Back to the Manuscript: Part 12

I've completed proofreading the hard copy of my work in progress, which actually turned into two revisions (you called it, Roger!).

I've made all the red-pen corrections, rewrote several passages, added several more, and deleted a few as well as ran the usual spelling-and-grammar check.

I will have one more read this coming week before submitting to my publisher. I should make my self-imposed July 31 deadline with a day or two to spare. 

There are a few minor timeline items I need to fix, change some words here and there, and create a little more tension in some scenes.

As it stands, I've written 79,991 words, nearly 900 fewer than after the seventh rewrite. I ended up slicing and dicing rather than adding to the manuscript.

I still have to come up with a title. I already know the dedication.

I'll be back.

Until the next time...


  

Back to the Manuscript: Part 11

I've completed the seventh rewrite of my work in progress. 

The manuscript is now about 81,000 words as I've added two more chapters, expanded two characters, and focused more on the narrative.

As with past WIPs, I've printed a hard copy for the next phase in the process. Coming from a background in print media, I find it easier to proofread, edit and rewrite when I have something tangible in front of me rather than going back and forth over copy on the computer screen. 

I'll have my red Sharpie to mark up the pages with needed edits as well as reference books for easy access to answers. I also find that I can better assess the flow of copy when I read it on paper. 

I hope to finish this eighth rewrite by the end of the week.  After that, if everything looks good, I'll give it one more read before sending it to my publisher. 

I've also come up with a title for the novel, but that's for another post.

Until the next time....

Back to the Manuscript: Part 10

I've completed the sixth rewrite to my manuscript. As I mentioned in a previous post, the end is in sight.

The problem is that I misjudged the distance. There's light at the end of the proverbial tunnel, but the tunnel is longer than I imagined.

My work in progress is about 77,000 words, an increase of nearly 5k from the fifth rewrite. Overall, it has grown 12k from the first draft.

And it should get even longer as I have two subplots to resolve and several timeline issues to fix. I'm sure it'll top 80k.

I'm pleased with the progress I made on this last rewrite. I accomplished most of the goals I wanted to, especially in character development and additional backstory. 

I'm still tinkering with the title but there's no hurry on that at this point. 

Now it's on to the seventh rewrite. 

Until the next time...

Back to the Manuscript: Part Nine

I'm back at the grindstone, er, manuscript for the sixth rewrite.

One thing I did, thanks to a Write at Home.com meme posted in Facebook by Grammar Cop Cheryl Norman, was check to see how many times I used "went" rather than an action verb. Too many! I did a "find and replace" command to fix that problem.

As with any rewrite, you try to tighten dialogue, remove extraneous words, tweak characters, recheck timeline, and improve flow.

One thing I find helpful, as in Norman's posting, is to read articles, blogs, and books about writing to keep my mind focused on the mechanics as I go over the manuscript.

I like Cheryl's posts because they're informative, short, and to the point. I also regularly read blogs by Elizabeth Spann Craig, Martina Boone's Adventures in YA Publishing, and Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi's Writers Helping Writers. 

And I also read novels and nonfiction for pleasure, relaxation, and perhaps learn something from other writers.

Back to rewrite.

Until the next time...