Sunday, February 12, 2012

Cutting Away the Dross!

As a writer, probably the most difficult thing I had to do was to re-read my manuscript and toss out what wasn't good. Editing your own manuscript can be painful--mostly because you want to believe that every word you put in your book is necessary! Trust me, it's not. I have removed entire paragraphs, and sometimes even two or three pages to make the book read more clearly, or change the direction of the story. Good editing on your part is extremely important.

When I first started writing, I kept a file of the parts of the story that I would remove from the original manuscript. It helped me to "let go" of what I had written to begin with. Now, I rarely keep the sentences. I keep them if I like the way that they are phrased, and they go into a file folder on my desktop for future stories and reference. Sometimes, that one sentence holds a wealth of meaning and it is phrased so well, that I just can't toss it out! So, if you want to keep some of your work, but remove it from your current project, by all means, save it! Each sentence needs to add to your storyline. Every word should be well thought out and considered in the larger picture of the story.

There is no set limit to the amount of times you will be required to re-read your manuscript for the purpose of publication. There are several ways to do this that will help you to polish your story. Read your book aloud to someone who is willing to listen to it. Many times I've found errors in my writing by reading my manuscript aloud because I can hear the mistakes as I read it to someone.

Also, re-read it several times for content and chronology. You would be surprised at how many times authors put something into their manuscript that the reader has no prior knowledge of. For example, I was editing a book for my publisher, which...well into the second chapter, the author has one of the characters refer to a plane. This character and her mother are driving. This is a continuity error and pulled me out of the story because I was frantically wondering where the plane came from. Did I miss it? I spent a good hour pouring back over the story to see if I had unwittingly skipped over that part of the story and not realized it.

It was a rather simple fix. The author wrote in that they were in a rental car, which was rented at the airport when they arrived. It was a simple case of the author knowing where the characters were coming from, but since it wasn't written into the manuscript, the reader didn't know. The reader has to be told everything, so don't leave out details in your story. If you sit down to lunch, you'd better eat something! How your character does things allows the reader a glimpse into their psyche--so show your reader who your character is by the way he or she acts, or reacts, while eating that sandwich!

Your book should read smoothly, with no abrupt stops or starts. Poor grammar, (unless it is within the parameters of character dialogue and part of their persona), is not acceptable and will get you a rejection very quickly. Have someone that you trust, and that is very familiar with English grammar, go over your manuscript to keep you from having to suffer rejects due to this problem. Chronological order is important; don't have your character go to the store after he eats the groceries. (I realize that's a rather simplistic comparison, but understandable at any rate). If you're character is going fishing, make certain, that you find out what the parts of a fishing rod are called, (if you don't know how to fish). Check your facts and the terminology that goes with the act of fishing so that you sound knowledgeable. When you write a story, the facts that people are familiar with can pull them out of a story when the facts that you are stating don't coincide with their knowledge. Fantasy stories are easier to write, but the minute that you use a familiar "thing" in the story, it needs to be correct in how it's used and the names of the parts. This is why in every writing class that I ever took, the teacher told me, "Stick with what you know." Feel free to utilize the internet for material if you don't know something...there's nothing wrong with that! In any case, you don't make mistakes when you know the material--so, if you don't know it, learn it.

The best way to get better as a writer is to open yourself up to suggestions. Stay open and listen to your publisher. They've been in the business for many years and they know what sells and what will help to put you on the map. Be certain, if you want something you've written to stay in your manuscript...and your publisher suggests removing it, that you discuss it with your publisher and explain why you feel it's important to the storyline. Nothing is written in stone and your publisher will work with you as long as you aren't impossible to work with. Remember, being easy to work with, (not a pushover), means you give weight to your publisher's expertise and they give credence to your talent as a writer.

There are lots of things to look for in your story that will help you to make your manuscript clean and inviting to a publisher. Follow these suggestions and it will improve your manuscript greatly.

And remember...keep writing!

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