Another step closer, yet still so far away

Alternating between reading and editing, I have now completed Revision Eight of my fiction manuscript, Box of Dreams. It is not really a unique part of my process to continuously rewrite sections. Ernest Hemingway rewrote sections of his stories many times before allowing anyone to read them. I know first hand the embarrassment of presenting a piece before it is time. A writer should accept the editing stage as an opportunity to work through every angle, sometimes reading stories hundreds of times before declaring it suitable for public scrutiny.

As a former project manager, I see parallels to the planning and execution stages. Creating architectural drawings is perfectly analogous to the process of creating an outline for a story. This is the stage in which principles are applied to ensure the pieces will go together to produce something aesthetically pleasing, yet functional. To me, writing the first draft is like erecting the steel framework for a building, it defines the outer parameters but the work is far from over. Bar joists and decking are laid between the structural members and concrete floors are poured before ducting and metal stud walls are installed. The list of details continues until the project is complete.

Similarly, creating a story begins with nothing more than a few ideas. As the ideas are further developed, changes are necessary to maintain consistency. The basics of writing help to establish a story that is hopefully plausible and intriguing. Yet, the writer continues to define each part of a story in sufficient detail to satisfy the reader. It continues until the story jumps from the page into the mind of the reader without drawing attention to the fundamental parts. It is like looking at a beautiful building without regard for the steel that is hidden beneath. We can hopefully appreciate it as a whole when it is done.

I have reached a point of saturation in which I can no longer see potential issues. This is not new. I have experienced it seven times previously. Each edit requires time to relax, separating myself from the work so that I may look at it with a fresh perspective, perhaps weeks from now. However, this time, I will seek the advice of an editor to help me understand how the story is perceived. It is also an opportunity to improve on style.

Luckily, I have short stories that must be edited before the submission deadline of April 15th. It will keep me busy for a few weeks and then I will go back and make any necessary changes to my manuscript before approaching agents and publishers with the best that I have to offer and hopefully move to the next phase, marketing, with a whole new list of issues with which to contend.

A Peculiar Blindness

I thought things were going very well, at least, until now.

I attended my writer's group last night with a newly written introduction for my proposed book. I thought the introduction would help the reader understand both my purpose and my thought process. Easy stuff, right? Wrong! I simply failed to see the glaring issues until it was too late.

The comments from my group were justifiably critical regarding style, voice and redundancy. While it may come as a surprise to some, writer's must seek unbiased feedback for their work, or risk falling under some hypnotic trance.

Oddly, I realized some of the issues at the last minute. I usually look over my work one last time while the group reads. Holy Cow! I began to see the redundancies. I could actually "hear" the deadpan voice of that teacher on The Wonder Years, except he was blathering on about writing and engineering. No, that was MY voice! I was the one delivering lifeless drivel, not content to say it once, but to repeat it over and over.

I had read the piece several times. I had a marathon day yesterday editing four chapters that I had hoped to submit this week. I even edited the introduction. What happened?

I simply could not see my errors while in the comfort of my office.

What I need is an excuse. Let's see.....hmmmmm. That's it! The sun was in my eyes! Nah, they'll never buy that. Perhaps they'll believe I have devoted too much time writing and editing and that I am suffering from some form of editor's blindness. That sounds much better, I'm going with that one.

All kidding aside, I really could not see the mistakes but I think there may be a clue to what is actually happening. If I am able to see the errors in the class, then why couldn't I see them beforehand? I think I have a form of writer's laziness. But wait a minute! I have written fifteen thousand words, read the material multiple times and I have already made corrections. Laziness?!!!! That's absurd!

Not so fast. It is a FORM of laziness. It is laziness of the brain and the eyes.

Luckily, I am not the only one to experience this malady. It is actually quite common, but it seems very new to me. This is why writers are encouraged to present their written materials for objective criticism. As for my pride, I think it will recover. We can all use a good dose of humility from time to time. Hopefully, I will learn from this experience. Maybe I should drink a Red Bull before editing. Maybe I should hire a professional editor.

Some thoughts about editing

Self editing was a challenge for me. But, I'm learning to appreciate the editing process. Why? Most importantly, it helps to refine writing skills. While it requires a lot of time, it is the 90% perspiration that comes after the 10% inspiration.

I think it is also healthy to recognize that self editing is only the beginning of the editing process. There are independent editors who will help to identify problems with a manuscript. I am open to using an independent editor, but it also pays to find an independent editor who can help move a career forward. Then, there are editors who work for the publisher. This is the final steps before a book is formatted for printing. Just to be clear, publishers do want clean copy, but most manuscripts do require editing.

Since writing the draft manuscript, I have removed most of the original basis for the story which is the short story entitled The Vase. This may seem odd, but in this particular case, the short story no longer advanced the story line that evolved. It became a distraction for the reader, so I took it out. The story reads much better and the first 50 pages are now very specific to developing the principle characters of the story. The value of the original short story remains. It was the impetus for developing the larger story and it remains a stand alone short story.

Similarly, I created a very detailed backstory about Art's great, great grandfather. This was written in the second revision as a prologue with an epilog at the end of the story to complete the backstory. This was eventually removed as it was not consistent with the mood of the main story. It was an important step nonetheless as it helped to develop the overall story, but it also revealed a bit too much, taking away some of the mystery.

I believe the main story line is now much stronger. Yes, it was painful to remove thousands of words, some of which were painstakingly crafted, but it did improve the forward momentum and overall style consistency of the main story.

The basic principle involved in the editing process can be described very easily. If it does not advance the story, take it out.