Shachza, where ARE you?! · 5:07am Jan 19th, 2016
This one's for you all who have sent me a pokes. (I'm so ticklish! [Stay away from me Biscuit!])
Where am I at? Well, so many authors talk about editors and prereaders. I've got one and he's a fine fellow. But he's just that: an editor. What he does is scan through what I've done and find minor edits so that the story is properly polished. I keep trying to snag him for revisions, but he's not biting.
Not that I really want to outsource my revisions. Or trust that anyone else will truly revise it the way I want it to be.
And that's what I do once the chapter is written: revise it. Not edit, not preread. Revise. I don't know how other authors do it - I suspect infernal pacts that allow them to slap down completed chapters in the first go - but generally I systematically rewrite a good percent of the entire chapter. Improved clarity, altered events, better written voice, plot point progression that just works better...
I've actually lopped the last third of chapter 11 clean off because it didn't make sense anymore. (I was not overly happy with it anyway.) Though the ending will arrive faster, so there shouldn't be too much more work to do. I just need some good sit-down time.
So...
I'm working on it! I swear! I just-
Distraction!!!!11!!1!one1!!
*Flees*
When I churn out a chapter, it's almost always stream-of-consciousness writing for me. Somehow it just works. Even though I'm sure my typos give my poor editor and co-author a headache.
Awwwwwwww............
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Wait, what was the post about?
Haha! You cannot distract me with such an adorable....
Wait, what was I saying? Oh yes *pokes Shachza rapidly* Updaaaaaaaateeeeeeeeee.
Nah. Take as long as you need.
Have a Pinkie.
I can only repeat my previous offer. I know it was about becoming an editor, but I normally don't just scan for typos etc. but also like to give my opinion on the plot, dialogues etc. Welp, you know where to find me if you need me.
Good things take time to make. So, take your time and give us another one of the magnificent stuff you've already given us !
... that sentences makes no sense.... Ooooh cute Celly !
Write faster heretic! I need some Man on Pony Princess action.
Distraction proved super effective!
So that's what's going on, huh? Well... at least we know we'll get awesome stuff thanks to your dedication
I don't recall hearing you were done your revisions, mate.
Well, the first thing you have to do is read the entire chapter aloud. That helps tons for editing a chapter.
Poke
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Oh, yes, it's very stream-of-consciousness for me as well. But my raw thoughts themselves need a good revision before they're fit for public use. Too wordy, too indirect, not effective enough presentation, off track...
I actually kinda' want a redo on this blog just because I think it can be read as more aggressive than I ever intended it. I hadn't intended to throw the revise vs. edit thing in people's faces, but there went my thoughts with it!
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I dunno' either... /Discord off
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Ack! NUUUUUuuuuuuu....!
What was I doing again?
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I hope you're not taking this as a crack against you. It was meant to be more self-effacing than I think it comes across as. I just wanted everyone to know I hadn't forgotten them!
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Everyone looks at me funny when I do that. (Not that I don't do it.)
Why would anyone downvote 3697322 ?! The man has a very cogent point: there is not enough Man on Pony Princess action, and I am slacking in my efforts to remedy the situation! Not that it can every be remedied: there will never be "enough" Man on Pony Princess.
(EDIT: that makes it sound like I should write an Alexer X Princess story... 
)
3698755 It did not sound aggressive at all to me.
3698755 Yeah, probably this bit:
You go on talking about having an editor, and then you say that. Kinda felt like shots fired, y'know?
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I was aiming across your nose, not up it. I swear!
Advice regarding getting someone to revise your story: Don't. Or at least, you probably shouldn't.
In the business world if writings are revised it's usually because stuff is happening and money is exchanging. In non profit you usually only get people to revise your story if you believe they can pull together the context and your final product better than you can.
You're better off settling on good decisions by discussion. Surely you must have a few horse related friends who are interested in pondering the same topics you are, no? Use your editor (maybe have a couple or more if you can) and regularly discuss how you'd like to handle certain story topics with them. Even find a few interested intellectual friends and start talking about more generalized yet related topics. It'll open your eyes about stuff you hadn't considered before.
Regularly discussing stuff with people will work out with mixed success, but chances are anyone attempting to fully revise your chapters won't give as much of a shit about them as you do, and good luck finding anyone willing to put lots of effort into bossing you around about your creative vision.
Backing Usurper up on this one. You are wasting time revising.
You are better off leaving how it is as it is and only revising certain sections after a discussion if its really neccessary. I often struggle over portions of my own work because I am not sure if it'll be enjoyable and 9 times out of 10 my editors assure me things are fine, I leave them be and it turns out the section of the chapter worked out fine with the audience.
Otherwise you risk obsession which only serves to further stress you out and harm later productivity because mentally not only are you considering the daunting task of writing, but also considering the drudgery afterwards, which ruins the mental anticipation of the reward effect all authors secretly crave from uploading their work.
It is admirable you want to maintain top notch quality, but in truth this is just as harmful as procrastination.
I'm going to go and disagree with the prior two posters' some revision is almost always a good idea, even for people who get it spot on most of the time. The problem you can run into, though, is when you find yourself rewriting huge chunks of something over and over again.
I suppose it's possible that you might be just seeing problems were none exist though; what you really need is a beta reader or two, at least to give you some idea where you're at.
It can be hard to find someone willing to actually edit your story with you, to go over stuff and edit/offer suggestions for things that might be improved, though.
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I think you're thinking I'm overthinking my revisions more than I should. I'm totally not! (Maybe...) But what I meant by "I systematically rewrite a good percent of the entire chapter" is that I'm doing this kind of thing: 3697583 and end up rephrasing a good portion of what I write. Too many words and not enough doing makes an already long story even longer.
As to the excised last third?
Someone pointed out that Alex can't hear, and I agreed (I'd intended some of that but kept forgetting to actually write it). That means that all the conversations - which I wasn't thrilled with anyway - were... well, I like the idea of them just being gone. For now.
Nice distraction, after admiring said picture i had to go reread the post because i forgot the main point of it.