Chris Bostic's Blog - Posts Tagged "editing"
Lesson Learned
I'll admit it. I make mistakes sometimes. My latest was a truly, epically dumb one that wasted A LOT of time. But at least I learned a valuable lesson.
I have a number of difference series in the works, and typically skip between them. I'll draft a book or edit a book, then put it aside and work on something else. It helps keep things fresh, but apparently not fresh enough.
A short while back, having finished with another series, I started working on a sequel to my latest dystopian/adventure/thriller book. Somehow, and rather foolishly, I paid no attention to the fact that the first book was written in first person, past tense. So I wrote the ENTIRE first draft of the second book in third person. Thankfully past tense, but still a huge 75,000 word mistake.
Long story short (pun intended), it's taken days(seriously!) to fix all the pronouns and make it flow right. Zach = I, him = me, his = my, their = our... and so on a thousand times over. No simple 'Find and Replace' could be done.
The worst part? It was totally preventable. I like to write different series in different POV, and often different tenses. But all I had to do was take a quick look back at the first book. Maybe the problem could be that I know my characters a little too well, and didn't think I needed to look back for something so simple as POV.
But the edits are all finished...finally. Lesson learned--big time. And just in time to get my NCAA Tournament bracket filled out. Not a moment too soon. Sounds like it's time to take a little writing break and watch some basketball games.
I have a number of difference series in the works, and typically skip between them. I'll draft a book or edit a book, then put it aside and work on something else. It helps keep things fresh, but apparently not fresh enough.
A short while back, having finished with another series, I started working on a sequel to my latest dystopian/adventure/thriller book. Somehow, and rather foolishly, I paid no attention to the fact that the first book was written in first person, past tense. So I wrote the ENTIRE first draft of the second book in third person. Thankfully past tense, but still a huge 75,000 word mistake.
Long story short (pun intended), it's taken days(seriously!) to fix all the pronouns and make it flow right. Zach = I, him = me, his = my, their = our... and so on a thousand times over. No simple 'Find and Replace' could be done.
The worst part? It was totally preventable. I like to write different series in different POV, and often different tenses. But all I had to do was take a quick look back at the first book. Maybe the problem could be that I know my characters a little too well, and didn't think I needed to look back for something so simple as POV.
But the edits are all finished...finally. Lesson learned--big time. And just in time to get my NCAA Tournament bracket filled out. Not a moment too soon. Sounds like it's time to take a little writing break and watch some basketball games.
Hitting Double Digits
After a flurry of re-releases and a new book in The Savage Horde Series back in 2017, my productivity came to a screeching halt. The kids' school year kept me on the go, especially my son's senior year ending with a litany of awards banquets and the like. Then came graduation, followed by a pair of amazingly long summer vacations, and then moving the boy off to college. Spare time was hard to find, and motivation to write even more lacking. It was looking bleak on the writing front...so I finally forced myself to sit down in November and look over my back catalog of completed but unreleased works. After several weeks of editing, I bring to you Creeper Falls.
It's yet another novel set around a family vacation--this time a quarter mile below the surface in an eerie cave. There are some new elements in this novel, including my first attempt at split point of view. You'll follow along with a pair of teens, Danny and Lacey, as they endure a series of terrifying challenges at the world's worst summer camp.
I'm happy to report that the editing lit a new fire in me. While I can't guarantee I'll keep the newfound motivation, I'm in a much better place when it comes to feeling the urge to write. And here's some added motivation...Creeper Falls is my ninth published book. Nine! Even after the last several years of dedicated writing, I still hardly believe that.
I feel confident Creeper Falls won't be my last this year. I will hit double digits--possibly 11 or 12. I am certain of that much.
It's yet another novel set around a family vacation--this time a quarter mile below the surface in an eerie cave. There are some new elements in this novel, including my first attempt at split point of view. You'll follow along with a pair of teens, Danny and Lacey, as they endure a series of terrifying challenges at the world's worst summer camp.
I'm happy to report that the editing lit a new fire in me. While I can't guarantee I'll keep the newfound motivation, I'm in a much better place when it comes to feeling the urge to write. And here's some added motivation...Creeper Falls is my ninth published book. Nine! Even after the last several years of dedicated writing, I still hardly believe that.
I feel confident Creeper Falls won't be my last this year. I will hit double digits--possibly 11 or 12. I am certain of that much.
