It is all in how you take the camera angles

I do love my editor. She took time over two days to chat with me about my manuscript -- what was working and what wasn't. Where she thought things could be improved and why. One of my problems was that I had tried to tie up all story threads in a neat bow and sometimes the endings are best implied, rather than spelt out.
It is going to be 2 weeks of hard work. I have refocus the manuscript and make sure that certain things aneed to be moved to the forefront, rather than hidden in the shadow. As someone once said to me a long time ago -- think like you are a director -- what do you want the shot to show?
I have cut about 7k but it needed to go to free up the words for better use.

Revisions and The Game of Thrones

First off I am busy with my revisions. My conversation with my editor on Thursday helped clarify matters and really set my mind turning over. She made several good suggestions. Part of the trouble with the old scenario is that to do it justice, the word count would have been too long. Word Count is important in series books. It is part of the economies of scale. I tend to be on the high end in any case.
So it involves re imagining things. Basically deciding I am a Banus (to use Diane Wynne Jones terminology from  Hexwood). A Banus is a type of a highly intelligent computer which runs various game playing scenarios with real people. The scenarios change until the Banus gets the desired outcome. Sometimes, it is not about changing motivations, but changing events if the characters are set. I shall have the illusion of keeping some things but basically have to write two new chapters. On the plus side, I do get to move the action to London.
I have figured out how to do so. Finally and why that triggers other things.

I have also managed to watch the first episode of The Game of Thrones. It is interesting to see Martin's influences. for example he cites George MacDonald Fraser author of the Flashmen series, and Bernard Cornwell as influences. My daughter originally thought it was George MacDonald who is one of my faves and heavily influenced Tolkien and CS Lewis and a host of others, but no I checked on Wikipedia. It was Fraser who wrote about the Border wars.  Martin is apparently heavily influenced by the War of the Roses and medieval history as opposed to Norse mythology. The problem is a bit like Treme, Game of Thrones is difficult to follow precisely what is going on and who precisely is who.  Luckily they do use some of the fantasy land cliches -- for example, a woman wearing red is generally up to no good. Finding of small animals or eggs generally is a sign that they are symbolic and will bring good fortune if looked after. If you have a map, you can figure on going everywhere -- particularly to the remote places. Lots of sex, incest etc but that is to be expected with a HBO production. It is difficult to follow. However my teen aged children really enjoyed it and want to read the books as well.

Craft post: Manuscript Makeover

It has been awhile, a long while since I have done a craft post. Recently I discovered the book, Manuscript Makeover Revision Techniques No Fiction Writer Can Afford to ignore by Elizabeth Lyon and I suspect that the book will eventually be on many fiction writers shelves, right next to Self Editing for Fiction Writers by Brown and King.

This book is not about crafting a novel but rewriting and revising. It does what it says on the tin.

It is not flashy but full of good ideas and has helped give me ideas of how to improve the current wip.

It is a matter of application of various techniques. It is also a general revision book, rather than one specifically geared to romance or commercial fiction

Divided in several sections-- Lyon first looks at the novel outside in with techniques about revising for style. Most published authors do not need this section and it is amply covered in Self Editing but it is interesting to see her take. Then she goes into the structural problems, mainly using a 5 act structure and finally she looks at character and how character drives the story.

Each chapter is has boxes of easy to digest info and the chapter summaries with check lists.

For example, the chapter on movement and suspense also includes a section on why a hero might be considered passive and what to do about it. And there is a chapter on character dimension and theme which from my POV is worth the price of the book. It set light bulbs off and it reminded me of what to look for in my characters. In other words, it helped me solve problems by reminding me to ask question of my characters and reminding me of the pitfall. For example, yes I have a back story wound but without the desire to go beyond and actively change, the heroine can seem passive and static. The reader needs to see the struggle.

There is a ton of info here. And it is up the writer to use it. As Lyon points out in her introduction -- different writers work to different method. Dean Koontz in his last typewritten novel figured that he did approximately 31 drafts of the novel (based on the amount of paper used) before he reached the end. He was also told about that novel by his publisher that he was a midlist suspense writer and he should cut the novel in half. he cut five pages. The novel, Whispers went to number 5 and has remained in print for 2 decades. Other authors say to revise a novel no more than 3 times, keep marketing, and writing new stories. Eventually you break in as your writing improves. Each to his own. She recommends taking the book and making it your own.using what you need. As she says, encapsulating the whole conundrum of writing craft books -- there is a world of difference between reading about how to revise and actually applying it.

