tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8700688529768348258.post6756990426352869595..comments2023-09-25T05:38:25.555-06:00Comments on My Life In Writing: The Reluctant EditorDianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752019877440100530noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8700688529768348258.post-36805629877436492722011-03-09T21:44:51.982-07:002011-03-09T21:44:51.982-07:00Behind on somethings and have neglected my comment...Behind on somethings and have neglected my comments. Sorry. It sounds like most know how to cut when they need to. I think it takes practice to hit delete. I'm still practicing. Thankfully, I have some great critiquers who keep me straight. :) <br /><br />Susan-I have a thing about Ireland. The accent, the scenery, everything. I haven't seen P.S. I love you. I'm going to have to check it out.Dianahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13752019877440100530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8700688529768348258.post-28746552839188914422011-03-09T21:28:00.323-07:002011-03-09T21:28:00.323-07:00I came back to see what the others have written. ...I came back to see what the others have written. They are so wise. Today I did some re-writing, after the slash and burn blood had receded. <br />Have you ever seen P.S. I Love You with Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler? Great Irish scenery! Keep being true to yourself.Susan Kanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09834094675218254410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8700688529768348258.post-87510408519833507572011-03-09T20:11:20.198-07:002011-03-09T20:11:20.198-07:00I don't always see it right away. If my criti...I don't always see it right away. If my critique partners think it's unnecessary, then I'll wait a couple of days. In the end, I have no problem cutting if it needs to go. (Loved Leap Year, by the way)Julie Musilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02150454913885915017noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8700688529768348258.post-675554841527039612011-03-09T06:00:58.693-07:002011-03-09T06:00:58.693-07:00This is such an awesome idea! I love it AND that ...This is such an awesome idea! I love it AND that movie ;) Ireland--I'm going to visit it someday.Crazy Life of a Writing Momhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16064939499412649850noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8700688529768348258.post-22677841176140494152011-03-08T21:16:24.671-07:002011-03-08T21:16:24.671-07:00I'm not the best self editor. I can see proble...I'm not the best self editor. I can see problems with other work, but not my own. Reading it out loud helps. I like this exercise with the movies.Stacy S. Jensenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09646270238659432058noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8700688529768348258.post-2907474319136954722011-03-08T17:35:35.944-07:002011-03-08T17:35:35.944-07:00This is good advice! I'm going to have to chec...This is good advice! I'm going to have to check it out with some of my favourite movies. :D<br /><br />I definitely save my darlings, but in a separate file to my main ms. I still have trouble figuring out what to cut though.Trishahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16927558937796802496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8700688529768348258.post-45822651858552304002011-03-08T17:17:21.689-07:002011-03-08T17:17:21.689-07:00It's so difficult to see your own writing. But...It's so difficult to see your own writing. But I think I'm getting better at seeing what to edit out. First thing I do is let the draft sit for several WEEKS. It's amazing what happens when I come back to it!!<br /><br />A good post. I found you on Clarissa Draper's blog and came over to meet you. I'm now a follower.<br /><a href="http://annbest-jen.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow"><i>Ann Best, Long Journey Home</i></a>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8700688529768348258.post-40775872849745764132011-03-08T16:16:49.304-07:002011-03-08T16:16:49.304-07:00I'm a pretty good self editor. I slashed 50000...I'm a pretty good self editor. I slashed 50000 words out of my manuscript once and then rewrote another 40,000 words or so.Michael Offutt, Phantom Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10557969104886174930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8700688529768348258.post-81291446258998064192011-03-08T13:31:25.851-07:002011-03-08T13:31:25.851-07:00I am a brutal self-editor. I tend to 'slash a...I am a brutal self-editor. I tend to 'slash and burn' when I look at my work with a jaundiced eye. Of course, that really means cut and paste, and dump the exiled mat'l in a file. Thank you reminding me about doing that.Susan Kanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09834094675218254410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8700688529768348258.post-45253349174196917352011-03-08T12:32:44.327-07:002011-03-08T12:32:44.327-07:00Oh it's sooo hard to cut those darlings, but I...Oh it's sooo hard to cut those darlings, but I always smile when I read how much tighter the ms sounds!Lisa Gail Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03648323153868702165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8700688529768348258.post-12540364873596401502011-03-08T12:29:14.513-07:002011-03-08T12:29:14.513-07:00Great post. Unfortunately I find it a lot easier t...Great post. Unfortunately I find it a lot easier to 'edit' someone else's work than my own :)Tatum Flynnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00074228011847976820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8700688529768348258.post-29926276813914840732011-03-08T09:44:41.659-07:002011-03-08T09:44:41.659-07:00This is a great post! I tend to "edit in reve...This is a great post! I tend to "edit in reverse," by starting with a small word count, maybe 20k or so, that has all the essential elements, characters, action, plotting, setting and finale worked out, then I go back through and layer in the details I think are missing upon a second read, until it's about 30k, then another read until i've added some more characterization, maybe energized the plot or built up a back story, etc. I rinse, lather and repeat until I'm satisfied the story is complete and that anything I could do without a professional editor -- i.e. publisher or agent's -- help would be counterproductive. It works for me, but posts like this always help me refine the process a little more. Sorry for the rant; maybe I should have self-edited IT!!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8700688529768348258.post-50224517551262336082011-03-08T08:17:41.308-07:002011-03-08T08:17:41.308-07:00Great post--I need do to some cutting too. I tend ...Great post--I need do to some cutting too. I tend to show, then tell. And not trust my readers to understand with just showing. No need to bash them over the head! Thanks for the reminder!Kristine Asselinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18257286523945921891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8700688529768348258.post-20954332323501232912011-03-08T08:10:50.028-07:002011-03-08T08:10:50.028-07:00I kill some, save others, and resurrect some other...I kill some, save others, and resurrect some others. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8700688529768348258.post-18541279105771435332011-03-08T07:55:52.216-07:002011-03-08T07:55:52.216-07:00I'm a reluctant editor. My last round of crits...I'm a reluctant editor. My last round of crits told me to cut Chapter 5 (all of it) and I rebelled for a long time because Chapter 5 was my *favorite* chapter of the whole book. I finally realized that of course it was - all that was in Chapter 5 was fluff that didn't move the story forward. I liked it because I had so much fun writing it, but it didn't belong and was completely OOC for my MC. <br /><br />I'm also an over-explainer (no, can't tell that from the paragraph above...) ;)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8700688529768348258.post-67641638784601164672011-03-08T07:29:20.227-07:002011-03-08T07:29:20.227-07:00I've always been one to watch deleted scenes a...I've always been one to watch deleted scenes and lament on their absence in the movies or tv shows. But you make a good point. Just because it's cute, doesn't mean it belongs there. It's just gonna slow things down! Now I have to take a look at my WiP...<br /><br />Great post!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11952125198101179121noreply@blogger.com