First Draft... Now What?

November 23, 2004 12:53 PM

If you've written a first draft of a novel (NaNoWriMo-influenced or not) , what were your best, most interesting, most effective methods for editing and polishing it? [MI]

I have 52,000 words and several ideas for an ending, but the novel has languished since NaNoWriMo 2002 - in rereading the manuscript, I just think "oh, that bit's nice" instead of "this needs to be 30,000 words longer and have a real ending." What did you do?

posted by deliriouscool to writing & language (7 comments total)

Talk to me in a month or so (I'm still working on this years NaNo) but I'm thinking that I'm going to print out a copy at Kinko's (you can send them a file and they'll print it directly to a copier, so it doesn't cost an arm and a leg) and just go through it, scene by scene, and revise as I go. I'm figuring that I'll have to go through it two or three times before I even get to the sentence by sentence rewrite.
posted by sugarfish at 1:09 PM on November 23, 2004

Here's the editing method that works for me.

First, I go through the manuscript section by section. This allows me to edit without feeling overwhelmed. As I go through each section, I'm looking for any plot inconsistencies: any dead ends, any leftover plot points from previous drafts/versions. I cut out everything that doesn't add to (a) the plot or (b) the characterizations. I also keep my eye out for any 'precious' sentences: sentences that made me think "Wow! I'm A Genius!" when I wrote them. Often these sentences must be taken out behind the shed and killed.

Then when I've whittled it all down, I make sure all the sections jibe with each other and are in the proper order. Often this involves writing entirely new sections.

Then I go through it all again, tightening up dialog and restructuring any glaringly awkward sentences.

And then (here comes the most important part) I Show The Manuscript To Someone Whose Opinion I Trust. I'm not looking for someone to say, "Gee... it's pretty good." I'm looking for someone to say, "The description at the beginning of page four, chapter two is too long. Lose it." At this stage I have several people (other writers) read the manuscript at the same time.

Then I get the manuscript back and read the comments and suggested changes. I usually end up making about 75%-80% of the suggested changes.

Then I go through the whole thing again, polishing: can a good sentence be better? Then make it better. At this stage there should be no bad sentences left.

And then It's Off To Market!

This method works for me, but there are as many ways to edit as there are to write. Try searching for interviews with your favorite writers and reading how they do it. Also, I don't know how you feel about Steven King, but his book 'On Writing' offers a window into his process and also many tips for aspiring novelists.

Good Luck!
posted by Fuzzy Monster at 1:57 PM on November 23, 2004

Both of the above are good advice. Print it out, take a few days off, then come back to it with a red pencil and read'n'revise.

Also a good idea to have someone else, whose opinions you value and respect, look it over. Ask them to be critical and not to hold back, and don't get mad at them for doing so.
posted by me3dia at 2:10 PM on November 23, 2004

Deadlines.
posted by scarabic at 2:14 PM on November 23, 2004

Pick up the book Keys to Great Writing and attack your ms. after reading each cover.
posted by dobbs at 3:46 PM on November 23, 2004

Excellent advice, y'all - I've read On Writing, but I'm sure it was before I ever decided I could write - or finish - a novel.
posted by deliriouscool at 5:06 PM on November 23, 2004

Someone somewhere in the Nano forums suggested putting your Nanovel in a drawer and starting over. That sounds like a good idea to me since I learned last month that I can't write in an interesting style under that kind of deadline. I plan to put my parts in the correct order (yeah, I wrote out of order - what a mess) and write it all over again, at my own pace.
posted by booth at 12:21 PM on December 2, 2004