The Creative Writer's Toolbelt discussion

Hi Andrew (and others)
I made it to the end of my first draft!! I took a week or so to celebrate before looking at it from an editorial point of view. I've been listening to a number of different podcasts during the writing process and have scoured writing websites for self-eating tips. From all of this I put together a step by step self-editing process:
1. Update scene list, spreadsheet, synopsis, or whichever method you use to track your story.
2. Starting at the beginning, work your way through the continuity errors that you created and made note of as the story changed while you wrote the first draft.
3. Get a good look at the big picture. The methods I've decided to use are alpha readers to get initial reader reactions, and the '30 page view' - shrink your story so it fits on 30 pages by taking away all page breaks, making it 8 pt font, 1.0 spacing. Lay out the 30 pages on the floor or table. Put an x through your seven strongest scenes. You want them prickled throughout the story. If there is a section without any, that is where you need to strengthen your story. You can also use this view to track character arcs or themes with highlighters of different colours. This is also the step where I will decide where my chapter breaks will be.
4. Make the changes that you identified need to be done in step 3.
5. Send to beta readers or a developmental editor.
6. Leave it alone until you get the responses back.
7. Decide which feedback to apply and make a list of the changes scene by scene.
8. Start at the beginning again. Looking scene by scene, make sure each scene is as strong as it can be. Look for a balance in description, character, use of senses, action, consistent POV, repetition, word choice, adjectives and adverbs, variable sentence structure, paragraph length, grammar and punctuation. As you get to the changes identified in step 7, make those as well. You should read each scene out loud at least once during this stage.
9. Research agents, publishers, or the self-publishing process.
10. Submit!

Hope this process helps you. Please give feedback/suggestions of parts that you would change or strategies that work for you.

Hi Meaghan,

I love this editing strategy, especially the idea of spreading 30 sheets of paper out on the table / floor and trying to get a big view of it all. I'm also a great believer in tracking progress - so the spreadsheet is my friend in this respect - but I understand that doesn't work for everyone!

I think the only comment I'd add is in section 8 where you are going scene by scene, and make sure each scene advances something in the story - plot or possibly character development. It shouldn't be just description. I'm not sure if this should be part of section 2 or 8, i think probably 8 where you have a focus on scene is fine.

Thanks for sharing this with us

regards

Andy