How long is a
period of time?
That depends
on time available..
Optimal
would be months or at least weeks. Put aside the story and 1) Write several
articles, short stories, or blog posts
2) Plot out a new manuscript 3) Rewrite another rough draft 4) Brainstorm new
ideas for stories 5) Write a brand new rough draft 6) Do final edits on a story
for deadline
If you don’t have weeks or months, aim for
days. 1) Attend a conference or workshop 2) Take a vacation 3) Write one or two
short pieces 4) Do a major housecleaning or closet redo 5) Take a temporary job
or get involved in a volunteer opportunity.
What if
a deadline is looming and you have mere hours? 1) Take a walk outdoors 2) Go
for a couple hours of shopping and try on clothes 3)Watch a movie 4) Meet a friend for lunch or a coke 5)
Have a heart to heart talk with a loved one.
Do you get the idea? Take a break from that story. Move your
thinking away from it. Allow a short period of time when your mind dwells on
something besides that story.
Now, you’re ready to go back over it for a critique.
Use the same techniques that you use to critique someone
else’s work. Here’s a possible ten things to remember.
- Don’t dwell on the negative. Point out what you like about the writing or story and bask in the warm glow of confidence.
2. Does
the first sentence or two make you want to read more? Does the beginning set the tone of
the
book and keep that tone until the end?
- Does the ending satisfy you and tie up all loose ends?
- Do you lose interest about chapter 4-7, or does your interest continue to peak? Check for plot points and the black moment. Could you eliminate or add characters? Does it flow? Is the pace appropriate for each scene?
- Check for passive words. Do you have lots of action verbs? Can you turn sentences around to make them active? Circle the words was, were, have, had, to be, being. Is there some of them you can eliminate?
Examples: Before: Lacey’s body was
tense.
After: Tension gripped Lacey’s body.
Before: Shelley’s head was hot
from the sun beaming on it.
After: Sunbeams heated
Shelley’s head.
Look through your manuscript for
such examples you might improve.
- Is there a portion of your story that you summarized which should be a real-time scene? What about the reverse? Is there a real-time scene that you might summarize to avoid lagging interest? Is there any scene that doesn’t further the story or the characterization. If so, eliminate it.
- Do a find for words that you use too often and get rid of them? I seem to love just so often have to delete it. What about at least, more often, really, a lot?” What about a really good word that adds to your story like captivate? Use only once, or it ceases to carry power
Examples: Before: She just loved
the mall.
After: She loved the mall. – This means the same
without the extra word,.
You might use the extra word as part of your
characterization, however.
Adverbs, got
to love them, or hate them, but most experts say delete them.
Examples: Before: I’m very excited
to be here.
After: I’m excited to be here.
Leave
off the adverb and it means the same thing.
Maybe,
it would be better to turn it around and make it active.
Excitement
doubled me over with stomach butterflies.
- Is
every portion of dialogue needed? Does it further the story? Does it tell
about the character? Does each character's dialogue sound different? Does body language replace words?
Examples: “Hey, Lace, stop it. You’re a gorgeous
woman.”
“Ditto, Boss."
“I’m old, overweight, and
overwhelmed. That’s what I am and that's what I'll stay because I'm weak-willed and a pushover..”
Did I succeed
at sounding like three different characters without dialogue tags or beats?
That’s our challenge.
. 9. Check
for point of view problems. Look through one person's eyes only. We can know their
thoughts, what they see, what they smell, but we can't know anyone else's view.
Check for show, don't tell problems. This gets many of us.
I can't just tell you Victoria hates living in the country.
I must show chickens pecking her legs, and the sun burning her face. Her thoughts
must reveal the loneliness she feels without a friend..
more than three named characters if possible. A good way
then to introduce other characters is
to let us learn about them from the
original characters before introducing them.
Read your story out loud and look for anything that makes
you stop, pause, or try to understand. Instead, keep the reader plowing through
your words not being able to stop even at the chapter breaks.
Use a critique partner if you can. If not, be your own.
Janet K. Brown lives in Wichita Falls, Texas and loves to
write, visit with grandkids, and travel with her husband in their RV. 4RV Publishing released her debut novel, Victoria and the Ghost, an inspirational
YA in 2012. The example in number nine above comes from that book. Visit with Janet at her website/blog: http://www.janetkbrown.com
Purchase site for Victoria and the Ghost. http://4rvpublishingcatalog.yolasite.com/janet-brown.php
Janet, great suggestions for self-editing or critiquing yourself. It's tough when you're under the gun, but you've given useable strategies to get the job done. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteJanet, great suggestions. We bring our own assumptions to our own work -- what we know, what we assume -- in a way that we don't when reading the work of others.
ReplyDeleteYou're so right, Margaret. That makes being our own critique partner especially hard, but like Karen said, sometimes, we're under the gun & must edit our own. My preference is for others to read my stories.
ReplyDeleteJanet, these are all wonderful ideas for self-critique. I know they make a great list for me to have handy. Thank you for sharing them!
ReplyDeleteUseful tips!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the helpful tips, Janet! I am preparing to 'self-edit' a full length novel I wrote a couple of years ago and these should be useful. Great job!
ReplyDelete