Hatrack River Writers Workshop: editing novels in progress

This is topic editing novels in progress in forum Open Discussions About Writing at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
http://www.hatrack.com/ubb/writers/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=000972

Posted by Christine (Member # 1646) on :

I have a question to throw around for those of you who write novels. When you come up with a change you need to make in a previous chapter, do you stop and make it immediately or do you just make a note of it and come back later?

The reason I ask is that I've spent so much time going back and fixing previous chapters that I've hardly ever finished a novel. So with this one I took someone's advice and have a page where I jot down notes about what problems need fixing in previous chapters. None of them are big. They're all things like mention that so and so did this and change this wording to this other wording for clarity. But now that I'm about to start Chapter 19 (out of 24), I'm feeling very shaky. I feel like each chapter is degrading and perhaps it's just nerves and I should finish the blanking thing.

Opinions? What do you guys do?

Posted by Gen (Member # 1868) on :

I make notes, finish it and go back later. If I stop and look at the thing there's no way I'll actually complete it...

Posted by Lilamrta (Member # 557) on :

Disclaimer: This is coming from a person who wrote seven chapters of a novel, decided it wasn't working and needed to be restructured, and has tried to restructure said novel at least three times and failed each time.

I think that it's probably best to finish completely and then go back and make all those little changes. If the story is set up right, properly planned, then there won't need to be any major changes that drastically affect (did I use that word correctly? I thought I knew how to use it, but after reading the effect/affect thread....) the flow and structure of the book.

In my case that means I have to do a -whole- lot of planning before I can even begin.

Lila

Posted by Kolona (Member # 1438) on :

I'm mainly a fix-it-on-the-spot type, though I'll jot down things to go back to them if I'm really on a roll where I am. I hate leaving a messy house behind me.

Posted by EricJamesStone (Member # 1681) on :

I think some changes have to be made immediately.

For example, I was five chapters into my novel, all of which were from the point of view of my main character.

I decided that I needed to add the points of view of two other characters. I ended up rewriting part of one chapter as a separate chapter from a different POV and added three more chapters before I could continue the story from where I had stopped.

I needed to write those chapters from the other two points of view so that I could get a feel for those characters before moving on with the rest of the story.

So if a change will substantially affect the future structure of the story, it probably needs to be made before you can continue.

Posted by Hildy9595 (Member # 1489) on :

I've done it both ways. Minor changes I usually jot down and return to later. Something major, however, I try to repair right away, while it is fresh in my mind. For example, if I decide that my character needs to be left handed, I do a global search for "right hand" and correct it wherever it appears in the story.

Posted by srhowen (Member # 462) on :

Thing is even when you are done you will move things--even whole chapters to places where they work better.

Sure there are those who edit the heck out of every word as they go, but the best way to get it done when you write the first novel is to go straight through.

You need that I've done it feeling and you need to learn that the words are not set in stone. The best way to do that is to finish and set it aside then go back a few weeks or months later and see how it reads.

Shawn

Posted by Survivor (Member # 213) on :

"Finished" is a tricky term. Obviously, the complete outline or rough draft isn't "finished" in any meaningful sense of the word.

And there should be a difference between sketching out the text and the final writing of it. Truth be told, I tend to lose track of notes unless they're embedded in the text.

But if you have committed yourself to this experiment, then I do not see what your nerves have to do with it. Finish the first draft, then go back and decide whether it has succeeded. You are going to use your notes to re-write it all anyway, eh? Why not do your rewriting when you've planned to do it?

Posted by srhowen (Member # 462) on :

Finished as in to the words the end. Finished to the first draft.
Finished to the end of the outline (if you do one)
Finished to the end of the plot line.
Finished to the resolution of the plot.

Not polished finished

Shawn

Posted by Jules (Member # 1658) on :

I tend to make notes and then go back and write the changes whenever I'm getting stuck on how to write the next scene. Sometimes, by the time I'm done with all the changes back in the text, the next scene will practically write itself...

Other things I'm putting off for my current novel, though. I need to do a complete rewrite of a couple of the earlier chapters because my understanding of my main character has improved so much that I just _have_ to. He seems so cardboard in those first 20,000 words... :-(

(edit)
Forgot to say: I *never* go back and change stuff while I'm in the middle of writing a scene. I've found that it disturbs the flow and sometimes I have to stop to read back the entire scene before I can continue...

[This message has been edited by Jules (edited February 28, 2004).]

Posted by RillSoji (Member # 1920) on :

Make note of it and write down some brainstorm ideas of how to change it. Then go on writing but keep in mind the possible changes you're going to make.

Don't stop. It's really hard to get going again. Save your editing for the end.