I spent my time this week re-writing. I looked at the comments that came back from judges (I entered two contests) and evaluated what they said. Overall, the comments were not consistent. Some loved the story, others did not. Some thought it started at the right place, others did not. All of them liked the voice (that felt good) and most felt the story had a great chance of being published.
I re-read my story with a more critical eye. One of the comments that struck me concerned the synopsis. I got high marks on it however, from what they read (the first 50 pages) they did not see the story coming together, too much back story. I decided to take a bold step. I decided to cut the first two chapters as some of the judges suggested.
I loved, absolutely loved the first chapter. The judges didn’t see the value of the chapter because they only had the first 50 pages. The information in the first chapter is critical later on. But… the first chapter did not grab them. Cut. Ouch!
The second chapter really demonstrated (show) our heroine’s qualities. It was much shorter when I just told you (tell) but other critiques said to put the words in to actions and scenes. I deleted this chapter too. Double cut (it was longer). Ouch!
The more I read chapter 3 the more I realized I had to add a scene to set up the chapter. I have re-read it several times. It moves the reader quickly into the story (the entire point of this exercise) and to be honest, it may even be better. I am still a bit prejudice about the original beginning. I have not thrown out the chapters. The information they contain still needs to be threaded through the story. It’s a challenge to decide where to put these little nuggets, but overall I am actually enjoying it.
So, I am Re-reading, Re-thinking and Re-writing.
For those of you eager for the answers to last week’s test. Here are the books and authors for the opening sentences from some famous romance novels. Did you guess which one was mine?
- “As their elegant traveling chaise rocked and swayed along the rutted country road, Lady Anne Gilbert leaned her cheek against her husband’s shoulder and heaved a long, impatient sigh.”
Whitney, My Love by Judith McNaught - “How does a person reenter a life she left behind years earlier?”
Summer of Roses by Luanne Rice - “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - “It wasn’t a very likely place for disappearances, at least not at first glance.”
Outlander by Diane Gabaldon - “The noon whistle blew and the saws stopped whining.”
Morning Glory by LaVyrle Spencer - “Lord Arik’s commanding presence made him easy to spot as he led the three riders and wagon speeding across the forest trail.”
To Hearth and Home, Rebeka’s Story by Ruth Seitelman - “Who am I? And how, I wonder, will this story end?”
The Notebook by Nicolas Sparks - “Douglas Montgomery sat in the back seat of the rental car, Robert and his pudgy thirteen-year-old daughter, Gloria, in the front.”
Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux - “Cam called in markers, pulled strings, begged favors and threw money around in a dozen directions.”
Sea Swept by Nora Roberts - “They said he killed his first wife.”
The Bride by Julie Garwood
Figuring out what to do with judges’ comments is always tough. I just received mine back and, like yours, several of them contradicted each other. However there were some areas of consistency, and I will focus on those first. The others I need to re-read with a critical eye and decide whether or not I agree.
In some cases, the MS has already changed and their comments no longer apply.
I’m glad to read that you didn’t actually delete your words. I never throw anything away, I just move scenes to an Unused Scenes folder. I use Scrivener which makes this so easy, but either way, never get rid of your words, especially the backstory that you need to use later.
Good luck with your revisions!
Ahh, The Notebook…makes me cry from beginning to end.
As Michael Crichton said, “Books are not written–they’re rewritten…” So, you are in good company!
Ruth, great post. You hit the nail on the head. Re-thinking is as important an R as any other. It is so hard to make those deep, deep cuts–ouch is right! We can get so possessive of our manuscripts, but I’ve found in all my years of writing that nothing feels better or more liberating than doing the unthinkable to my work. Believe it or not, I love the process of revisions–now that I’m about to deliver the final draft to my editor, I’m genuinely wondering what it feels like to say it’s as done as it can be. So glad you’ve been finding success with your edits!
Best,
Erika Marks
Hi Erika -
I’m glad I’m not the only one that enjoys to rewrite. I admit to being a bit timid at first but as I got bolder I found my story improved. I keep struggling with POV and I’m learning to be creative in giving the information with visual cues. It feels real good when I get it right.
Congrats on completing the final draft for your editor. How I long to be able to write those words!
… Ruth