Manuscript Report: The Big Edit and Recent Reads

 It took me a while but I completed the editor's edits on my latest manuscript. I hope to return it to her in the next few days, but first I want to give it one more read to make sure it flows and there are no holes to swallow readers. 

One change I did make in the story was to change the name of one of the characters because it was similar to another character's name. A few years ago I attended an author's talk about his works and mentioned that he regretted naming primary characters with similar names because it was confusing to readers. 

From my experience, I also found it confusing while writing the novel, especially when the characters were conversing. If I can lose track, it has to be difficult for readers. I certainly don't want to lose them through confusion. 

Back to the editor's edits, she noted a few problems that I fixed and made some recommendations that I considered. I didn't agree with everything, but I appreciate her concern. I believe that she'll understand my reasoning for why it was written the way it is, or was. Editing is a difficult, sometimes thankless job. I'm always thankful when my writing is edited. 

I confess that I don't really enjoy this phase of the editing process. Why? Because I get upset with myself for making stupid and, at times, careless mistakes. They seem to explode on pages when I open the document. There are some that I can't believe are there, thinking that some gremlin must have inserted them after I sent the manuscript to her. If not that, perhaps something saner as forgetting to hit the "save" button after making changes. I don't mind constructive criticism, and that's what I receive from my editor (even if we don't always see eye-to-eye). 

I'm also working with the art director on a cover for the novel, which will be the fifth in the John Ross Boomer Lit series. I give suggestions and she does all the work. More on that later. 

Before leaving, here are a couple recent reads:

Virginia Smith's romantic thriller involves innocent bystanders who get caught up in the world of drug trafficking and a corrupt politician. Ben and Nikki are former lovers who get pulled into the web of crime. They come across numerous deadly encounters along the way. Some things about their relationship also come to light in this story. The novel also falls under Christian romance as the couple seeks refuge through prayer.

Karen Hudgins mixes murder and art in her entertaining murder mystery. A noted art restorer is slain while examining a Monet painting in her studio. P.I. Diane Phipps is brought in from Florida to assist local law enforcement in the Colorado town to solve the murder that has few clues. But that's Phipps's forte as she delves into the crime that appears at first has no motive or witnesses. Hudgins keeps you guessing until the end.

Until the next time . . .

Brief Timeout from Manuscript and Recent Reads

 My work-in-progress is now a work-in-process as it has been sent to my editor to begin steps to publication so I'm taking a short breather and relax.

This will be the fifth book in the John Ross Boomer Lit series and will be published Oct. 1 by Wings ePress. I've put in a lot of hours the past couple of months so it's time to sit back for a day or so. 

I missed my deadline of completing it on April 1 by one day because I made several final-day changes before hitting the send button. I could have made more edits/rewrites but there comes a time when you have to hand it over to the editor because it can become an all-consuming process that has no end.

Between now and then, the manuscript will be edited and returned to me to make corrections and consider suggestions. After issues are resolved, it will be sent to a proofreader to spot other problems such as typos and grammatical errors. The manuscript will then be transformed into a galley proof for one final read to make any additional changes before being published. 

In the meantime, I'll be working on loglines, website blurbs, marketing input, and working with a graphic artist on a cover. So there's lots of work ahead of me and the talented folks at Wings ePress before the launch date. 

By the way, the manuscript clocked in at 59k words, about 9k more from the first draft following National Novel Writing Month last November. The finished novel could be more or less, depending on what happens during this next phase of the editing process. 

I also hope to begin working on the sixth book in the series after completing some of the odds and ends. There's more to tell about the life and times of John and Sally Ross. 

***

Recent reads:

Paul Maher Jr.'s book sets the stage for Jack Kerouac's classic On the Road, providing background on the real-life characters and places that populate the popular novel. This book is a must-read for those who want to understand the life and times of the Kerouac as well as his inspirations and aspirations as a writer.

I revisited George Orwell's classic dystopian novel, curious to see how it has held up, especially since 1984. It's still an interesting read but overwritten (my humble opinion) in parts. But overall the book is a cautionary tale about totalitarian government, published after World War II (1949). We learn about "Big Brother," thought control, and much more. Chilling! 

Until the next time . . . 

Another Progress Report on Manuscript

I've completed making the line edits on my work-in-progress, the fifth book in the John Ross Boomer Lit series. 

While fixing the various and sundry marks noted in red ink on the hard copy, I also jotted down some additional work that needs to be done before submitting the manuscript to my Wings ePress editor by March 31. 

