I've been neglecting you haven't I?
All this week there's been nothing but random promo and a rant against Mother Gothel that you probably had already read on Twitter. As it turns out, the last set of edits I did wasn't the actual Last Set Of Edits. Line edits arrived Monday night and the line editor found a major timeline flaw that I've been fixing.
It's 100% my fault.
Actually, it's been kind of interesting combing back over the pages. I can see the history of the manuscript. It's easy to think a book is just a book; one coherent story that was set in stone from page one. But a book is far more complex than that.
Each draft adds a layer of the story. In some drafts I added a detail. In other drafts I chiseled away a character like an ancient Pharaoh removing any reminder of the previous incumbent. And yet there are reminders.
A phrase on page 33 was originally a reference to a character who didn't make it to the final drafts.
On page 197 a character references a scene that was removed in the last draft.
The more drafts it took to finish the book, the more vestigial phrases you find lying around. The more vestigial phrases you find, the more you need to edit, and the more you wind up kicking yourself for not plotting a simple timeline or defining a key character's age in your notes. Little things matter.
So right now I'm imitating an anti-social mole person and burrowing into my edits. With luck I'll emerge victorious sometime next week. In the meantime, pretend I blogged about something really entertaining, 'k?
Good luck with the edits. I've run into the phrases from scenes long gone issue as well. Trying to keep it all straight can be enough to make your head hurt.
ReplyDeleteThis is why I think novels are so much harder to edit. There's just so much more story to keep track of!
DeleteEven your apology posts can be entertaining. :)
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the edits.
Oh, you might also want to nudge the girls about the other blog, the one they are supposed to be writing now. It would be nice to see some of their posts. :)
I really ought to make them do that... we've been insanely busy lately. There's band, volleyball, youth group and homework. I feel like we never sit down. Ever. It's exhausting!
DeleteHow are you doing?
Doing okay. Trying to find out why I'm not retaining potassium. Ended up in the hospital for a week back at the end of Feb while they did a bunch of tests but we still don't know why I'm not retaining potassium. Also still having trouble with my magnesium level but it is slowly coming up. On the plus side I got four B12 shots and 3 iron infusions and feel more energetic. Still not great though but now just tired instead of dragged out exhausted.
ReplyDeleteBeen going over nutritional information on foods trying to see what I can change in my diet to help keep my levels up. Unfortunately we're heading into the tough months when we have very little income available and we're looking for a new place to live which will be cheaper. So lots of things pulling on what energy I do have. *shrugs* I do what I can.
I realize you and the girls are busy. Not asking for them to make long posts, just a few things once in a while to show what they find of interest. :) Even just one line would be nice to read.
No one can tell I'm an avid reader and am always looking for something new to read, now can they? :P
At this point the only thing they'd write about is minecraft! But I'll tell them you want some new posts.
DeleteI hope you get to feeling better. I know the pain of anemia and the fatigue. It sucks. *hugs and cookies*