It’s all in the edit.

I’m in the middle of editing Where’s Lizzie?

I got the corrected document back from my editor before Christmas and, apart from a quick look over it, I left it alone. I didn’t want to make a start when there were distractions on the horizon. I like to have a clear schedule and the chance to immerse myself in the world I’ve created.

My editor gave me a list of her concerns and I have to agree with most of what she said. There is a lot to do to drag the draft into a fit state for my beta readers. I think that at least 20,000 more words are necessary to fill the story out and there are at least a couple of decent-sized plot holes to fill.

But, as I wrote what I have so far in three weeks, that was only to be expected.

Now that I’m back into the swing of things, I can give it my full attention.

The first thing I had to do was read through all the comments left on the manuscript. As I did, I got a sense of the issues that my editor has highlighted with the story and I’m starting to pick up on the places that need work.

Leaving the manuscript alone for a while means that I’m not as familiar with it as I was, which is a good thing as it means that I see it more as a new reader will.

On its most simple level, there are repeated phrases to be modified and the places where the description is awkward can be fleshed out. Moving deeper, emotions and motivation need to be better explained.

Then, the plot will need to be tidied up, so that it all makes sense and the continuity of the timeline is established.

As I read and correct, I’m assisted by the ideas that start to flow, like they did when I wrote the first draft.

I guess that they’re prompted by the fresh look at the story that time and constructive criticism brings.

The good news is that I’m getting on top of the job. I can see a better narrative emerging and I reckon that I should have a beta read available soon.

If you’d be interested in a copy, leave me a comment below and I’ll add you to the list.

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