Tonight I finished the first read through of my book with Taryn's notes.
I did things a little differently than I'd planned too. So here is my method. I printed my manuscript in hard copy and placed it in a three ring binder.
I then went through and read it. As I went I crossed out parts that needed to be cut, wrote notes about things that needed to be change, and marked areas where new scenes and chapters should be added.
All told I cut about 7 chapters and nearly a dozen paragraphs from chapters I kept. It was hard. It was REALLY REALLY hard. My hands literally shook when I cut my first full page. I was sick to my stomach when I had to cut an entire chapter. The words, these lines, these pages are my work. I poured my heart and soul into them. Crossing them out was the hardest thing I've done as a writer so far.
Then way, you may ask, did I cut them? Because it had to be done. The new direction the story has take is right and necessary. I can honestly say that the story is unimaginably better because of these changes. As much as change hurts (in writing as in life) sometimes it is for the best.
This does, however, cause a new issue. With everything I cut my word count has suffered greatly, so what now? Now, I take the notes and fix them. I write the scenes I alluded to in my scribbles, I draft whole chapters of original storyline that wasn't present before.
When that is finished I estimate I'll have made up for the word count I cut and added a couple thousand more.
This is an early step, but a very very important one. I'm excited to get started on my rewrites.
I did things a little differently than I'd planned too. So here is my method. I printed my manuscript in hard copy and placed it in a three ring binder.
I then went through and read it. As I went I crossed out parts that needed to be cut, wrote notes about things that needed to be change, and marked areas where new scenes and chapters should be added.
All told I cut about 7 chapters and nearly a dozen paragraphs from chapters I kept. It was hard. It was REALLY REALLY hard. My hands literally shook when I cut my first full page. I was sick to my stomach when I had to cut an entire chapter. The words, these lines, these pages are my work. I poured my heart and soul into them. Crossing them out was the hardest thing I've done as a writer so far.
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| My first cut chapter. |
This does, however, cause a new issue. With everything I cut my word count has suffered greatly, so what now? Now, I take the notes and fix them. I write the scenes I alluded to in my scribbles, I draft whole chapters of original storyline that wasn't present before.
When that is finished I estimate I'll have made up for the word count I cut and added a couple thousand more.
This is an early step, but a very very important one. I'm excited to get started on my rewrites.
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