Underestimating the process:
Some new writers don’t think they need to go through
the editing and proofing process of novel writing, they get a vomit draft done
during NaNoWriMo or even the Blogging A2Z Blogging Challenge and decide that it’s
good enough to put up, and others don’t finish off what they are doing properly
(holds hands up with original version of Sorcery).
What is important however is that you follow the
process, you read through what you have written, you edit your novel using
either a printed off copy, a notebook, or a program on your computer, you send
then to beta readers, you make notes on what they send back, you create another
draft, and if you like, send back out, once you get that one back, work up a
query letter, and see if you can a. find an agent, or b. get a traditional
publisher onboard.
This is what I hope to do this time around. Lesson
learned.
Underestimating your audience:
When editing your novel, look out for bits where you
have explained what is going on, rather than showing or even describing it. Even if you do write as if your reader is twelve, don’t
assume they are daft, because they aren’t. Twelve year olds are quite smart and will happily point out any mistakes you make. If you can't hold a Twelve year old's attention, you'll never hold an adults.
Useless information:
Please don’t impart a whole lot of information to the
reader unless it’s to muddy the waters in a detective novel (even then It’s not
that useless, just misdirection). Avoid the dump, and keep everything moving
forward.
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Goodness, how many times I've underestimated the writing process! I always think I'll be able to get something done in a couple drafts, and then ten drafts later I'm still working on it. Good point on useless information...there's nothing I hate more than an info dump!
ReplyDelete-Amren from Operation Awesome
Thank you for encouraging my process! I've been going through this interminably, but have set a goal to "be published" (aka, have an agent or publisher, be in query process at the very least) by the end of this year.
ReplyDeleteMy trouble is that I set it aside after each edit, and often end up with a new novel's first draft on my hands!
I totally agree....new mistakes become visible every new time we read our work and better ideas spring up too
ReplyDeletehttps://pagesfromjayashree.blogspot.com/2021/04/t-for-thestral.html