've ever finished anything, so my first time editing. And I've slowed to almost nothing. So there's a lot of it going around. But, as I was told in the Life After NaNoWriMo thread, it's worth doing. So, buck up. We'll do it together. Right:? Right. So, go thou and edit. As will I. Good luck. Thu, 15 Mar 2012 10:47:35 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/novel-draft-aftercare/threads/49844?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1214362 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/novel-draft-aftercare/threads/49844?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1214362 AnitaC Thanks for the bucking up, Carolf! I certainly need it! I am making slow progress but I feel like I am learning a lot about what will and won't work. I think a pretty serious re-write is in order and my next task is to get back in to my draft, salvage some useful stuff (3 lines worth??) and then crack on with outlining the new version. Outling... I knew there was something I'd forgotten first time round... *sigh* Thu, 15 Mar 2012 13:43:54 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/novel-draft-aftercare/threads/49844?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1214535 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/novel-draft-aftercare/threads/49844?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1214535 Carolf Not everyone outlines, but I know that I need one. Just doing that is liable to get you excited again with your novel. Good luck! Fri, 16 Mar 2012 09:18:15 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/novel-draft-aftercare/threads/49844?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1215907 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/novel-draft-aftercare/threads/49844?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1215907 izzyhindle I'm really resenting this whole editing process. I've marked up my first draft and such, which is great, but now I've gotten to fixing, rewriting, adjusting, and the like, and it's really draining me. Wed, 21 Mar 2012 15:24:13 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/novel-draft-aftercare/threads/49844?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1228973 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/novel-draft-aftercare/threads/49844?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1228973 MrProliferation I have a nearly opposite problem. I have written a novel that I started in Nanowrimo 2008 and everyone who has read has given me great feedback on it, but it's a monster at 196,000 words. I can't even seem to get any publishers to read it because as soon as they see the word count I get a rejection letter the next day saying they won't read it until I edit it down to XXX,000 words (usually 125, 140, or 150). While I admit the novel has some fat I could trim, I just can't see cutting between 30-40% of it out and having it be coherent. I'm sort of lost as to whether I should try to edit it more (even though I've been editing it for four years now) to get below these levels, cut it into two novels even though it's really only one story, OR try to self publish because I can't get anyone to look past the word count. Thu, 22 Mar 2012 20:20:56 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/novel-draft-aftercare/threads/49844?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1231730 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/novel-draft-aftercare/threads/49844?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1231730 Carolf I'm no expert, nor am I published. In fact, I've only just finished my first ever novel. With that caveat said, every published author I've ever had occasion to hear/read about their career have all said that cutting to fit word count early in their publishing career helped immensely with their writing skill. They all found fat where they hadn't seen it until forced to. For what that's worth. Fri, 23 Mar 2012 10:25:20 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/novel-draft-aftercare/threads/49844?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1232739 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/novel-draft-aftercare/threads/49844?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1232739 izzyhindle This is getting frustrating. On a good day I can usually edit about a page or so of my work before getting angry. Today I got 2.5 pages. One day I only got a paragraph though. :/ Wed, 28 Mar 2012 07:32:51 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/novel-draft-aftercare/threads/49844?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1244394 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/novel-draft-aftercare/threads/49844?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1244394 sabba_d Ugh-- editing is such a massive pain. Never mind the fact that I still have some blank chapters/sections I can't force myself through. One thing that has helped with the editing process is drafting friends to help me out-- I send a chapter to each friend (so it's not too long) and get their feedback on it. While it's not a comprehensive edit and everyone has different things they focus on while editing, it does help me out! Thu, 29 Mar 2012 11:02:37 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/novel-draft-aftercare/threads/49844?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1246375 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/novel-draft-aftercare/threads/49844?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1246375 42n8 Me Don't give up! If you really feel that your novel has potential, see it through. I have a little document I call 'baby pictures'. It's my equivalent of cute little baby pix, that remind you why you hold your temper when your bratty not-so-little kid acts up. My 'baby pictures' doc has some of my best scenes and pages from my novel. When I get really frustrated, I go to it to remember how much I sometimes love this story. Something else that helps me is having created a chapter summary. It's a little more detailed than my outline, and helps me keep my plot cohesive. My chapter summary is helpful with finding exactly where to plug in ideas that pop up in the shower, fairly quickly too. I also have some holes where I wrote something like: 'have M&F MC's resolve issue from chapter 2 here - create sexual tension, and reveal secret from Chapter 4'. When real editing is too hard, I go to these, so I can just create. Hope all this helps. Good Luck all! :-) Fri, 30 Mar 2012 01:21:04 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/novel-draft-aftercare/threads/49844?