I’m editing. At least I’ve started.
The aim: short, snappy chapters of no more than three or four pages.
Why?
Well, I’ve been reading a bit of James Patterson lately. And well, Mr Patterson is a master at his craft. He’s sold millions of books and is still going strong. His books are thick but the chapters are quick and each one leaves you hanging for more.
The thing is, this editing gig is harder than I thought. I was aiming high wanting to edit 3-4 chapters each day. With full time job and a ton of other stuff on my plate that’s a huge ask.
Instead, I was sitting or lying in bed with the printed pages and a red biro, crossing out lots of text, putting in new stuff and rearranging the old, while my eyes were closing and I was drifting off to sleep by 9pm. Tired is an understatement.
I’ve been working on the first six chapters for a week and a half now. They are still not where I want them to be. They’re certainly better than the original draft but a ton of work ahead remains.
So, instead of suffering over six chapters I’m just going to keep going. If they’re 80% ok then I’m happy with that. The other 20% or so can be fixed once the entire novel gets a makeover and is 80% ready to go.
This editing process is going to take a bit longer than anticipated. Maybe much longer. But if I stop putting pressure on myself and just move slowly from chapter to chapter, it could be fun. After all, it is my book. I can cut, reshape, edit and rewrite, put scenes in and take characters out wherever I like.
Just one of the benefits of being a writer.
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