The speaker yesterday said that we should read our writing at least 100 times or more. I was glad to hear that. I write ... hm... I suppose oddly. I write a chapter or so, then I read it and edit almost right away. The next day or so, I read it again and do some more editing. Then I leave it go again.... Everytime I write anything on it, I read the whole thing and then concentrate on the current chapter. Must read chapter one a hundred times or more! LOL
As for scenes - she suggested we 'explode' them... look at them and make sure we answer all the questions our readers might have.
I tend to implode. I'm trying to get out of that habit. I went back to a scene I wrote the other day. I'd been thinking about it in my sleep. I thought I'd add at least a hundred words or so to it. But when push came to shove, I only added about fifty. I just couldn't quite bring myself to add more. The scene seemed perfect. We'll see what my editor thinks. She was at the conference, too.
Also - there' s that bit about making sure a scene is succinct. You know - cutting out things that don't 'further' the story or our understanding of the characters.
There's seems to be contradictions here. I'm sure I'll figure them out and learn. The process is never easy, is it?
Life is interesting.
I like that description of exploding the chapter, answering the readers' questions. I'm stuck on my current two chapters because the POV switches too much and I don't really reveal much and they don't really move the story alone. So, I need to re-write.
ReplyDelete'Blue' is written, so far, all in one POV. I started it kind of as an exercise, but the story caught my imagination and so - that's what's happened with it. I've never written a story with only one POV... The last one had about five if I remember correctly.
ReplyDeleteI HATE re-writes, but they are necessary.
You go girl!