fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #2164 ]

[ SECRET POST #2164 ]

⌈ Secret Post #2164 ⌋

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 044 secrets from Secret Submission Post #309.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
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I'm writing a novel-

but one of my problems is that I write WAY too much. The chapters rapidly become ungainly but I get anxious about editing because I'm not sure where to start and if I'm doing right.

My chapter's currently 15,000 words long. There isn't really a word limit I'm aiming for but I'm in the 'messy middle' of my story and I'm aware I could get bogged down very quickly at the rate I'm going.

Any tips? Nanowrimo is over, so are the survivors willing to share advice?

I have the exact opposite problem to you, OP - I don't write enough, because I can't get my inner editor to STFU for five minutes.

So... big chapters.

One thing you can do is before you start writing the chapter, outline exactly what needs to happen in that chapter. What are the key events, characters and scenes? Use this as your guide for when you stray too far off course.

Next thing is to edit unnecessary writing.
Cut out descriptors. Cut out things that don't further the plot or characters. Cut out filler and padding and any bits that you felt were boring when you were writing them.
(Eg. In one novel I read, the author spent half a page describing the wardrobe of a minor character.)

Cutting out any bits you felt were boring is excellent advice. If you found it boring, a reader will find it more so.

Aha, I don't have an inner editor. I think they quit and moved out a long time ago.

Thank you for your advice!

The above commenter is right, the 'cut the boring stuff' is good advice.

First tip: don't write by chapter, write by scene. Break it into chapters after you've finished the draft. If your scene is 15,000 words, odds are it needs to be broken up. If 15,000 is a whole string of scenes, don't worry about it.

As far as editing goes, there are two schools of thought:
1. And people get adamant about this one - write the entire first draft without editing. After you reach the end, go back to the beginning and edit through. That would solve your question of where to start.
2. I fall more into this camp, because I have a very difficult time turning off my editor - edit each scene a bit after you finish it, reserving major edits for the end edit as in option 1. Either way, you'll cut out any draggy middle at the end, so don't worry about that. It's more important to keep plowing ahead, even a little too verbosely.

As for doing it right in editing, if you feel like it makes the story stronger, more effective, and more interesting, you're probably doing it right. My second piece of advice on that front is to find a trustworthy friend or acquaintance to read through your draft as well and give their suggestions. If they're also a writer, double plus, but any engaged reader is a valuable set of eyes for inconsistencies and weaknesses in plot and character. If you're unsure whether to make a particular edit, get their opinion as to whether it will make the story better.

Disclaimer: I didn't do Nano (not the way I work) but I did write a novel draft for my thesis last year and managed to survive that one.

Bon courage, anon. The most important thing is to remember when you feel overwhelmed that it's just one word strung after another. Sentence after another, scene after another. If you focus on the action of the moment and let it happen, the story will happen. You can do it!

It's a collection of scenes, thank god.

Normally I do the former option, but it's gotten to the point where I'm having trouble continuing because I'm so anxious about what's happening in the chapter that it's blocking me.

Thank you for all your advice! It's been very helpful and I've written some of it down for future reference.

Written down for future reference! *blush* I'm happy I could help. I'm by no means an expert, I've just been set on this whole writing thing for a good while now :)

Yeah, I try not to stress about the people clamoring about getting it all out first without any editing. I have to take a second look after I finish a section to get rid of anything hugely embarrassing. And I think that's perfectly fine. It's trying to edit AS you write that can pose problems...and I admit to struggling with that one.

What do you want to convey to the audience in this chapter? What feeling do you want them to get? A feeling/event/discussion.

Decide on that, and get that written down. Skip as much not-that if you can. If you're trying to write a couple breaking up over dinner, watch yourself when you start talking about the food (not saying don't mention it at all, but it should be a background note).

Though the beauty of writing is that you can go over it and edit. If you start cutting out large chunks you should consider putting them in another doc in case you need them.

Yeah they've reached a city where the main fight is about to go down. So they have to meet with the rebels AND be aware of the class system AND have political discussions and just- blah.

