Seven Rewrites and Nearing the End

I met a self-imposed deadline for completing the seventh rewrite of my work in progress by June 30. 

But what I learned, in the end, is that I've got another rewrite or two before I can send the manuscript to my editor. I'm not sure if this is the agony of writing, making the necessary changes to improve the story, but it's the only way of getting things done.

As with the previous rewrites, I've added scenes and deleted scenes, added dialogue and deleted dialogue, tightened the narrative . . . well, you get the idea, just about everything.

I added about 5k words to the manuscript, and now it totals more than 78k. The first draft was only about 48k, so it's grown quite a bit over the past 11 months.

If all works out to plans (and it seldom does), I hope to finish the manuscript by the end of July. I see one more rewrite 

and then a fast read before I send this fourth installment of the "John  Ross Boomer Lit" series on the way to my publisher. 

I'll confess that it's never taken me this long to write a draft and get it ready for publication. It's usually about a six-month endeavor.

But because of the pandemic, and other things going on in my life, I found that I got more distracted than usual. I don't know if it's an age thing, or simply me, but my concentration levels aren't what they used to be. I guess it's a combination of the two since I'm certainly not getting any younger.

Furthermore, and most importantly, I wasn't pleased with where the story was going and had to make a few major changes. I hope it's smooth sailing the rest of the way (more wishful thinking on my part).

Until the next time

Slow Progress on Manuscript

I've completed six rewrites to my original manuscript, the fourth book in the John Ross Boomer Lit series.

As with the other rewrites, it took longer than expected because, well, there was so much to edit and rewrite. I made progress, but there's still a ways to go before I'm ready to submit it to my Wings ePress editor. 

I did a line edit on paper on the latest rewrite. There were quite a few red marks on the manuscript. I'm amazed at how I see things on paper that escape me on the computer screen. That's why I print the manuscript so I can put different "eyes" on the words.

My next course of action is to review my notes and make sure there is continuity from the previous books. The storyline and time elements have to flow. I've also reintroduced characters so I have to make sure names and descriptions are true to the series.

As with any rewrite, I deleted some scenes and dialogues. I'll be expanding some parts in the seventh rewrite.  At this point, there are nearly 74k words; that should grow past 80k.

So that's where I'm at on this manuscript. Lots accomplished but more to do before it's ready to be published. I hope to reveal more in the coming weeks, perhaps the title and publishing date.

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 . . .

More to Do on WIP

I finished the first rewrite of my work in progress and discovered there's a lot more to do on the second rewrite. It took longer than I expected, about 10 weeks, and there's a good reason for the extra time on the manuscript.

As mentioned in a long-ago post, when working on "New Horizons," I decided to break up the manuscript because it was running too long and going off in another direction.
What I've learned after working on the second half of the manuscript is that the story hasn't ended. I have nearly 61,000 words saved and will probably need to write another 20k—so I'm about three-fourths of the way to "The End."

I recalled, when it abruptly ended today, that it was at that point about a year ago when I decided to turn it into the fourth book in the "John Ross Boomer Lit" series. For some reason I thought I had finished it. It must have been a senior moment!  

I'll delve back into the manuscript, knowing what's been written and where it's likely to go. My goal is to have the manuscript ready to send to my editor at Wings ePress by the end of the year, if not sooner.  I'm hopeful that this novel will be published in 2020. Good vibes sent my way will be appreciated. 

One thing I've learned from this experience is that I won't be breaking up a manuscript again. Once started on a book, I'll stick with it until the very end. 

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 . . .

WIP Update: Seventh Rewrite

I've completed six rewrites on my work in progress; now it's on to a seventh.

As mentioned in my last post, I thought the manuscript would be ready to send to my editor after six rewrites. I also noted that if I wasn't completely satisfied, I go back over the third installment in the John Ross Boomer Lit series.

And that's what I'll be doing over the next few days. There are still several tweaks to make before letting it leave my hands. It's now more than 64k words, up from 37k after the first draft.

Writing the first draft is probably the easiest part of the process, at least for me. I simply sit at the keyboard and the words generally flow from my fingers. 

And I know beforehand that it's not only a first draft, but a rough draft that will have to be polished through rewrites and revisions. For me, that's when the real work comes in—making all the pieces fit, tying loose ends together, and making sense of it all. 

It's my hope that this will be the final rewrite. After a while, I get a little tired of reading and rereading passages. That's when my editor and proofreader go to work on the manuscript.

Until the next time . . . 

WIP Update: Fifth Rewrite

I've gone around the track five times with my work-in-progress and still have a few more laps to go before I reach the finish line.

