Self-edit: part two

Your book doesn't have to be original – just interesting enough to make someone want to read it. And since boring is the antithesis of interesting, it is your mission to eradicate boring during your edit.

What constitutes "boring"? Well, writing is subjective, so there isn't a clear definition, but if there's bits you can't be bothered to re-read, then that's a clue. Here are some others:

Long things. Long paragraphs, if they don't evolve, can get tedious. Long sentences, that lose the thread of what they set out to say, can get dull because they're confusing. Long words, so the reader is reaching for the dictionary every two seconds, can get frustrating. Too long? Say so long.

*Repetition. How many times have you told me that this person is short/beautiful/irritating/lacking in height/gorgeous/getting on everyone's nerves? There's nothing wrong with seasoning your narrative with gentle reminders, but like salt and pepper, you can use too much. Trust readers to conclude from "Bob had to stand on tiptoes to reach the top shelf" that Bob is not a giant. You don't need to say "Bob was short" whenever you want it brought to their attention.

Unnecessary detail. It might have been important in your first draft to describe the exact layout of your protagonist's bedroom so you had a clear image in your mind. But is this really necessary now? (For some writers it might be – hence the caveat about subjectivity.)

Back story. If you've painted a vivid portrait of a character, the reader is likely to accept their actions without too much explanation of their motives. Don't slow your storytelling by back-pedalling all the time.

Dialogue. It should be clear who's talking when. And don't insist on making the spoken word do the talking – readers rely on you to tell them what a character's expression might be, so don't leave them in a vacuum.

A bad story. I saved the best for last. Story can mean plot, character, philosophy... whatever drives your narrative, ask yourself whether it's interesting. That's quite a biggie.

And so you've got some pointers for watching out for being boring. Now if only everyone would apply these rules to real life as well...

* Please note that repetition for dramatic/poetic effect is not to be judged by the same yardstick as repeatedly bludgeoning your reader with a blindingly obvious fact about a character/situation.

Self-edit: part one

So, long long ago in a galaxy far far away, I promised that I'd give you some pointers on self-editing. So here they are...

Format the document. I suggest no less than 1.5 line spacing and a sensible font size that doesn't have you squinting like a mole in a dark room.

Print it out. Yes this is the age of technology and people are perfectly capable of reading onscreen, but reading isn't editing, is it? Print. It. Out.

Read it with a pen in hand. Don't start scribbling down every little thing, just circle the stuff that leaps out at you as a reminder for later. Do this all in one go, not an hour here, or an hour there. This is your book so it should be able to hold your attention; if it gets a wee bit tedious, then that's something you need to address.

Write down chapter summaries as you go. Each chapter should contain something important to the story - if it doesn't, then why's it there? I find chapter summaries give you a good overview of the story and allow you to spot holes from afar. Plus it's a good memory aid.

Sit back and think about it. Thinking is the most important part of the editorial process and I spend large parts of my day staring into space. Here are some things I think about:

• How has the story left me feeling?
• What was the ebb and flow of the narrative? (When did my heart race? When did I hold my breath? When did I start skim reading?)
• What bits have I forgotten? (Not an easy question to answer, hence the chapter summaries.)
• How do I feel about the characters?
• How can I cut this down and make this sleeker?
  

Brew, stew and chew your lip thoughtfully. Go to bed and see what your brain throws up when you're trying to sleep. Tomorrow is a good day to tackle the major edit.

Word of the week: INSOUCIANT; adj. indifferent, unconcerned, nonchalant; heedless; apathetic.
Context: I've been feeling somewhat insouciant towards blogging of late. This is about to change.

The second post from the second person

If you've just finished the first draft of your first book (be it a 500 word picture book, or 500,000 word tome) then WELL DONE! That's amazing. Treat yourself to a glass of champagne, or a new something-or-other.


Now put that book away. Right this second. Don't you dare read it. And don't you dare just pop it straight in the post to the first few agents/publishers you've shortlisted from the Writers' and Artists' Yearbook.


Because what you need is distance. And in this mathematical equation: Distance = Time.


After you've gained a bit of distance, you can read your book again, pen in hand, hand on heart, hand stabbing pen into heart as you act as your own critic. Without even seeing your work, I know that there will certainlydefinitelypositively be something in there that should be changed.


In my next post I'll try and give you some pointers for how to tackle the tricky task of the self-edit.

So who is the second person?

When you sit down to write there is just you - one person. (Well, I suppose there's also the cast of characters you've created for the purposes of your story, but you know that they're not real - right?)


You write your book. It's awesome, it's ace and it's everything you wanted it to be. You send it off and via the route of agent/slush pile/a friend of a friend with a discerning eye, you land a publishing deal. And an editor.


Now you're gonna have to share your world with someone else. Another deity who can smite characters from the story with the flick of a pen, alter the plot so that happy ending is even harder won and change the way you spell 'alright' (all right?).


So now there's a second person involved. Someone like me.