This was going to be a blog post about editing, and how I edit, and it turned into a gigantic rant about everything I despise about editing and edits instead, so I thought I'd spare you.
This is all you need to know: I am editing. There are three stages to my editing - call it three rounds. I am now beginning round two.
That is all.
If you found the above boring and you would like to hear a bit of a rant, read on... (warning, contains swearing)
I'm fussy, and I mean FUSSY. I like some of my writing a certain way, and other bits a different way. All of my characters have an individual voice, and when I write from their POV, I am inside their head during the narration, so, NO, I do not always want what is considered the 'correct' term of phrase. I want what they would actually say and think. And don't even get me started on British English. You know, I adore the word 'earnt', but hell, it's not even in the Collins English Dictionary anymore (and some would say the word 'anymore' should be written as two words, not one), and I feel like I can't use it. No one uses it, even though it should be perfectly legitimate. 'Learnt' is fine, so is 'spelt', 'smelt' and 'dreamt', but can I find 'earnt' in any dictionary or modern source book that says, 'yes, you will not be considered a weirdo if you use it'? Can I fuck.
Anyway, I have conceded with that damn word, and I now use 'earned' instead, but my point... you can see how anal I am about my writing, yes?
I DON'T always want 'and' in front of 'then'; I DON'T always want a comma there ; actually, I feel that occasionally the passive voice can add to the imagery of a sentence, so keep the 'was' in there just for that section please ; and yes, I know that's slang in the narration, but the narration is from the character's POV, so that bit shouldn't be written any other way (not according to me, anyway, and I'm the author)... and so on, and so on...
I'm not saying I'm right or wrong, just that I'm right for me.
End of rant.... and you get a brand new book ;)
This is all you need to know: I am editing. There are three stages to my editing - call it three rounds. I am now beginning round two.
That is all.
If you found the above boring and you would like to hear a bit of a rant, read on... (warning, contains swearing)
DIANNA + EDITS = THAT THING THAT HAPPENS WHEN A RED SUPERGIANT [STAR] EXPLODES [OFTEN RESULTING IN TYPE II SUPERNOVA]
Anyway, I have conceded with that damn word, and I now use 'earned' instead, but my point... you can see how anal I am about my writing, yes?
I DON'T always want 'and' in front of 'then'; I DON'T always want a comma there ; actually, I feel that occasionally the passive voice can add to the imagery of a sentence, so keep the 'was' in there just for that section please ; and yes, I know that's slang in the narration, but the narration is from the character's POV, so that bit shouldn't be written any other way (not according to me, anyway, and I'm the author)... and so on, and so on...
I'm not saying I'm right or wrong, just that I'm right for me.
End of rant.... and you get a brand new book ;)
Edits are stressful, full stop. And you already know all to well how I bang my head against the wall when I am in the midst of mine.
ReplyDeleteWhat's crazy is we don't speak how we write, which probably seems really damn obvious, but well, I've used earnt before when I'm talking, but as you say when it comes to the written word it isn't right.
But hey, you have finished writing the "Demon Bride" so despite the nightmare that is editing, way to go hun! I really can't wait to read it! :-D