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1248074 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/novel-draft-aftercare/threads/49844?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1248074 Dennis Jernberg Right in the middle of NaNoEdMo, I lost all interest in editing. My muse seemed to go on vacation. My interest was in upgrading and downloading software, learning computer languages, that kind of stuff. This went on for about two weeks before scenes started coming to me again, some new and some vastly changed versions of existing scenes. I won EdMo, of course, even if I never fully switched into Panic Mode. During Script Frenzy, when I'm putting most of my effort into scripting a visual novel, learning Python, and brushing up on my rusty drawing skills, I'll cut down on the editing, of course. But I'll keep on doing it, because I really really want to finish that final draft and get the whole thing published. Sat, 31 Mar 2012 04:45:43 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/novel-draft-aftercare/threads/49844?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1250588 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/novel-draft-aftercare/threads/49844?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1250588 Voirey-Linger Judging from your post, you have a tendency to use long and wordy sentences. While this isn't a bad thing, it does indicate you probably have more fat than you realize. Loose writing adds an incredible amount of unneeded words. Look at your last sentence; "I'm sort of lost as to whether I should try to edit it more (even though I've been editing it for four years now) to get below these levels, cut it into two novels even though it's really only one story, OR try to self publish because I can't get anyone to look past the word count." (57 words) While it's very understandable and grammatically correct, it has more than we need. tighten to this: "I'm lost as to whether I should edit it more (even though I've been editing it for four years now), cut it into two novels even though it's only one story, OR self publish because I can't get anyone to look past word count." (44 words) and you haven't lost any impact. you have, however, saved 13 words in one sentence. Using the old NY count, I'm estimating your work to be about 780 pages. if you were to trim just 13 words from one sentence on each page, you would lose 10,140 words. Twice per page, 20,180. I'd suggest you first trim the fat you know is there, then go back and concentrate on removing 20 or more words per page by tightening. once you get a feel for how to tighten, this will go pretty quickly. Once you're done with that edit run, reassess your total word count and repeat the tightening exercise as needed. Carlof is very right in that learning to trim is very beneficial, not because it helps with fitting guidelines, but because it makes for a better writer overall. Once you see how you add unneeded wordage, you can learn to write it out the first time. Sat, 31 Mar 2012 07:24:47 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/novel-draft-aftercare/threads/49844?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1250693 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/novel-draft-aftercare/threads/49844?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1250693 Tolaura Bookchild Totally agree with OP. Can't stare at it anymore. Frustrated with myself for lack of discipline. I took more than a month off short a bunch of short fiction, but now coming back to it. ARGG!! I don't know what I was one in Nov. adrenaline, caffiene, maybe but man is my writing rough. Something a middle school teacher mentioned to me once was start at the end reading last paragraph before the one above it. So you can focus on trimming, word choice, grammar etc without getting lost in the story and you're less likely to read what you thought you wrote because it's out of order. I find for me it's a change of pace. Sometimes I have to decide if I'm going to work on giant plot hole of doom today-style big stuff, or little more concrete stuff like that run-on sentence page I had no idea that I never hit any punctuation keys on at all that day. Sat, 31 Mar 2012 07:48:57 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/novel-draft-aftercare/threads/49844?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1250711 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/novel-draft-aftercare/threads/49844?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1250711 valerie.comeaux Edititng my NaNo Novel. . . painful. The novel actually came out better than I first thought until 3/4 of the way through. A rewrite is needed but I don't know where to go from here... Mon, 09 Apr 2012 12:55:29 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/novel-draft-aftercare/threads/49844?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1275771 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/novel-draft-aftercare/threads/49844?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1275771 42n8 Me Rewrite? No...to me this was not necessary. But when I look back on my long and busy 'editing' journey, I see rewrite is what I've mostly been doing. Now that I've accepted this reality, and decided to embrace the rewrite, it's coming more easily. There are some passages that I'm still having trouble letting go of, but putting them in my discarded folder is less painful for me (than just deleting them). Like the cute pair of shoes I don't really wear anymore, but keep in the back of the closet...just in case. I must admit, I have new respect for all the writers I once picked apart. Sticking with your writing project takes not just work, but a certain amount of courage...the willingness to put yourself out there. Yay for us! :-) Thu, 12 Apr 2012 16:32:34 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/novel-draft-aftercare/threads/49844?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1284142 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/novel-draft-aftercare/threads/49844?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1284142