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Welcome to the Editing Insiders Newsletter where, for the next few months, I (both an award-winning editor and best-selling author) will walk you through the steps I am currently taking to edit my next book.
If you’re new, you might want to read Part 1 over here where I talk about my writing style and give some tips that will help set up your edits.
Today, we’re diving into actual edits.
Why do we take edits in order? Doing edits in order saves us from doing unnecessary work.
Think about it. If you work hard on word choice and comma placements only to later realize you need to delete the scene, you’ve wasted time. So let’s not waste time.
We’re going to zoom out to 10,000 feet and start with Macro edits—plot structure, character and theme arcs, etc. Since first-round edits is where I live and breathe for my day job, I’ve got all the nitty gritty awesomeness for you.
Let’s dig into where I start.
As a reminder, when I’m in writing mode, I will stop to research little bits of information—the origin/etymology of a word or the map of a city. But I try not to stop writing too much to backtrack or get stuck with larger sections of missing information, especially if I know it won’t drastically change what I’m writing.
But research holes can affect the trajectory of a book. Like finding out the museum security isn’t staffed by volunteers like you thought, but by police officers. Yikes! That’ll affect the outcome.
So before I jump into edits, I stop and make sure I have as much of the necessary information as I can. How?
* I mark a gap in the manuscript with something searchable. I use square brackets around the topic I need to research.
* Then I often drop a note in the inspector in Scrivener. You can also keep a running log in Word.
* At that point, if I know the information won’t be readily available, I also will contact someone for help.
For research, librarians are your friends as are smaller museum docents.
They love research and people who are friendly and interested in the same things they are. You can also reach out on Facebook and ask for experts in a particular area. That’s how I found someone who works in Myanmar (formerly Burma) for my newest book, Darkness Calls the Tiger.
For my current work in progress (WIP), I had contacted a museum and they sent a mountain of documents via Google Drive. It has schematics for old security systems and lists and descriptions and all the things that make this historical writer’s heart happy. Isn’t technology grand?
Except that the electronic files aren’t searchable and are sometimes upside down or sideways. So I printed off some of the information that I want to be able to reference in hard copy. Maps and charts especially make more sense to my brain when they’re printed. All of those printed pages got hole punched and then topically organized into an enormous 3-ring binder.
Styles combined with the sidebar/navigation feature will make looking up details much easier. This feature makes it so you can click on the sidebar headline and jump to the place in the document referencing the headline.
Don’t know how to use or make styles? Check out the video here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/EditingInsiders/posts/435458877356882/
The navigable outline appears in the sidebar (View/Sidebar/Navigation).
If I still have holes in my research (which I do), I reach out to as many people as I can think of who might have the information or know who to contact who might have the information.
With all the research fresh in my mind, I move on to the actual first round edits.
The first step to edits is to make a set of chapter summaries (or annotated outline). I know. You might hate outlines. I’m not a fan either (see my first post about my process). BUT outlines are the bees’ knees when it comes to trying to edit the structure of a book.
When complete, you have a 10,000 foot view of your book that you can read in one sitting without being distracted by word choice, weird sentence structure, or the dreaded comma.
It will also give you a leg up on writing longer synopses for your proposal. Win-win.
How do you create chapter summaries?
Try for a few sentences, maybe a paragraph, for each chapter.
This summary isn’t for anyone but me, and it is decidedly ugly.
Don’t worry about grammar or style. You can even use bullet points if that makes most sense to your brain.
RESIST the urge to edit your book or the summary.
We’re skimming for basic information here. If you run across something in your manuscript that needs fixing, make note of it and then move on.
In Scrivener, I write my summary in the synopsis part of the inspector (the sidebar found by clicking the information “i” in the upper right corner). Be careful to be clicked on the chapter in the binder as you can take notes on any individual part of the book as well (parts, scenes, the entire manuscript), but the notes stay with whatever is highlighted.
In Word, start a new document and keep notes on individual chapters. (On a Mac you can toggle between windows using CMD + ~). You can use the navigable outline to help too (see https://www.facebook.com/groups/EditingInsiders/posts/435458877356882/ to learn how to set up styles and the navigation sidebar).
