The Edit Bus

I finished the character sketches and now I’m back on the edit bus.

How does this work for me? In other words, what’s my methodology? Maybe I do it differently from others, or strangely similar to what you’ve read in other places.

For those keeping track at home, I’ve done a read-through and fixed glaring typos and grammatical errors. This phase of editing will be larger in scope. I’ve kept a list of things I know need to be fixed, from minor plot points to gaping holes where I need to add a new chapter. I’m also considering a complete change in one character to add conflict later in the book. I don’t want things to be too easy for my narrator. And of course, I’ll incorporate pieces from the character sketches into the narrative.

I’ll go down the list, or more accurately I’ll pick and choose what I want to work on each day until I cross off all the items in the list. One of the items is something I put on the list for every book I write. It’s a reminder that each chapter needs to be tight, like a television or movie scene. Start in the middle of a scene, if possible, and close out each chapter with something to propel the reader forward. It’s a good reminder and though I’m not always successful, it’s an ongoing goal.

Now I’m off to hop on the edit bus. It promises to be a fun ride.