The manuscript, the third in the John Ross Boomer Lit series, has grown about 8,000 words since the fourth rewrite, to 60k. I made some descriptive details about people and places, added a few more characters, tweaked some of the dialogue, rewrote a few sentences, and revised several paragraphs. 

I'll delve back into the manuscript in the morning, my preferred time for writing. If everything works to plan (and it usually doesn't), I'll have it ready to send to my editor in another week or so (again, wishful thinking).

I'll probably add another 2k-3k words when all is written and done. There are still a few minor issues I need to address to make everything connect, from start to finish. I have several pages of notes to prove it.

As noted in previous posts, the process usually takes me 10 or 11 rewrites before I'm satisfied with the outcome. While I hope to do it in half  that number, the time it takes is still about the same as I have focused on specific areas with each rewrite.

Until the next time . . .  

Another Update on Third Boomer Lit Novel

I'm nearing the end of the first draft to the third novel in the John Ross Boomer Lit series, with more than 53k words on the hard drive. 

When all is written and done, I envision the novel to be around 75k words. The first draft should be around 60k, with another 15k (or more) added during the rewrites.

I'm a freestyle writer when working on first drafts, letting the words flow from my plotting brain to my plodding fingers to the plastic keyboard. Many of the scenes, subplots, and even a few characters, will disappear by the time I'm finished with the manuscript, which usually involves at least 10 rewrites.

I do start with a rough draft—thoughts and ideas I want to address in the novel. But as I get into the novel, there are unforeseen changes in the direction the story is going and how some characters are developing. At that time, I'll write a second draft to see where I've been and where I want to go to complete the work.

The new book takes John and Sally Ross for a 10-day vacation to Budapest (one of my favorite cities), a stopover in New York, and back home to Kentucky. For those familiar with the first novel, "Old Ways and New Days," the European trip is a retirement gift from their children, Brody and Chloe.

John and Sally put off the getaway in the second novel, "Darkness Beyond the Light," after discovering that Brody had serious  personal problems. And a visit from Sally's judgmental mother, Geraldine, only complicated matters during the holiday season.

I'll be introducing a few new characters and bring back some familiar names from the previous novels. And for those who are wondering, badboy Brody and snippety Geraldine are still alive and well in the 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. . . . 

Progress Report -- Fifth Draft Completed

It's Groundhog Day in the United States, and I've completed the fifth draft of my boomer lit manuscript.

This is not Punxsutawney Phil

I'm not sure what the connection is, other than Punxsutawney Phil didn't see his shadow, predicting six more weeks of winter, while I see daylight for my work in progress. It's not going to take me another 42 days before I hand over my novel-to-be to my editor. It will be more like six days, if not sooner.

Despite trimming scenes, eliminating a couple subplots, fixing typos, correcting grammar, tightening dialogue, and a few other things, the manuscript increased to 92,301 words, about 360 more than after the fourth draft. 

As noted in my last post, I printed the manuscript so I could give it a more in-depth read. I gave my red pen a good workout. And, quite frankly, I'm tired of looking at it with a critical eye. It's about time to move on with it.

I'll go over the manuscript one more time, including another spell check, before I release it into the hands of my smart and savvy editor. She'll find some things, a few I simply overlooked, because I'm reading into passages what my brain tells me is there but really isn't. That's another reason you need a pair of fresh eyes—preferably on someone else's head. 

Until the next time . . .

Progress Report -- Fourth Draft Completed

I've finished the fourth draft of my work in progress. I believe my self-imposed deadline of Jan. 31 is an achievable goal. 

The manuscript is nearly 92,000 words; an increase of about 5k after the third draft. Will it continue to grow? Possibly, but my focus in the fifth rewrite will be to trim excess narrative and dialogue, remove pointless subplots, correct typos, fix grammatical mistakes, and rewrite anything that hinders the flow of the story.

The first thing I did, after completing the latest draft, was to print it. Coming from a background in the news business, I like marking up hard copy (preferably with a red pen) and being able to physically flip pages, rather than going back and forth with pages on a computer screen, while editing. I sometimes lose a sense of direction on the computer, especially after several rewrites.

If things go well, and I'm crossing my fingers, I'll have two more reads on the copy before sending it to my editor.  

And if not, I'll continue to work on the manuscript until I'm completely satisfied that it's ready for an  editor's eyes. 

Until the next time. . . 

 

Progress Report -- Third Draft Completed

I've now completed three drafts of my manuscript. Please hold the applause because I'm only about halfway through the process of turning a story into a published novel.