If I know I’m struggling with an arc (character, romance) or tracking a theme, I’ll use a separate color and track that specific part in addition. This is something you can always add later. Mostly just get’er done!
I usually have questions or reminders to myself as I’m writing. I put all of those in square brackets so they’re easy to find. So in my early drafts you’ll see things like: “[don’t forget about Jake.]” or “[insert more romantic tension here.]”
And with all that research fresh in my mind, I’ll add in notes on what to add there as well: “[the carpet is dark gray so it might hide blood. Use it!]”.
You’ll see why I duplicate these notes in the summary in a second.
But to actually …
Once you have the summaries complete. Print that sucker off.
In Scrivener, you can compile an outline by selecting the outline selection on the left side of the compile screen.
If you’re using Word, just print.
If you haven’t already, you might also consider creating a bare bones timeline or calendar . . . especially if you’re a historical writer and are watching the timeline of real events. Print that off too.
Then join me next time for what to do with the summary!
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Well, wish granted!
Welcome to the Editing Insiders Newsletter where, for the next few months, I (both an award-winning editor and best-selling author) will walk you through the steps I am currently taking to edit my next book.
Now without further ado…
Part of my self-editing process is highly influenced by how and what I write. If you write differently from me, GREAT. I’ve edited hundreds of books and have tips and tricks for most everyone.
But for now, let’s start with a super quick peak at my actual writing process. Since I do a bit of editing as I go, it does affect how I edit a little bit.
For those new to the writing world, most “experts” will say there are two writing camps: the pantser (those who fly by the seat of their pants) and the plotter (those who meticulously map the plot out).
I am neither.
I’m what I call a puzzler (or what some of my other friends call a skeletor). Let me explain:
1. Basically I start with a basic idea of what I want to write—
I create a fuzzy picture on a puzzle box or construct a skeleton.
2. Then I do some research . . .
on the era/idea/hook while also taking a deep dive into the psyche of my characters. I write out my character’s dark moments, what bugs them, what they want, how they think they’ll get there that sort of thing.
3. Because I kind of know where I’m headed, I end up writing scattered scenes.
I take copious notes for research and have all kinds of random bits and pieces of ideas, words, thoughts, and impressions scattered between the Notes app on my phone, the shower paper in my shower (I use this: https://amzn.to/4eczyNV), and the napkin stuffed into my purse. This process is in essence, me making puzzle pieces or adding muscle and tendons to the bones.
Yes, it’s messy. But so is the moment when you dump a puzzle out onto a table and a skeleton with newly slapped on flesh isn’t pretty either. But hang with me!
4. All that chaos eventually gets put into a Word document.
(I’ll talk more about organizing that in another post). And that starts to create the frame of a puzzler’s book. I see what the characters want, how they interact with the events from the book, and where everything is mostly headed.
5. When I feel like I have a decent grasp on the characters, I start writing.
I take the bits and pieces and start writing from one pivotal scene to the next, adding connective tissue and shape.
6. In the midst of the first draft, I will stop to QUICKLY research pivotal or easily found information—
What were the street names? Did they have tator tots in WWII? (The answer is no, and I missed it in one of my books.) What kind of transportation was available in Houston in 1975 (because I need to know how my hero gets home)?
7. As I write, I note any missing big pieces of descriptive information or location/historical details.
Eventually I’ll have to go back and research (which is typically a good chunk of stuff). And if I have contacts who might know an answer, I immediately contact them and then go back to writing.
Since I work in Scrivener, I make notes of missing information in the notes field. In Word, you can just use square brackets and insert your notes there. For example “[What color was the carpet in the museum? Would stains show badly? If not, what could point to a spill instead?]”
I also keep a separate document of research questions needing answers because I will not remember that I need the information two seconds after I make the note. Please tell me I’m not alone.
8. Often I’ll stop about ¾ of the way through and ask myself some big questions—
Did I start in the right place? Do I have all the pieces I’m going to need for later reveals, theme progressions, etc? What feels off?
9. I’ll do a super quick skim of the first ½ of the book and write quick chapter summaries.
This is to be sure I’m headed in the right direction, and gives me a chance to tweak anything that would massively change the end of the book, and then I make a loose plan for the finale before jumping to the end and plowing through.
