Wednesday, September 14, 2005

OUCH

That’s what I have to say about the editing process.

For each blessed word sent to the crapper, I think: “If it’s expendable now, why’d it seem necessary the first time around? The second? The third?”

Trust me. As a writer, this is a humbling experience.

Here’s my Progress Report:

Manuscript page reduction: From 385 pages to 320
Word count reduction: From 96,250 to 80,000

You do the math.

Never mind, I’ll do it for you. I still need to find 40 pages to chop. Are you thinking what I am? That in its previous form, this manuscript must have sucked??
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2 comments:

MJFredrick said...

I wish I had to cut. I have to add. I know I can use more description and emotion, but, eek, I need 50 pages!

3:17 AM
Carol Burnside aka Annie Rayburn said...

I think if you get in the ballpark you'll be find. Don't worry about getting too exact.

I think this phenomenon is why I worry that I'm just not seeing my own work the way it really is. I'm reluctant to sent it out to publishers. Oh, I do contests, looking mainly for feedback, but I still worry there's too much that needs fixing.

10:58 AM

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