The third rewrite added about 7,000 more words, bringing the total to about 87k. The first draft had about 70k words.  It grew because I've been filling in gaps and holes. As I've posted before (as well as countless other authors), the idea is to get your story down in the first draft, warts and all, then go back and clean and fix it up.


I'll be starting on the fourth draft a couple hours after I post this to my blog (and eat breakfast, play with the doggies, do a few chores, etc.). I can see the manuscript grow another 3k if scenes need to be expanded. I may even add more subplots and backstory along the way.

Or it could have fewer words after going through the chapters if I find passages that should be deleted or rewritten. Dialogue will also be scrutinized.


During the last rewrite, I took copious notes to help me navigate through the manuscript. I also made revisions and edits along the way. It's a time-consuming process but something that has to be done--by the writer.

My hope to is go over the manuscript one more time, followed by a deep read to make sure it flows (and makes sense), and then forward it to my editor, by the end of this month, for her edits and comments.


Until the next time. . .  

Progress Report -- Second Draft Completed

It took me nearly seven weeks, but I've completed the second draft of the sequel to "Old Ways and New Days." 


I have the standard excuses for taking so long in going over the manuscript -- holidays, personal reasons, and private matters. And there were probably a few  things I had no control over or not aware off when working on it. But I didn't quit.  Not that I would have.


Since New Year's Day, I made tremendous progress, if I do so so myself, working two or three hours each day editing and rewriting each page. It's a time-consuming process, one that can be mentally draining (especially on my overworked brain), but it had to be done. 

The manuscript was about 70,000 words after the first draft; now it's about 79k. If things work out like they have in the past with my other novels, it will probably grow another 5k or so before finished.

I'll get started on the third draft this afternoon. I'll be tying together some loose ends, providing a bit more backstory, and filling in some holes and cutting out others to tighten and strengthen the manuscript.

As mentioned in other posts, I want to complete the rewrites by the end of January, and sooner would be better, before handing it over to my editor.

Now to rest my tired eyes for a few hours. 

Until the next time.... 

Progress Report -- Developing Characters

I'm into the second rewrite of my work in progress (see previous post). Because of the holidays, I'm a couple days behind in my work.

So it's full speed ahead for the rest of the year, and probably then some.

One thing I find important in a rewrite, especially the second, is to understand my characters more deeply. Characters were only developing in the early part of the first draft, and became more fully realized as the story progressed near the end.

So, when going back to the manuscript and understanding the characters even more, changes can be made to give them more vitality at the beginning. And in the process, they will become more fully developed by the end of the second rewrite.

And they will evolve even more in the successive rewrites, until the author is satisfied (as much as one can be) with the final draft, before submission to an editor. 

In other words, the author really gets to know and understand those fictional folks who populate the pages. More importantly, readers will see them as real people and respond to them accordingly.  

Until the next time....

Back to the Manuscript: Part Six

I've completed the third rewrite of my work in progress. It needed more work than what I thought. 

When I returned to it this week I ended up moving two chapters from the first third of the manuscript to the end. I was never satisfied with how the story ended and this gives it a much stronger and compelling close. 

Of course, that means that I have to rework some other chapters but that's part of the process. I wish I could write a polished first draft that didn't need any work, but that's wishful thinking. 

I even deleted some extraneous passages to make it tighter and improve the flow. Any time you're involved in rewrites, you eliminate needless words, phrases, and cliches.

There were also some inconsistencies I hadn't noticed before that needed to be corrected. I keep a notebook and index cards on my desk to help me keep things straight. That saves time searching through the manuscript, which can be a time-killer. There's software that can help, but I'm afraid that I'd be so involved in inputting data that it'd take me away from writing. 

My tentative goal is to be finished with the rewrites by the end of the month, then submit the manuscript to my publisher. From there, it will get reviewed by a critical set of eyes, go through a few more (minor, I hope) changes, and evolve into a published work. 

Until the next time...

NaNoWriMo -- Week One

I survived the first week of National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo.

I've written 11,382 words in seven days, an average of 1,626 per day. The target is 1,667 a day, so I'm pretty much on course to reach 50,000 by Nov. 30. 

While I have stayed focused, writing several hours each morning, the work-in-progress should start picking up steam as I'm getting more into a groove with the story.

As noted before, this is a boomer-lit novel, dealing with issues facing older folks (they say to write what you know about). 

The story did drag on days 4 and 5, but I continued to let the words flow, regardless of the direction. That's always something to keep in mind when writing a first draft because you can always go back and rewrite or delete passages, quotes, or anything you heart desires. 

