about the editing process

[Dustin]

How long was the editing process for your book? What did it entail? and, finally, were there any changes made in the end that you are not entirely happy with/about?

[S.T.]

What an excellent looking question. I would also like to know about the editing process.

[Eric]

There was a lot of back and forth about daily for about two months. Twice I went into bunker mode, locking myself into a motel without wifi for three or four days to do major rewrites.

[S.T.]

How long did it take you to come up with the first draft?

[Eric]

I started the first draft in November. I've been doing NaNoWrimo for years, so that has become when I start novels. That's the first year I did not make my wordcount. I started off with a completely different story, but I realized halfway through the month that I was writing a very weird story that didn't make much sense. Instead, in the last couple weeks of November, I started on BoF.

I worked on BoF on and off through the winter, then lost it all in a computer failure that also messed up the flash drive my backup was on. In early spring, I locked myself in a cheap motel in Natural Bridge, VA and rewrote half the novella from memory and a couple scenes I had workshopped with Bradley Sands that were still in my Google Docs. My first draft was finished in late August, later August than Kevin would have liked.

[h.]

Natural Bridge? Alone? That can be an odd and spooky place!

[Eric]

Yeah, but I met Mark Cline. There was half a chapter about him that got cut down to the dream scene in which Charles meets the Fisher King and sees the shark.

[Dan]

Eric wrote: "I started the first draft in November. I've been doing NaNoWrimo for years, so that has become when I start novels. "

Will you be doing NaNoWriMo this year?

[Eric]

Dan wrote: "Eric wrote: "I started the first draft in November. I've been doing NaNoWrimo for years, so that has become when I start novels. "

Will you be doing NaNoWriMo this year?"

I'm going to try. Bizarrocon makes it difficult.

[h.]

Eric wrote: "Dan wrote: "Eric wrote: "I started the first draft in November. I've been doing NaNoWrimo for years, so that has become when I start novels. "

Will you be doing NaNoWriMo this year?"

I'm going to..."

Wondering what NaNoWriMo is? Thanks.

[Dan]

National Novel Writing Month.

http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/dashboard

[h.]

Dan wrote: "National Novel Writing Month.

http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/dashboard"

I've heard of this. Didn't have the link. Thanks, Dan. I appreciate it.

[Dan]

h. wrote: "Dan wrote: "National Novel Writing Month.

http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/dashboard"

I've heard of this. Didn't have the link. Thanks, Dan. I appreciate it."

No problem. It's not too late to sign up...

[h.]

Hum ... my first "failed" novel took 3 years, and my current one has been ongoing since I don't even remember when. But maybe it'd be good to kick it into high gear a bit. Let me sleep on it!!!! Do you do it?

[Dan]

h. wrote: "Hum ... my first "failed" novel took 3 years, and my current one has been ongoing since I don't even remember when. But maybe it'd be good to kick it into high gear a bit. Let me sleep on it!!!! Do..."

This will be the fourth time for me.

[h.]

Dan wrote: "h. wrote: "Hum ... my first "failed" novel took 3 years, and my current one has been ongoing since I don't even remember when. But maybe it'd be good to kick it into high gear a bit. Let me sleep o..."

And were the previous three successful?

[Eric]

It's a fun thing to do. I have done it for four years. This will be my fifth. Of course, the first time I got a novel published was the year I failed to finish on time and spent the rest of the year writing the book. Still, it gives you something to work with at the end of the month.

[Dan]

h. wrote: "And were the previous three successful? "

They were successful in that I hit 5ok in thirty days. The bigger benefit was knowing that it could be done and that I could do it. My first attempt at a novel took about a year and a half. Once you get one 30-dayer under your belt, you know you can do more.

[h.]

Dan wrote: "h. wrote: "And were the previous three successful? "

They were successful in that I hit 5ok in thirty days. The bigger benefit was knowing that it could be done and that I could do it. My first ..."
Yes, getting that confidence is so key! That's why I don't mind the god awful novel I wrote. It was 120,000 wds. Unfortunately, I spent another year whittling it down to 90,000 until I realized it was going nowhere good. Anyway, I hear you. The disaster was worth knowing I could go the distance. Next time, though, I'll make sure it's worth the distance before I go it!!

Hey, best of luck!!!

[Eric]

I tend to write in layers anyway, so even an awful first draft is a good thing to have. Steve Martin wrote in "Writing is Easy" that "words can be changed, rethought, fiddled with, and, of course, ultimately denied."

[h.]

Eric wrote: "I tend to write in layers anyway, so even an awful first draft is a good thing to have. Steve Martin wrote in "Writing is Easy" that "words can be changed, rethought, fiddled with, and, of course, ..."

Yes, good pts. I should have denied them sooner though!

So, what do you plan to work on during this year's month?

[Eric]

I'm thinking of a Southern Gothic that takes place with a traveling carnival.

[h.]

Eric wrote: "I'm thinking of a Southern Gothic that takes place with a traveling carnival."

And the setting? Present day or past?

[h.]

Eric wrote: "I started the first draft in November. I've been doing NaNoWrimo for years, so that has become when I start novels. That's the first year I did not make my wordcount. I started off with a completel..."

Do you back-up your novels now? How horrifying to lose it all!

Did that prove to be a good thing? Is the novel better for it?

[Eric]

The setting in the carnival, which moves around. The time is fairly recent, but I have not decided when. Most of the action will be in Texas and Arkansas.

I back up my novels on a flash drive, but on this occasion, I had to send a computer in for repair. It just happened that that flash drive was corrupt when I got home, after giving up the computer to be wiped. I think the novel was better for it, but I'll probably use Google to back up my stuff in the future.