I actually have a document like that! Thank you for all your advice.

So they have to meet with the rebels AND be aware of the class system AND have political discussions and just- blah.

Really? Do they really have to? I'm sure this is all important information, but having infodump "conversations" about politics and sociology just sounds boring as fuck. Make that shit evident to the *reader* by what happens in your scenes and by extension your characters will see it too.

But please for the love of nice things no lectures on the situation. Very few people want to read that.

You're being kind of bitchy here. No one asked for a critique of the plot, ESPECIALLY one that calls it shit.

It's a political story. It kind of does need some of this stuff. Otherwise the rebels will be like "We're rebelling for no reason!"

There aren't conversations. But they walk up the city and they do see poverty in an alien culture. My problem is it's too long, not that the plot is faulty.

The only conversations involving it have been a couple of characters arguing, but that leads to plot points.

Thanks.

Well, the best way is learn to write concisely. However, that's fucking hard, so my favorite process for shortening long epic shit (doesn't just apply to fiction!):

1. Write long, write rambling, spill out your guts and don't concern yourself with length or wordiness. Just get everything you need to out on paper.

2. Print it out if you can. You'll be amazed what a difference a hard copy makes.

3. Go over it with a red pen, cross out every word that doesn't substantially add to or change the meaning of the sentence it's in; rewrite every lengthy sentence in the shortest way possible; and take note of every time you write a line that conveys the same information as a line you've already written

4. Try to consolidate the information in the scattered redundant lines into just one line (or a couple of lines) that conveys all the necessary information in a single go. Make everything as short as possible without sacrificing important information.

5. Now that you've chopped your writing way down and it's all spartan and brusque, go back over it and add stuff back in, carefully, critically - add slightly superfluous words and phrases for imagery and aesthetic value, repeat lines if such repetition holds some meaning for the story (like it's reflecting a character's thought process or something), break up descriptions again into scattered fragments if it's meant to show an idea gradually coming together piece by piece.

6. This time, don't worry so much about length. Yes, you are once again re-lengthening the story, but, this time, it's different, because you're carefully selecting and adding in words to an already-completed, coherent draft, rather than building up a coherent draft buried somewhere amongst your word-vomit, so this time you'll be way, way, way less wordy and all the stuff you add back will be far more focused and necessary and useful to the text of the story.

Wow this is amazing. I've written all this stuff down.
Thanks so much, you have no idea how helpful this all is. Thank you!

Do not edit until the entire novel is done. Write everything you want and go go go until you are done telling the story. Editing as you go will just mess you up and bog you down.

Maybe having more detailed outlines before you sit down to actually write the chapters or scenes? I'm not sure what kind of outlining or rough draft or any prep type of stuff that you do already, but maybe a more detailed routine would help keep you on track and cut down on the ungainly chapters.

A bit of an indirect help, but I use my editing time for brainstorming. I'll reread, looking for typos and awkward wording and fix those, and by the time I reach the end, I'm all caught up on what I wrote and can just keep on writing.

Editing out the boring stuff is good advice, but also maybe edit out any scenes that no longer make sense in the context of the story? I don't know about you, OP, but when I write I always end up with a few scenes that I thought would totally work within the story and be awesome...that end up not fitting for whatever reason.

I'm an over-writer, too, and I find that helps me get my thoughts together and get everything down.

If your story is progressing to the point where it needs to go, then I wouldn't worry too much about writing too much right now. You can trim stuff later. If you feel like you're getting too far off-course from the plot, then it may help to take a step back and figure out where the story needs to go and what needs to happen in order for it to get there.

I read a quote once in a writing book that basically said that the rough draft is for what you want to say, and subsequent drafts are for how you want to say it. While I do edit while I write, I like looking at it like that. When I edit, I go scene by scene and try to decide what the story needs, what details help the story, and what can be trimmed or said in a better way. Sometimes in my rough draft, I'll spend four paragraphs saying something that only needs one paragraph. But if I didn't write all four paragraphs, I might not know what I really want to say.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ SECRET POST #2164 ]

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