I intend to apply it to my writing but then I love revising and the whole process of trying to get my words to convey my vision.

It is a book that is most useful if you have the raw material (i.e. a first draft) rather than if you are crafting one. And my poor critque partner is probably going to get me being rather tough on her as the book has given me Ideas!

Revising

I am still revising and am completely convinced that my editor was far too kind about the ms that I turned in. It, however, does drip with potential and hopefully now I have managed to make it far stronger.
In some ways, it is a harder set of revisions as I have been going through and changing lots of little bits, adding and taking away.

But it will get there and it will be excellent.

Some day, all you can do is believe.

Revisions progress

I am in the midst. Why oh why is there not a vaccine against stupidity?
I took a huge wrong turn and ended up with a plodding book. Luckily now, I think I made the correct choice and the book is becoming much better.

One of the simplest mantras is A HERO LEADS. A hero is proactive. A hero takes chances.
Why didn't I see the problems before?

It is going to be a much better book, far more exciting. It simply is a case of making sure the turns are right.

Revisions Reprise

The following blog was first published in February 06. Kate Hardy contacted me yesterday to say that she had saved it and had passed it around to several of the Modern Heat writers. This was totally sweet of her. Anyway, as apparently they found it useful, I am republishing it here.
A quick note -- the ms I am talking about finishing became Sold and Seduced. During the revisions, the epilogue was cut. It was a nice epilogue but the story worked much better without it. The revisions for S&S other than cuttingthe epilogue and cutting a scene where Lydia acts out of character were light and I did them very quickly.
And I still love revisions and my editors' eyes. Quality editing is key to keeping a writer's books delivering on the promise the writer makes to the very special unique subset of readers -- hers.

Basically if I want their thoughts on my latest though, I have to finish it first. I still have several chapters to go -- including the last one.

Revisions and me
Kate Hardy recently asked what is the favourite part of writing for you. I put my hand up and said revisions. Not the usual response I know. Many writers hate revisions.I love other parts of writing. It is fun doing the first draft, but really it is only between you and the computer. You know that things will change and you are doing your best, but there are ALWAYS revisions. Some of these you will pick up, some the critque partners will pick up or have questions about. Questions are good. They force you to think why, and some the editor will spot. It is all about taking the rough lump of clay and moulding it.Doing revisions is not a sign of failure. Revisons help make a good book great.It is a sign that your editor believes in you and your book enough to give guidance on how to make it stronger. Revisions give you a chance to rethink and revisit your characters. At this point for me, my characters are old friends.They can also show up where you took a wrong turning, where you took an easy option.At their best, revisions challenge you. They give you the ability to take your book to the next level. Writers tend to like to stay in their comfort zones. A good editor inspires the writer.Sometimes, the longer and more detailed the revisons, the more the editor can see. I have heard of NYT best sellers that have had twenty five pages of closely written revisions. The editor believed in that book and wanted it to be the best book possible. Editors do not ask for revisions lightly. If they see too many problems, they will ask you to put the ms aside for awhile and write something new. Revisions mean they can see something worthwhile.Revisions are an opportunity rather than a road block.Revisions are a helping hand up, a way around stones in the road.When you are doing revisions, you know the characters and the basic situation. You also know one way it didn't work. Or in my cases, several ways it didn't work.Revisions force me to concentrate on what is the essential part of the book. How can I keep those things that I want to keep and still make those changes that the editor sees as essential? How can I learn from the revisions I am asked to do so that I make other mistakes next time?At the moment -- I keep hearing the lovely tones of my editor -- such and sch would never intentionally put the heroine in harm's way. It is something I have learnt and I have to make sure it is explained. One of the best pieces of advice an editor gave me was to make sure the turning points are active and come from the actions of the main characters. Hopefully through the process of revision, my own eye is developing and I am more able to step back and make the changes before the editor has her read through. But there are ALWAYS revisions. And sometimes there are more than one set.In the final analysis, it is about trusting the eye of your editor. And a good editor is worth her weight in gold. At the moment, I am very lucky with my editors. Their guidance has been clear, and has sparked ideas about how I can make the ms better.Now if I want to get to those revisions, those final tweaks, I have to finish the last chapter and epilogue...So in my humble opinion, revisions are not something to be feared or fought against, but are something to be embraced. They are about making the book the strongest it can possibly be.

