This past week hasn’t seen much in the way of juggling work for a change, I have spent most of the week working on the edits I received back last week. There is such a tight turnaround on this book that I have to get them done. I set the tight turnaround myself, but only because I knew I could achieve it.
So, instead of telling you all about the different things I have been working on this week, I thought I would tell you about the edits. What the weaker areas of my manuscript are for Kill For Me. Bear in mind, these are all going to be fixed before it goes out into the world on 14th February. I’m bearing my writing soul here and it feels a little nerve-wracking, but I suppose it’s what I signed up for when I started this series.
Okay, yes, my editor did like the overall story. She enjoyed reading it and thought it was a really strong draft considering it was written during NaNoWriMo and then edited before sending to her. Yes, this is my NaNoWriMo novel. I’ve managed to turn it around this quickly. This doesn’t mean that there weren’t areas that needed looking at. I don’t think there will be a time in any writers life when they won’t need a structural editor to look at how the story hangs together. They make it stronger and make sure it’s the best story it can be.
What are the issues in Kill For Me?
I’m going to try to tell you without giving the story away, let’s see if that’s possible!
First of all, this novel is a little different to a basic police procedural but my editor does think that it works. So, that was a positive. (Always start on a positive š )
There were four main areas that needed large sections of work. (I’m currently working on the third section now.)
- The little girl who is taken from the school. I don’t have enough detail around her disappearance and the school’s part in it. I kind of glossed over this. This includes the police investigation of the school. I used the disappearance for what I needed and then forgot about it.
- This is a story with a domino storyline and the last character in the domino set was not fleshed out enough. Her part in it was made too easy for her and her thread is left unresolved.
- Now, I’m not sure I can say too much about the third strand as it revolves around the antagonist. But, I had left something out of their storyline that needed to be in it. (This is what I’m working on now.)
- It ends rather abruptly but this ties in with both sections 2 and 3 as I work on those the ending will lengthen out.
I know it all sounds like rather a lot and that what I must have sent my editor can’t really have been anywhere near good, but remember a novelĀ is a largeĀ undertaking with a lot of strands being juggled. The piece still achieved what it was supposed to but if I do extra work on the above then the book will be even stronger for it. This is how the editing process works.
As well as the large structural points, my editor pulled me up on some ticks that I have that I am learning (gradually) to grow out of. Filtering words like feel, felt and feelingĀ as well as some words I overuse.
I really love being edited because I learn from it every time. It makes my writing stronger and my books better. I could never put work out without an edit.
Are you surprised by how much an edit picks up on?
Let me know how your week has been.
Margot Kinberg says
Thanks for sharing your editing process, Rebecca. I think it’s easy to forget that all manuscripts can benefit from editing. And it sounds as though your editor is really skilled at helping you polish your work. I’m looking forward to reading it!
Rebecca Bradley says
Thanks, Margot! My editor is great and since I’ve found her I can really see us sustaining a long working relationship. She can see what I am trying to do in my work and she is working with me to make my books the best they can be.