I completed the first rewrite on my young-adult novel. After letting the words sit on mothballs for five months, it was time to go back and read it as an editor.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by what I read. When I had finished the first draft on Nov. 30, I quickly closed it...and cringed a bit. But it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be on first read.
That's not to say that it's ready for publication. It's a long ways from seeing the light of day. But it's workable. Furthermore, I like the story. Those are big pluses.
I made a few grammatical changes. There were a few transitions that needed to be made. When I go back to it, there are some scenes that need to be more descriptive. Some characters also need to be more fully developed.
I adhere to Elmore Leonard's rule to cut out the stuff that people don't read. So that's something that will be getting more attention on the second rewrite. I want to keep it lean and fluid.
While I don't recommend waiting five months to go back to a manuscript, it certainly gave me a fresh look at my words. When I edit, I view the manuscript as I would if I were editing someone's writing.
I'll give another update after the second rewrite.
Until the next time...
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by what I read. When I had finished the first draft on Nov. 30, I quickly closed it...and cringed a bit. But it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be on first read.
That's not to say that it's ready for publication. It's a long ways from seeing the light of day. But it's workable. Furthermore, I like the story. Those are big pluses.
I made a few grammatical changes. There were a few transitions that needed to be made. When I go back to it, there are some scenes that need to be more descriptive. Some characters also need to be more fully developed.
I adhere to Elmore Leonard's rule to cut out the stuff that people don't read. So that's something that will be getting more attention on the second rewrite. I want to keep it lean and fluid.
While I don't recommend waiting five months to go back to a manuscript, it certainly gave me a fresh look at my words. When I edit, I view the manuscript as I would if I were editing someone's writing.
I'll give another update after the second rewrite.
Until the next time...
Good luck. As much as I enjoy writing, it's the re-writes I really lust after. Honing it and making the novel (almost) readable.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Roger. I generally don't look forward to the rewriting but once I get into it, I enjoy it as well. I suppose when it gets to the sixth or seventh rewrite that I get a bit tired of it and ready to move on.
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