A note here that these chapter summaries are hugely helpful as I’m processing all the things. Just a sentence or two for each chapter helps condense 40,000 words into a bite-sized document . . . or a rather clear puzzle box picture. You’ll see me come back to the chapter summaries in future posts. You’ve been warned 😍
10. When I type the end, I take a week or two off. Then . . .
I jump back into research mode to create a timeline and (if necessary) map to be sure I have all the details in one place. . . which is where I’m at as I type.
Where are you at in your writing? What questions do you have about the basic process of getting a first draft down on the page?
Looking for more help? Check out my coaching services here: https://www.editinginsiders.com/editing-services/
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Please note that these will be irregular posts due to the nature of my world and my job. But do feel free to pop in with questions, comments, suggestions, or encouragement.
Also every writer approaches writing and editing differently. There are very few hard-and-fast rules. So take what will work for you and leave the rest. And if you have thoughts about techniques I don’t mention, please let me know. I LOVE learning new things.
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No matter what you’re writing (fiction or nonfiction), your opening page might be the most critical part of your book. It’s where you hook the reader and convince them that this is the book for them.
How do you convince a reader to keep reading?
Openings are SO HARD. I know. I’ve rewritten my opening lines approximately 2.4 million times . . . for each book.
So take a deep breath. And if you need to, set aside the opening chapter and write the rest. You might find writing the opening is easier after you’ve lived in the story world a little longer.
The point of searching for weasel words is NOT to eliminate all of them. The point is to be purposeful in your use of language. Search for each of the words and decide whether there’s a better choice or not.
Download your list of terms to search here: http://beautifuluglyme.com/janyres-75-secret-search-words/
As an editor, I often find that manuscripts I review miss the mark on ideal word count for their genre.
Why is word count so important?
First, reader expectation dictates word count, to some extent. If I’m reading a book to my 3 year old and she runs out of attention before the book runs out of words, a wrong word count is a likely culprit. In addition, if I’m purchasing a book about parenting a child with special needs, I’m going to expect a certain level of diving into the material. Not so deep that I feel like I’m reading a doctorate level textbook (unless it’s a doctorate level textbook), but not so shallow that there’s nothing there I haven’t read online in magazine articles.
The second reason word count is important is that it dictates price and break even in the traditional publishing industry. Every book, regardless of word count, needs to be reviewed, developed, copy edited, laid out with interior design, a cover designed, proofed, printed, marketed, inventoried, and shipped out. Every step costs the publishing house money, and they need to recoup their investment while pricing the book to sell. If a book runs too long, the price point may need to be so high that few buyers would purchase it. Who wants a 60 page board book that costs $45? Not too many people. And who wants to spend $15.99 on a 100-page novel? Not me.
So, what word counts should authors be aiming for?
I want to note up front that ideal word count varies from one traditional publisher to the next. And if you’re self-publishing, there’s really no one to tell you no. Just keep in mind that norms exist for a reason.
But I offer here the most common word count ranges for many different genres, both fiction and non-fiction.
Children
Tween
Young Adult
Adult Fiction Novel
Note: The most universally accepted ranges for romance, women’s fiction, crime & thriller, and historical is 80,000 to 90,000 words.
Adult Non-Fiction
Note: Most non-fiction manuscripts should come in between 50,000 to 75,000 words.
The target number of words for your particular manuscript can vary from the numbers presented here for many reasons. You might be writing in a super niche genre that has its own word count parameters. You might sign with a publisher that has found sell-through success with a particular count range. You may self-pub and find that your readers simply eat up 9 short reads as opposed to 3 longer reads.
The numbers offered above are simply guidelines and, as we all know, guidelines often flex for good reasons. As with all things writing related, if you do go outside the guidelines, make sure it is for very good reasons.
Let’s be honest. The world isn’t exactly normal right now, and sometimes having normal yanked out from under you steals your creativity too. But deadlines (whether externally or internally created) are looming. What’s a writer to do? Here’s some ideas for you:
Above all else, give yourself some grace. Even if you don’t quite make your goal I bet you have more words written or edited than you did before. And for that, you deserve a fresh cup of Joe…or at least a nap.