I recently received an inquiry from Bruce Smith, who is writing, or rather rewriting, his first novel. He asked what process I use when rewriting. I thought I would share my response just in case anyone else finds it interesting or useful. I do the following: - Put the novel on one side - Reread the first draft quickly in as close to one sitting as possible -Write down my first impressions of good and bad points - Draw up a list of specific points to address and think about them. - Then go through closely chapter-by-chapter improving style and adding the changes. Here are some notes I made for myself several years about the revision process. You might find them useful. - Get the details right. Take time to correct mistakes as soon as you spot them. - First draft will almost certainly be too slow. Now that you have the shape of the book, figure out how you can move scenes forward to create more tension earlier. Some ruthlessness required. This has been a problem with almost all my books and the major improvement at the second draft stage. - What is the premise of the book? Is it fulfilled? Formulate short sentence about what the book is about. Strengthen the book to meet this sentence. - Consider each character one by one. Fill out background and motivation and include in the draft. Avoid stereotypes. - Are characters in conflict with strong motivations? - Do characters change? - When reading through 2nd draft ask whether reader cares about the main characters. It takes time to get to know a character and make him likeable. - Consider each location one by one. Can extra details be added? - Check for image patterns in the book and strengthen them. - Foreshadow when you rewrite. Foreshadow important stuff at the end of the book, by adding stuff a long way in. Don’t foreshadow in the last third of the book. - Read through dialogue aloud. Mark up weak sounding bits. Select scenes for improvement. Add humour, and try to improve selected scenes (make a good scene better as well as make a bad scene OK). For some characters, consider dialogue one at a time. [I have to admit I rarely actually do this] - Spouses cannot be impartial critics, nor should you want them to be. - Feel your story emotionally to see if it feels right. - In later drafts put squares around words that are wrong, or that are OK but could be improved. Then go back and improve them if you can. Look in a dictionary (not a Thesaurus) for ideas. (McPhee)
Posted on: Tue, 03 Sep 2013 12:59:20 +0000