I noticed several scenes that need to be expanded. There were a few minor changes that I will address such as character names and background. I'll be doing that while giving the novel-to-be one final read over the next five days. I have a notecard listing the rewrites/edits that I will check off when completed.

I'm also working on a book title. I have a working title (something I do with every WIP). I've compiled a list of about 10 that I'll tinker with over the next five days. Much like a book cover, a title is important because an author wants it to provide a strong first impression on potential readers. As for a book title, that'll be taken care of in the next few months with the publisher's art director.

My only concern right now is that I had received my second COVID-19 vaccine this morning. The nurse told me that I could have some side effects from it, including flu-like symptoms. Friends have told me they ran low-grade fevers and felt lethargic for a few days. I hope it's no more than that for me.

As mentioned in previous posts, the novel will be published Oct. 1, eight months after the release of Make Room for Family, the fourth book in the series. For a list of my novels, visit my webpage. Other sites include Amazon and Wings ePress.

Until the next time . . .

One Step Toward Publication

My manuscript is in the hands of my editor and now I have a publication date: Feb. 1, 2021. It will be the fourth novel in the John Ross Boomer Lit series.  

I submitted the 95,000-word novel to her three times. Usually, one time is enough. The reason is I found two words used too often. She's busy with other manuscripts so perhaps it'll save her some time when she gets to mine.

One word was found on a routine Find search I do after completing a work in progress for specific words. I neglected to do it for a particular word. I don't know why the word skipped my brain. My bad. 

The second time came after I learned my original title had been used by a fellow Wings ePress author in 2019. I ran another Find on some keywords and discovered another word used excessively and needlessly in some places. 

By the way, after two days of wracking my aging boomer brain, I came up with a new title. I'll disclose it in the near future when there's a cover. 

Now there might be a few other words that fall into that category. My editor has a keen eye and will let me know. And when I receive her edited copy, I may run across some more during the editing. 

Until the next time . . .

Still Plodding and Plotting Along on Manuscript

Taking longer than expected, I've completed a line edit on a printed copy of my work in progress. 

It took about six weeks, which was about six times longer than I thought it would. I have a bagful of excuses but will save them for another post if folks are interested. 

What I'll do now is make the red-marked changes to the manuscript along with other notations about transitional sentences and paragraphs, expanding passages, and filling some plot holes on the pages. 

I like a printed copy because it seems more like reading a book if that makes any sense. I have an author friend who also prints his manuscript, but with margins similar to a book page. I'm too lazy for that, plus I like to conserve on the paper.

I do hope to complete this next task in the next week unless unforeseen problems hamper my progress. I am staying semi-quarantined during the coronavirus pandemic so that should help me stay focused. Unless I get contract the disease.

So if all goes well, the fourth novel in my John Ross Boomer Lit series may see the light of day in 2020. 

Until the next time . . . 

Five Rewrites and More to Go

It took a while but I finished the fifth rewrite on my work in progress. That's my main excuse for not posting here in more than a month.

I have other reasons but I'm not going to bore you with a list of things that distracted me. If you're a writer, I'm sure we share many rationalizations.

As a reminder, I'm working on the fourth book in the "John Ross Boomer Lit" series. 

First book in series

 What I did after completing the latest rewrite was to print it. I usually do this so it will provide a different view for me for editing. I find it easier to go over the manuscript when it's in my hands; perhaps the reason is that I come from a tradition as a newspaper editor/reporter (remember newspapers?). Anyone else print their manuscript?




Here are a few things that I'll be looking for as I peruse the pages with my red pen:

• The chronology is correct.
• Repeated words and phrases.
• Unnecessary dialogue and description.
• Names and places consistent.
• Expand narrative and dialogue when needed to explain circumstances.
• Anything else that catches my eyes (you'll be surprised by what you can discover).

Second book in series

I do hope the sixth rewrite won't take as long as the fifth.  I will admit that I printed the manuscript several days ago and giving it a rest before delving back into the 72k words. I can go back and rewrite with somewhat fresh eyes. I'll also admit that my eyes aren't what they used to be so the sixth rewrite may take as long as the fifth.   

Third book in series

Speaking of words, I do hope to cut out 10k or so. I've come to believe that most readers prefer shorter works (unless it's Stephen King, George R.R. Martin, Donna Tartt, etc.). Why? People don't have the time for long works because of other things tugging at them and because there are so many books out there now and so little time. Your thoughts?



