Editing

[darkemeralds]

ravurian, one of those rare birds who is an accomplished writer and an incisive editor, has been helping me face the editing of Restraint for publication by breaking the massive project into a series of approachable steps.

• Task One: summarize the whole novel in a sentence.
  
  This is painfully difficult, and I couldn't have done it without stealing from ravurian's original review of the story. It takes an outsider to boil the outpourings of your heart down to a single sentence, lemme tell ya.
  
  Here's a Twitterized version:
  
  A story of art, identity and sexuality in 19th century England, and the changing fortunes of two men whose love defies society's constraints.


• Task Two: write a three-sentence summary of each chapter.
  
  Not nearly as painful as Task One, Task Two has thrown into high relief all the dear scenes of pure, beloved fanservice (shaving scene, anyone?), and the authorial self-indulgence for which the story has been justly criticized.


• Task Three: print out these summaries (paper! I know, right?) and slice them into strips, then lay them out and scootch them around to find new structure possibilities.
  
  
  Laying it all out.
  
  
  Junior editor
  
  
  Randomness! Maybe I can read the pile like Tarot cards or something.

So far, I've identified four places other than Chapter 1 where I could potentially start the story for greater impact. Three big thematic groups have emerged. The key points of conflict are clear. I'm starting to see the story's new shape. It's kind of exciting.



So, thanks to ravurian (and Graydie), I'm on my way.

(I need a project name. Hmm. "Project Publish"? "Project Cut 100,000 Words"? "Project File Off The Serial Numbers"? Suggestions?)

Comments

[darkemeralds]

ravurian's a hardass. I don't think he'd mind my saying so. :D He keeps asking me questions like "Are you sure it starts there? How about over here?" and "Could you conceal the identity of the blackmailer for longer?" and "What about telling the story backwards?". He keeps saying there's not enough real jeopardy in the central conflict. OMG! I'm tossing and turning trying to think up more real jeopardy because he's right.

Etc.

The project probably isn't as daunting as it feels right now. A lot of my angst lies along the continuum of "Is this part too fannish? Is this part too naughty? Does mainstream fiction allow this? Where is my intuition? Can I trust my gut on this?" and all sorts of other neurotic internal monologue. I'll try not to go nuts.

[kis]

Well, good luck with it.