Brian Niemeier on the brilliantly superversive L. Jagi Lamplighter

Brian Niemeier pens the following essay on the growth and construction of a manuscript over at the Superversive blog.

http://superversivesf.com/2015/02/05/the-life-cycle-of-a-manuscript/

The Life Cycle of a Manuscript

On a recent episode of Geek Gab, a listener asked me an excellent question: when is a manuscript ready for an editor? That questions got me thinking about my own writing and editing process, because to my knowledge no two writers follow exactly the same steps.

Honestly, my approach to preparing works for submission has varied depending on the length, market, and even genre of the piece; and my system continues to evolve as I learn more from experience and research. (NB: I highly recommend On Writing by Stephen King, especially for newcomers to the craft.)

On Writing: 10th Anniversary Edition: A Memoir of the CraftNevertheless, I thought I’d give a rundown of my current favored method for writing and revising manuscripts. Who knows? Someone may find it useful.

Outline: most fiction authors create outlines of their novels before the writing actually starts. There’s no set format or length for outlines; they can range in size from scene-by-scene summaries of the book to one or two page sketches. Some authors (like King) don’t outline at all. Trial and error have shown me that I am not one of them. My novel outlines generally run 5-10 pages; for short stories it’s usually 1 or 2–enough to set the bounds of the story and chart the narrative structure.

By way of explanation, I tend to structure each of my novels as a succession of multiple three act or seven point narratives within an overarching frame. So I make sure to note every hook, complication, climax, and resolution in the outline.

First Draft: when I start writing, I more or less follow the outline, filling in the blanks while giving myself enough flexibility to draw outside the lines if it serves the story. I estimate that I stick to the outline about 60 percent of the time, and about 40 percent is improvised.

Only I ever see my first draft. It’s not for anyone else.

[…]

Editing: so far, I’ve had one novel-length manuscript professionally edited. I was so impressed with the results, provided by the brilliantly superversive L. Jagi Lamplighter, that I plan on hiring a knowledgeable, experienced freelancer to edit every novel that I intend to publish independently.

Read the whole thing: http://superversivesf.com/2015/02/05/the-life-cycle-of-a-manuscript/

Originally published at John C. Wright's Journal. Please leave any comments there.