Anyway, I do have a title for the book that I'll disclose at some other time. The novel should still be on course to be published this year. 

Until the next time . . .

On the Second "(Re)Write" Track

It's back to work on the work in progress, this time on the second rewrite. 

The first rewrite was quite a chore since I hadn't looked at the manuscript in six months or so. It took much longer than I expected to go through the 60k-plus words, about 10 arduous weeks. 

This time should go more quickly, perhaps even 10 days, if I don't encounter too many distractions along the way. That's another reason I spend most of my time in the early hours working on a manuscript. 

I generally go through 10 or 11 rewrites before I'm satisfied enough to submit it to my editor at Wings ePress. That's not to say she receives a perfect manuscript; far from it. But I do hope it creates less work for her in the long run in that she can focus more on story than on other elements.

As noted in previous posts, this novel will be the fourth in the John Ross Boomer Lit series. In the last novel, New Horizons, the story focused on John and Sally Ross's trip to Budapest. Now they're back home in Kentucky and dealing with domestic adventures of various and sundry sorts, to put it lightly. Retirement isn't what John expected when he left the newspaper business. 


What I try to do in a second rewrite (and probably every rewrite to clean and fine-tune) is to add/delete descriptions, tighten dialogue, make grammatical and spelling corrections, and delve more into characters to show their motivations and what makes them tick. 

And I'll add or expand scenes to enhance the story and delete others that bog down the flow or don't add to the overall development of the plot/subplots.  

Until the next time . . .   

WIP Update: On to the Editor

After seven rewrites and revisions, and a few last-minute tweaks and deletes, my manuscript was sent to my editor today.

I informed her yesterday that I'd be forwarding the 67k words to her. She replied that she was looking forward to a good read. I hope she's not disappointed. 

The first draft was 37k words, so it's grown another 30k in the past four months or so. I thought I would be able to finish it in three or four rewrites, but that was not to be. Every time I went through the manuscript, I added another layer to the story, be it a subplot, new character, or plot expansion.

I read an interview with chef Ina Garten, the "Barefoot Contessa," yesterday and she quoted noted journalist Bob Woodward as saying, "It's not that I ever finish a book, I just stop working on it."

I couldn't find the quote after a web search, but I understand the reasoning behind it. There comes a time when you have to say to yourself, "Enough is enough," and hand the manuscript over to your publisher. 

One of the great things about writing a series—this book is the third in the John Ross Boomer Lit Series—is that I can pick up where I left off. I've already written the first draft to the fourth book, and know what I plan to do in the fifth. 



I've got a title for the new novel but won't disclose that until the contract is signed and I'm working on her edits.

And if all goes to plan, the novel will be published in the first half of 2019. And perhaps the fourth book in the second half of the year. No pun intended, but time will tell if those goals come to fruition. 



At least the manuscript is out of my hands for a few weeks. It's time to take a break.

Until the next time . . .

Progress Report-—Back to the Manuscript (Editing-Submitted)

I completed the edits, revisions, and rewrites to my upcoming novel. My editor will receive 190 pages this morning, and then forward it to the publisher, who will have someone proofread the 94k words.

And then it will come back to me in the galley proof for one last read. It will be the last time I can make any changes to the manuscript. 

But there's still more to do in the interim before the novel is released on Nov. 1. I'll have to work with the design artist on the cover, write a synopsis for marketing and promotion, and take care of dedication and acknowledgements.

In the meantime, I'm going to take a short break and then begin work on the third book in the Old Ways and New Days series. 

Until the next time. . . .

Progress Report—Back to the Manuscript (Editing Update)

I'm still plugging away on the edits to my latest manuscript. As mentioned in my last post, it's not something I truly enjoy but it has to be done.

Making the edits

The time-consuming and intense process basically involves rereading the 93k words to accept or reject edits, consider suggestions, and answer questions on such things as timeline, characters, and scenes. I can usually spend about five hours daily, with a short break, focused on the manuscript before my head feels like it is spinning in all directions.

The deadline for returning the manuscript is June 1. I thought I would be finished with it this past weekend but now it looks more like next weekend. 

And even then, I will probably sit on it for a few days to mull over parts before clicking the send button. 

It's a slow undertaking but I want to be satisfied (as much as an author can be because we're never totally satisfied) with the final version that will become a published novel.

Until the next time. . . .