En fin, le fin

[wayfaringwordhack]

At last. This draft is COMPLETE! I still want to read over my last three chapters to check for flow before I send it into hibernation, but YAY.  Finished draft. At last. :D

Do not ask me for a total word count because I don't know. And don't really want to. :P I'll work on trimming it down though during the edit, so I will most likely post "words cut" on the update filter. I pray I don't have to post a whole lot of "words added" updates, even though I do already have a whole chapter in mind that needs rewriting.

Anyhow, the plan is this:

Tonight: read last three chapters, make tweaks.
Tomorrow: Set ms aside for 2 wks, and work on another project.
April 7-25: Revise TDD

and then...My mother-in-law arrives for a visit. She'll be here from the 26 April to 15 May.  I do still hope to get this draft edited and sent to interested parties *evil grin* by May 1st, but we'll see.

In the meantime, anyone want to share their full-manuscript editing techniques?

Comments

[magicnoire.livejournal.com]

Congratulations on finishing the draft!

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[navicat.livejournal.com]

Yayyay! Can I read it when it's all edited? *bats eyelashes*

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

*pouts* I didn't even get to read TWW! And you prroooooooomised! But if you are into self-torture, sure why not. >:}

[navicat.livejournal.com]

Hehehe! Dude, you can still read it if you wanna :) I just didn't want to be all pushy-like.

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

Pushy, yeah right! *squeeeeee* I've been waiting and waiting... I thought you had forgotten about me, so *I* didn't want to be pushy. :P

[hkneale.livejournal.com]

My tips:

Print out whole ms (NOT in SMF, as that takes up too much paper). Sit down and read through, making your marks, your notes, your corrections with coloured pencils.

Not only do you look for grammar nits, but make notes about encluing, when characters first show up, setting stuff you may want to refer to later, and generally anything that occurs to you.

Don't forget to spill coffee or tea on it at some time. I had to make do with milo, but the effect is the same.

[rabiagale.livejournal.com]

What she said. Also, don't fotget to drop the whole stack of paper on the floor (or in my case, have your baby gte into them) and then have to spend an hour putting all the pages back in order.

You may want to have a notebook to put in things like "kill X on page 23" or "X us dead! Why does he turn up on page 145??"

My problem is that I always always get bogged down in the micro details and forget all about the big picture (like, er... plot and er... structure and er... theme).

Congratulations!

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the tips. I would dearly love to print it out. It's what I've done in the past and it works wonders for seeing mistakes. Alas, my printer isn't working. I'm afraid to know the price of paying to have it printed here knowing the mark-up on everything else. But if I don't print it out, how will I spill beverages??? Oh, the dilemma! :o)

[queenoftheskies.livejournal.com]

Congratulations!!!

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[mindseas.livejournal.com]

Congrats on finishing!

Do I owe you a reading or anything since you read the complete Tara?
I'm still tweaking Tara, because things keep bubbling up.

In general, I'm really bad at editing because I gradually change more and more stuff and I really ought to end one story and begin another, so I'm trying to forestall that by outlining my next fifteen novels all at once.

But for what it's worth, this is how I edit: I read through the ms. on the computer trying to keep the same frame of mind I would use for critting on the workshop, and I jot everything that bothers me down in my composition book, but I don't stop reading. When I've read through, I go back and fix each thing noted.

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the congrats and the tips.

As for "owing," no you don't owe me anything. *grin* When I offer to do a full novel crit, I do it for pleasure and not necessarily to get a return review, unless it has been previously agreed to. I don't like the sense of obligation involved.

In general, I'm really bad at editing because I gradually change more and more stuff

This is exactly what I'm afraid of. I dearly, dearly only want to make one more pass, but I know I'm going to find stuff that is going to need more refining. *sigh*

[mmerriam.livejournal.com]

Congrats on finishing the draft! YAY you!

I break the full novel down chapter-by-chapter, reading each chapter and making notes about which characters appear in it (and is it their first appearance), what the chapter does for the character development, plot, tone, and theme of the novel, what problems I might notices with continuity.

I correct line nits as I go along.

Good luck!

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the congrats and well wishes.

[kmkibble75.livejournal.com]

WooT! Congratulations!
I'm holding you to May 1. Miss it, and I'm not taking the 3 legged cat.

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

*rofl* And if I *do* get it to you May 1st, you are going to take her? *grin*

[kmkibble75.livejournal.com]

Sure thing, next time I'm in town. ;-)

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

:P

[pjthompson]

Congratulations!

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

thanks :D

[slmcgaw.livejournal.com]

I add my voice to the crowd of well wishers. Congratulations! You've worked so hard and consistently to get this done, and I'm so proud of you (hope that doesn't sound condescending).

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

not at all. *g*