I'm pretty happy with the progress I've made, having corrected a lot of annoying problems that have been known to me for years through many re-reads of the novel. But I definitely think I need to have fresh eyes before I go through the novel again, so I'll give it a break once this last sweep is done.
When reading through parts of the second novel in the series, I recognise so much that needs changing. It's another novel that has a lot of bloating, so it needs to be whittled. I'm not sure where it should start, but I'll have to stew on that and see what I come up with. There are also obvious changes that need to be made that are the result of me changing various plot points / settings in the first book. I'll get to that someday, but I have plenty of novels that need editing, so I might work on a novel from a different 'world' next.In other unrelated news, I finally finished reading Jessica Bell's autobiography Dear Reflection: I Never Meant to be a Rebel. It was a fantastic read and if you didn't know it was non-fiction, you'd think you were reading some compelling novel. I'll do up a proper review to put on GoodReads / Amazon, but for now that's my quick thought on it.
Hi Trisha. Glad to see you again! It's great to have other people read your work. I have 2 trusted critique partners now and we meet every month. It's making my novel so much better.
ReplyDeleteHaven't read Jessica's memoir yet, but I'm sure it's amazing knowing how well she writes and what a life she's lead. Looking forward to reading your review.
We're having a bite of winter up here in Queensland. How about in Fremantle?
Denise :-)
It's a bit chilly here sometimes, but largely we've had no rain so it doesn't feel like winter. We need rain desperately as our farmers are crying out for it. Plus, I love rain, so that's another reason we need it!
DeleteHi Trisha - well done on getting on with the editing process. So glad Jess' book was an excellent read - I can imagine that ... good luck to you both - cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteGood stuff! Let it sit. Some things might not need changing after all. And of course, you'll find new ones.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure Jessica's story is wild.
I was going to say I couldn't let something sit that long but then realized I have several stories mostly edited and waiting and it's been over a year. LOL
ReplyDeleteI've had some novels sitting for MANY years, unrevised. ;) I hope to get to them all, over time. The trick is to stop writing new ones for a while!
DeleteI'll check out Bell's book, really like the cover. Give it a break and look at something else. If you feel over-extended with writing in general you can take a full break and enjoy outdoor activities. Or read memes.
ReplyDeleteWhen I revised the first book in my WIP series, I changed a lot that will now lead to a lot of revisions in Book Two. I still haven't done them, but I have time. Good luck with your revisions and studies!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your revisions.
ReplyDeleteEditing power! Definitely take the time to work on something else before diving back in. I guess you're not to the point where you're reading for critiquing, eh?
ReplyDeleteAt this point I am at a stage where I am fixing little niggly bits. But I can still recognise that I may need to fix some bigger bits. The novel used to be told from two points of view, but has since become a single POV novel. So there are still a few gaps here & there that need to be filled as a result. And also some bits that can be whittled further than I have already. I'm quite happy with how I've gone so far, but I keep finding more bits to fix! Argh!
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