tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post1832809464317050057..comments2023-09-05T12:51:25.656-05:00Comments on edittorrent: What to leave outEdittorrenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14295505709568570553noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-5801861333073016362008-06-08T00:08:00.000-05:002008-06-08T00:08:00.000-05:00OMgosh, DAVE! 'Samurai book editor' I LOVE IT! Gr...OMgosh, DAVE! 'Samurai book editor' I LOVE IT! Great visual! :D<BR/><BR/>I usually* have three documents open when I write.<BR/><BR/>1) the notes<BR/>2) the outline (unless I'm pantsing*)<BR/>3) the story <BR/><BR/>When I feel the need to cut something from my story, I put it at the end of the notes document under the heading "Not Used." Sort of Alicia’s 'not really gone forever' scenario.<BR/><BR/>:)<BR/>G.Genella deGreyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13129942813842907408noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-75520388717168823562008-06-07T08:08:00.000-05:002008-06-07T08:08:00.000-05:00If the worst comes to the worst, there's always ha...If the worst comes to the worst, there's always haikus.<BR/><BR/>Just got The Power Of POV, btw — very useful.Whirlochrehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09846196906206886945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-71016883896379264662008-06-06T20:50:00.000-05:002008-06-06T20:50:00.000-05:00And Wes, the historical fiction we all grew up on ...And Wes, the historical fiction we all grew up on was not as tight and taut as it is today. One of the aspects I think a lot of us miss about the old historical novels was those digressions ... they really added to the story, if not to the plot. Sigh. Oh, well, it's a new world. <BR/>AliciaEdittorrenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14295505709568570553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-36294340647266334562008-06-06T12:21:00.000-05:002008-06-06T12:21:00.000-05:00Very interesting......and useful. I've hated to c...Very interesting......and useful. I've hated to cut scenes or sentences from my historical fiction, because those parts generally deal with the flavor of the times. But I've found a test. Does it slow down the story or take the reader out of story? If it does, it gets cut.Weshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03077791761104576436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-19527462259396585882008-06-06T11:39:00.000-05:002008-06-06T11:39:00.000-05:00Thank you sooo much for this article. Everything y...Thank you sooo much for this article. Everything you've written is so true. I cannot tell you how many times I've seen beginning writer novels where there is all this irrelevant small talk. I think sometimes writers have to learn to discern between what is relevant and what isn't. And you gave such practical advice on how to cut out those unwanted words. I'm gonna send this url to several crit groups I'm in. Thanks. -CCarole McDonnellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15443401088634718848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-67644390734340191452008-06-06T03:41:00.000-05:002008-06-06T03:41:00.000-05:00I found at first it was the word 'probably' so usi...I found at first it was the word 'probably' so using Nick Sparks idea I went through and culled extensively whilst my maniac laugh haunted the darkened room (or I just searched with Word, whichever sounds better). I can understand now how he cut an 85,000 word story down to 45,000 words. But there are parts of my story I really love and don't want to touch.... it's like circumcising your child....Natalie Hatchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09377665702278806398noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-42568857130117527142008-06-05T20:23:00.000-05:002008-06-05T20:23:00.000-05:00Congratulations, Anon. You've just written a short...Congratulations, Anon. You've just written a short story.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-11192765021509355882008-06-05T19:41:00.000-05:002008-06-05T19:41:00.000-05:00jwhit, maybe just make it not anemic? Make the su...jwhit, maybe just make it not anemic? Make the subplot a bit more meaty? Think about how it affects his detecting. Like, you know, if a suspect was sort of a lot like my brother, I might not be completely clear-thinking about him. That is, how does his family subplot support the main plot of the mystery detection? How does his feelings for or interaction with the family cause conflict that affects his ability to solve the case?<BR/><BR/>Natalie, I think I could probably cut 20 pages out of my books by taking out the word "then"-- I swear, I use that or "just" in every paragraph.<BR/>AliciaEdittorrenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14295505709568570553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-88836632425334281782008-06-05T19:02:00.000-05:002008-06-05T19:02:00.000-05:00I'm with Bernina and Adrian. We're sitting on a 55...I'm with Bernina and Adrian. We're sitting on a 55k word mystery right now and I'm still feeling guilty about leaving in the anaemic subplot about the detective and his 'family' scenes. But what's a girl to do?<BR/><BR/>We had a discussion about trying to force in another subplot but decided against it. Is a 220 page debut novel acceptable?