I’ve started spot-reading the last version of BTT. Big deal, guys. BIG deal.
So, I finished reviewing my latest draft in record time (Yay!) which means it’s onto the next phase: spot-reading. Picking an arbitrary passage and just reading it from there. Not worrying about what came before or what comes after, but paying attention to how the section reads. How it sounds. If it sounds polished or if it sounds like it’s writing. And guys, *so* many times I find that my writing sounds like writing during these spot checks. It’s embarrassing. To be this far and still hear my ‘writing’ voice and not my ‘reading’ voice. But that’s why we go mad reviewing our work—we always find ways to improve it.
Since I’m planning to show this thing to people sometime soon, I have to make it as polished as possible. Even if that means starting to hate the thing because I’ve read it so many times that I know the damn thing by heart. That’s when you know you need to push it away and work on something else for a while (like when I took a break to write the second book) because you go cross-eyed reading the same passage for the forty seventh time and then wonder if, maybe on second thought, the thirty fourth version might have been better.
I’m hoping to get this out of my hands—and into others—by the new year. I started a tradition of doing my resolutions in October (and apparently it works because I haven’t missed a single post since then) but I know everyone will be more focused once the holidays are behind us. It’ll give them less of a stress on time and me a bit more opportunity to hunt down all the ‘writing-sounding’ passages and rework them.
December’s Optional IWSG question!
As you look back on 2017, with all its successes/failures, if you could backtrack, what would you do differently?
I don’t think anything. I worked my butt off on this (and other) projects and yeah, if I had limitless hours, I would’ve submitted to a few contests. But I made the most of the time I had working on a project I love. Why would I change that? 🙂
Insecure Writer’s Support Group (IWSG) is a monthly blog hop for writers at all levels to share their fears and insecurities in a safe and encouraging place. Please drop by and say hi to Alex Cavanaugh who started this nifty concept in bringing us all together.
I hate when you’re at that phase of revising; when you’re just going over it and over it and it just all blends together. And you still can’t believe when you find dumb typos and weird sentences or even gaping plot holes. Or you fall asleep. I’ve totally fallen asleep reading my own work.
Glad to hear you don’t have any regrets! That’s awesome!
Oh, I have TOTALLY fallen asleep. Like, I’m pretty sure I did on Monday. Hence this next phase of getting it out of my hands.
I’ve never tried spot-reading. I need to do that next time when I need to revise my next finished book. 🙂
You should! It totally helps 😉
I like the idea of spot-reading to hear the voice. Thanks!
It’s an awesome (and beneficial) technique!
I had to put down my first novel for a couple years because I read it so many times I hated it. That, and after a while I just read what I wanted it to say instead of what it really was.
But, I don’t think I’ve ever fallen asleep reading my own writing, lol.
Well count yourself lucky because I totally took a snooze. I think I need to put this thing away already, but every time I comb-through it, I find something to improve.
Making the most of the time you have is about the best you can do. I hope you are able to achieve your goal of getting your book into “other hands” by the new year. It sounds like making October goals really works for you! 🙂
Yep! October must be my month 😉
I know what you mean about editing. Along with everything you’ve said, it’s really hard to not fall into the trap of “Maybe if I look over this part one more time, I can make it perfect.” >_< There's a reason I've developed a process and stuck with it. Though I can't help thinking I should go over my last book again before I start querying again next year…
I’m giving myself until the new year. After that NO MORE EDITING until I get it back from BETAs. Do you think your book NEEDS another edit? Or do you just miss it?
I’m looking forward to cracking into the story. 🙂 And it’s awesome that you’ve got stuff done this year and things have been looking up. WOOT!
Girl, I’m definitely sending this thing your way for sure!!