What I learnt from Revisions

I have finished my revisons and sent them off. Fingers crossed that they are fine. All I know is that I like the story much better. This is the one that had Philip Glenister as the hero inspiration material. But I did have to make him more ruthless than Gene Hunt.

My basic problem with the manuscript that I sent in was that I took the wrong angle on a major subplot. And as a fan of a major acarthic battle at the end, I generally like to have one as well. However, in this story, it wasn't necessary. I had enough emotion to see me through.

And actually in my current wip, I think I have made the same mistake -- coming up with an intrigue type that is starting to demand space. Or rather one that I don't particularly want to write. However, there is very much a plot I want to write. It will suit the characters much better and was actually going to be the subtext. I am just going to have make it the main arc of the story. And it will be fun to do. As it is a Victorian, perhaps, my heor doesn't havet o be as Alpha male, but he still has to be up there.

So my big take away from this round of revisions is not to be afraid of the emotional clash. Those emotional journeys must be shown.

The rightness of editors

I am working through my revisions and although I may not always agree with her solutions. They always spark ideas. I think the reasoning is much more solid now.

As Kate Walker said to me -- remember you are the creative person. It i s your job to come up with the ideas and improvements. If you can find a better way, use it.

It is my editor's job to point out where those improvements need to be made. And she does an excellent job at doing that.

I only hope the changes I have made will meet with her approval. I Personally I think the story is a stronger one now.

I have another draft or so to go. The printer is currently spewing out paper and I will do a read through plus Donald Maass' page turning tension exercise before I send my changes in. The important thing is to get a really strong read for the readers. I want them to be engaged and unable to put the book down...

Fortunately I also think I have solved some of my problems for my current wip as well. It needs to be started after the first few pages.

And I have threatened to get my editor a mug that says my editor is always right. She laughed. Of course there is the mug my daughter now has -- Everyone is entitled to my opinion which is sort of appropriate for editors as well...

Haunted places

Over at Unusual Historicals, there is a discussion about haunted places. Do battlefields and thelike leave imprints? Do they feel different? I will put my hand up and say yes.

I can remember when a few years ago we were visitng my mother in Va, and drove out to Sharpsburg.We stopped to look at the sunken road where so many died. A creepy feeling came over both my dh and I, we huried the children back into the car -- only to have it not start the first try!

Culloden postively reeks of atmosphere. Bosworth Field as well. Flodden. I tend to think battlefields when no one else is there have a quiet hush of their own.

The place on Hadrian's wall that bothers me the most is the museum at Chesters. It always feels close for some reason. I don't mind the actual site but the museum has an odd atmosphere. It is stuffed full of statues, grave stones and the like...v 19th century. It has been preserved as the man who basically saved Hadrian's Wall left it.

Is it ghosts? Impressions of past time? Or simply me trying to put myself into the ambience of the place? Does anyone have any thoughts?

I see that my vistors have gone up and suspect it might be from Sela's post about me knowing about personalities traits. I will admit to being interested in them and how one uses that raw material to fashion believable characters. If anyone has any questions using astrology or ennegrams or Myers Briggs, do ask. I am not so keen on birth order because I think it is less useful as a tool for creating characters. It is highly interesting to read about though.

And in case anyone is intersted Sela was listed as a warrior women in a very early history of the Danish people.

VC is coming near to its conclusion. I wonder sometimes if I just want my writing to be so much better than it is. I know what needs to happen here. I know why it needs to happen, and I just want the words on the page but they are not flowing as well as they should be. I have made several mistakes. But it is all about fixxing bad pages. I hope. My v lovely dh keeps saying -- but you are on track to get this finished...Yes, but I know the editting I am going have to do. I know what I want to accomplish with this book. AndI know the time I am sometimes wasting, when the words are not flowing. I want it to have a really satisfying ending. And at the moment, it is getting there. There are reasons why I love revisions. Anyway I wrote about 3k today and will prbably write the same tomorrow. And I have known probably the last line of this one for almost since I began thinking about it...