Editing books is my day job, but today I am the editee/edited/editorated... or something. I'm looking at the first edit from my editor. And it's nowhere near as overwhelming as I was expecting - in fact, it's positively light. This a huge relief.
So far I've cut about a thousand words. All of the suggested cuts are good ones. And a couple are bits that I KNEW should probably cut, but I hearted them for whatever reason and left them in, hoping no one else would notice. Mostly the bits being cut are little asides, bits that make me smile, and bits where I repeat myself, bits where I repeat myself.
I'm starting to realize that soon the text will be final. And then I won't be able to play around with characters' names and such like. It will be SET IN STONE (or rather, set in paper, but that doesn't sound as good... ooh, I'd like my book to be actually set in stone). So I'd better make sure I'm as happy with the ms as I'm ever going to be. Scary biscuits, eh?
Song of the day: Green Hills Race for California, by Emerson Hart
One thousand words...is that about 1% of the book? Doesn't sound like much. It is strange to hear you talking about changing characters' names. I alwasy thought writers just knew what to call their characters. I never realised names were so flexible LOL. Your post was thoroughly fascinating! :-)
ReplyDeleteThe book currently stands at just under 80,000 words. My first draft was over 90,000!
ReplyDeleteI'm currently toying with surnames... they were kind of dull. Not that I'm going to change them all to Strudelmeister or Jumbletum - just something slightly less boring.
My two main male characters have both been given new first names since I started writing the story. Thank God for 'find and replace'!
I think Jumbletum has a certain ring to it! So can I ask why you needed to change those two male characters' names? Did they just not feel right, or something?
ReplyDeleteOne of the names was too banal, and gave the wrong impression about the character. And I wanted to change it to a name I loved... so I did!
ReplyDeleteThe other name was Jamie, and it was too cheeky chappyish for the character. He needed a more serious kind of name, and now he's got one!
I find naming characters haaaaard!
It sounds like a mine field! I agree Jamie sounds like a happy, smiley name. Thanks for answering my questions.
ReplyDeleteNames are difficult for me sometimes.. I can relate (1%).. because I'm not published ..yet.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with all your writing :)
Thanks Shelby! Good luck with your writing too!
ReplyDeleteI find names difficult, too. One character's name changed three times. Only one character has a surname, the others don't - not on paper at least. And I named a character in my new book after someone in my fave TV show when I was a teen (My So-Called Life)!
ReplyDeleteJordan Catalano?! Sigh... he was so pretty.
ReplyDeleteMatching first names to surnames is especially hard... I think I'll try and keep surnames to a minimum in the next book!
Jordan WAS so pretty! I even have a t-shirt - won't go into that now though! It's not Jordan though, it's the often-mentioned-but-never-seen Tino.
ReplyDelete