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-17361200874827784202008-06-05T14:21:00.000-05:002008-06-05T14:21:00.000-05:00I've revised my book eight times using the "cut tw...I've revised my book eight times using the "cut two words from every sentence" approach, and I've gotten it down from 68,000 words to just nine pages.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-40900317946026787642008-06-05T10:48:00.000-05:002008-06-05T10:48:00.000-05:00I'm with Bernita.Pruning a lush tree sounds like a...I'm with Bernita.<BR/><BR/>Pruning a lush tree sounds like a luxury. I spend almost all of my time throwing water and fertilizer at an anemic stick, hoping to coax another leaf or two.<BR/><BR/>My readers are always begging me to slow down and describe the settings, the characters' clothing, and the meals.<BR/><BR/>My mystery WIP is so lean, there's hardly a character who isn't a sleuth, a killer, or a victim.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-91201745177039721732008-06-05T05:51:00.000-05:002008-06-05T05:51:00.000-05:00My problem is not flensing but fattening.My problem is not flensing but fattening.Bernitahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05264585685253812090noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-22660500024354633322008-06-05T03:19:00.000-05:002008-06-05T03:19:00.000-05:00Oh Alicia, I've been looking for had and was (by t...Oh Alicia, I've been looking for had and was (by the way was came in at 1322 times in my 82,000 word story) had 'was' a little less (I crack myself up). Now I'm going to have to go get a sieve... slave drivers! Sucks in breath, starts to slash novel, two words per paragraph, two pages per scene... what about my digression into the transgenderisation of clown fish and how they can switch back and forth between sexes, male one minute, female the next..... that's gotta go too? sugar honey iced tea.Natalie Hatchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09377665702278806398noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-85663200108349995922008-06-05T00:55:00.000-05:002008-06-05T00:55:00.000-05:00Is anyone else here old enough to remember John Be...Is anyone else here old enough to remember John Belushi's Samurai skits on Saturday Night Live? I'm picturing 'Samurai book editor' now... ;-)Dave Shawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00773380114295267509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-88946672313882480402008-06-04T23:07:00.000-05:002008-06-04T23:07:00.000-05:00It was a lovely book before I pushed it through th...It was a lovely book before I pushed it through the sieve. Beautifully written. Never doubt that.<BR/><BR/>I do think it can be hard for a writer to do that kind of editing triage on their own book, though. Editing needs objectivity. <BR/><BR/>TheresaEdittorrenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14295505709568570553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-42870157748419162762008-06-04T20:43:00.000-05:002008-06-04T20:43:00.000-05:00In general I'd agree with you.(But explain to me w...In general I'd agree with you.<BR/><BR/>(But explain to me why James Frey's most recent invention features digressions on the development of the California highway system. Shall we all invent stories of drug addiction and rehab. But I digress)<BR/><BR/>I think Leonard's writing advice is spot on: some of these "waitress scenes" can certainly be interesting and useful for character development provided the writing isn't skimmable. <BR/><BR/>I tend to build up as I write. Very, very bare bones at first, mostly constructed around dialogue. And I dispense with all thse hihowaya's and drill down to the conflict and character development. Then I allow myself a bit of description, just enough to give a flavor. If my eyes...or those of my readers...glaze past things, I tend to slash. The skim test is a good one.EBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14361825595951678685noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-18228868939071159462008-06-04T20:14:00.000-05:002008-06-04T20:14:00.000-05:00I tend to be self-indulgent when I write... I just...I tend to be self-indulgent when I write... I just love my people! It's like my child. I was one of those moms (still am, I bet) who would regale you with the cute thing my son said just because it was cute--<BR/><BR/>Well, heck, I'm going to do that. :)<BR/><BR/>When my older boy was 4, he was playing with his friend Sam, and suddenly Sam asked, who knows why, "Is God bigger than the universe?"<BR/><BR/>And my son said, "No, but he's taller."<BR/><BR/>For some reason, I've always thought the key to understanding religion and spirituality was there in his comment somewhere. :)<BR/>AliciaEdittorrenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14295505709568570553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-62361517938030394842008-06-04T19:58:00.000-05:002008-06-04T19:58:00.000-05:00That's a good way to look at it. I think as autho...That's a good way to look at it. I think as authors, we tend to enjoy our characters' company. Since we want to know everything about them, we assume everyone will be. Of course, that's not the case!Dara Edmondsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03074955377079380225noreply@blogger.com