Report on First Edit

I met with the woman editing my first draft at 11:00 and ended at two!  I was pleasantly surprised she didn't say I should stick to painting.  She actually seemed genuinely happy with the plot line and the characters.  The next thing which I also knew was that I have to be consistent; for instance using the numbers and then writing numbers like I did in the first line of this blog.  She told me to get a style guide.  To learn the different types here is a link: www.thoughtco.com/style-guide-reference-work-1691998

I also need to do something about my indecisiveness about using American or British grammar for spellings and a few other things.  I will use British in the long run.  It is the one I am most familiar with even if my spell check is not! lol

I knew I needed to view this as the first draft.  I am an artist and like I said in another blog, you need to make many beginnings to get it right. I wanted a sound plot structure and character arc for the main characters and I have done this I am told.  She has made a few suggestion changes however nothing too major.  

Having an editor is great because there are so many things to keep in your head when your getting things down on paper.  My editor said she could tell I hit my stride as I moved towards the end of the book.  I felt that too.  At first I was sort of floundering however I used to write tons of short stories (mainly to make my older mean sister cry! lol).  It took me a while to remember that is all a novel is.  A larger story with little stories set into it.

Which brings me to my next problem.  Transitions.  I knew I was weak on those and that I would have to go back and flesh things out. I was reading Janet Evanovich's book "How I Write".  I like how she writes so I don't mind being influenced by her.  She had some interesting points and she too finds it difficult to find just the right sentence(s) for a good transition.  My editor talked about this at length.  Actually, I sort of feel like this is the fun part for me since I like details and with this aspect, I will be going in and crafting the lines more.  My Editor's husband said to tell me to write these transitions as she moves through the landscape through her eyes.  I can do that!

I was pleased to hear the title she has no issue with and besides changing and using more contractions in the dialogue, that is ok too.  I used the book I mentioned in another blog about dialogue and I found it really helpful. I will go back over her suggestions.

I was pleased how she was critical in a sensitive way.  I have had a good many critiques by a good many peers in the art world in my day and she certainly was more gentle!  I remember one of my painting teachers looking at my painting and saying "Ugh!  get that disturbing thing off my wall!"   Another time it was:"Woolco art!  This is Woolco art!" however sometimes he did say "Now, THIS is a painting!".  It was YEARS later before I got it and I knew what he meant!  I don't think with writing it is that simple however having suggestions of good authors to read for different reasons as she suggested such as I read for description, or for character development, etc, is sort of like looking at the masters and their styles I guess!

So now, the canvas is no longer blank and the line drawing underneath is there.  I have sort of started the first layer however it is far from finished!  I need to now flesh it out, fix any little annoyances of brushstroke and make sure everything sits next to each other nicely keeping in mind, however on how characters effects each other...I think they call this FOIL: remembered from my high school english days (I had a GREAT English teacher!).  Like Laurel and Hardy or Abbot and Costello, the characters can play off of one another enhancing and bringing out their unique qualities.

Oh yes, I also need to think of the landscape and setting as characters also with the setting being unique. 

Like I said, now the details and the real work begins!  I will go through with fresh eyes and fix the grammar and then go chapter by chapter once I have the full story fixed in my mind's eye again.  What fun!
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