And it's not that painful because you realize that some of the things you're putting on the screen isn't very good. In fact, some of it is awful. 

But by continuing to write through the rough parts, you are knocking down writer's block and other mental obstacles that stand in your way. It's kind of empowering. 

I'll post something again next Friday to let you know how things are going. It will be interesting because I have a book signing tomorrow and a family event on Sunday, but I'll be up bright and early each day to write.

Until the next time...

Four Rewrites and Seeing the Proverbial Light at the End of the Tunnel

I've completed the fourth rewrite on my manuscript this weekend. I printed it and will go back over the hard copy with a red pen to make final changes before submitting it to my publisher, hopefully before the end of the month.

For those who haven't followed this post, the manuscript began last November. I decided to National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, so see if I could produce the workings of a novel in a month's time. 

Generally it takes me a minimum of six weeks to write a first draft (my first novel, The Touch, was written in 30 days). The others have taken two to three months. My longest novel was Foolish is the Heart, at about 100k.




This manuscript, which is for young adults, clocked in at 52,500 words today. The first draft was about 51k. My last young-adult novel, Shooting Star, was about 66k. 

After I finish fifth edit, and sign a contract with a publisher, I'll let you know the title.

Until the next time...

Read My Lips

I’m about midway through the fourth rewrite of my short-story collection.

What’s so amazing to me is that I still find errors, mistakes, typos, and other boo-boos that I thought would have been caught during the first or second reads. I had the same experience with my previous books.

To be honest, I know that I’ll discover or uncover items that need to be addressed in the seventh or eighth read. That’s part of the challenge in reading copy. And I realize, to play on a saying by Alexander Pope: To err is human; to proofread, refine.

One thing I do at this point in the process is to read aloud (when alone) – or at least mouth – the words on the computer screen. Why? I want to make sure they have the correct sound and flow. I find this especially important in dialogue. I want the words to ring real and true.

By reading the manuscript in my normal voice, I believe it gives me a feel for what the reader may experience when digesting my words. If parts sound clumsy, choppy or wordy to me, I believe it will be magnified, and perhaps indigestible, for the reader.

Until the next time...

Clean and Shine

I’ve written the 10 stories for my short-story collection. Now the real work begins. It’s time to get them ready for publication.

 

For some authors, this is a difficult and painful part. For others, the fun and games aspect of writing.

I have mixed feelings.

I love the creative part of writing stories, of making something out of words and my imagination. As mentioned in a previous blog, my writing process is to write the story -- just let if flow, warts and all -- and then go back and clean and polish the manuscript.

For my five novels, I did about 10 rewrites on each one. I generally do a rewrite, then sit on it for a week or so before going over it again…and again…and again…

While the story doesn’t necessarily change, some of the words do as well as the structure, dialogue, and characterization. And I check grammar, spelling, and all those rudimentary things that authors should do when they put on their editor’s hat.

I’ve already completed one edit of the stories. For me, it’s always an eye-opener to look at a manuscript after a brief layoff. Some parts read very well, and some not so well. And parts that looked fine on a fourth rewrite may make me cringe on a seventh read. That can be frustrating.

By the 10th rewrite, I must admit that I’m ready to send the manuscript on to publication. Enough is enough.

Until the next time...

The Write Time

I've generally been a morning person when it comes to writing books. My other writing comes at different times of the day, whenever I find a break in the day to put down some words on the computer screen.

But with books I need to get into a rhythm -- same time each day -- in pounding out the words, sentences, paragraphs, and chapters. This is for the first draft. I have to be in a daily routine until I'm finished. I usually like to have a minimum of two hours to write, but will do more on weekends. Don't forget that I'm a working stiff and there are only so many hours in a day to write. And I like to squeeze in a few hours of sleep as well. 

You might be surprised how many words you can write in two hours. If you're really focused, and I usually am once the story begins flowing, I may churn out 2,000 or more words. Now many of these words may not reach the printed page, but that's not important at this point. The main thing is to tell the story I want to tell. After that, I can work on structure, characters, scenes, dialogue, and other parts.

During the editing/rewrite phase, it's when the opportunity arises each day that I work on the manuscript. But I try to do something each day. After writing the first draft, I do take a week or so off  so that when I come back to it I will read the manuscript with somewhat fresh eyes. And I'll do that on subsequent rewrites until I'm satisfied with it.

Of course, it doesn't end there. If the book is accepted by the publisher, you work with the editor on various parts of the book. I've been very fortunate at Wings ePress to have editors who have provided me with insightful feedback on strengthening the manuscript in all areas.

Until the next time...