The Sunguard edit is complete and off to critters. The story doubled in size and some plot layers were added. I have a feeling the resolution isn’t what it should be, so I need to give it one more pass for sure. But my time has paid off, I think it’s a good story. It just needs a little more editing love. 😉
Tag Archives: Sunguard
8/7 Update
Exhaustion hit me early evening, which makes me really glad I pushed on the story over lunch. The entire draft of Sunguard has been redlined on paper, with sheets of new scenes and paragraphs that need to be added. Evening is starting to become difficult again at week 24 of this pregnancy, and I still have about 14 weeks to go. Sunguard is my priority this weekend, but I think I’ll have to focus most of the work around the daughter’s afternoon naps. It’s killing me not to have this one done already.
Moving Along
I managed some decent writing today. Nighthunter’s Bite is coming together in my mind, and I’ve got some more notes. Sunguard is definitely moving ahead. I went back to redlining on paper with pen instead of using MS Word’s track changes, and I feel like it’s made all the difference. I redlined 7 of 17 pages today, and handwrote a new scene, plus bits of some other scenes that needed additions.
Is it possible I’m getting somewhere? 🙂
Tagged Editing, Nighthunter's Bite, Sunguard
Tempting Fate
Yes, I tempt fate. My promise to myself “edit Sunguard no matter what comes up” was derailed by Mother’s Nature’s attempt to blow my city away with massive thunderstorms and sightings of funnel clouds. Niiiice. Thanks, Mama Earth. Love ya. (smooches)
Today was fairly productive, surprising considering how little sleep I got last night.
Over lunch I completed the crit that was troubling me. I don’t usually read, never mind crit, flash fiction. The author is someone whose writing I respect, so it’s always tough for me to get into crit mode in that situation. It IS harder for me to crit for someone when they’re less of a stranger, but that’s okay. I’m learning to handle it better, and I’m learning from the people whose work I’ve learned to critique.
I also started reviewing my notes for Nighthunter’s Bite. I like the concept of the story better now than I did before, and am looking forward to writing it. This is going to my submission to the celtic fantasy anthology and really does have the right foundation for it, I just need to research some details to make it just right.
I’m working on Sunguard now, I won’t get through it tonight though. There’s too much I need to change. But I’m slogging through the handwritten notes, reentering the edits I made last week before I had lost that version of the file. It’s tough going, but I am making progress. Then I can go back and and the two new scenes. I need to do some character work, as two characters that had only been mentioned before, will now have more significant roles. And they weren’t even mentioned in the first version of the story. It’s fun watching how these things develop.
Tagged Crit, Nighthunter's Bite, Sunguard
Back from Vacation & On The Go
“Vacation” simply means “time off of work, not at home” when it’s done with a toddler. She’s moving beyond her toddler phase, and while she is a well behaved child, it’s still work. I gave myself this morning off to recover from the vacation, but it’s off to finish unpacking, doing laundry, buying groceries, and logging on to the work computer (yep, promised them four hours today, which is much better than eight).
I was too exhausted to manage any writing over the trip, but I did get some reading done, and quite enjoyed Wen Spencer’s “Wolf Who Rules”. I get a kick out of her main character Tinker, who is as short as I am, but has courage in spades where mine only comes in spurts. 😉
This week promises to be chaotic, mostly due to committments to the day job that may require more than the normal eight hour day, but I do have a few things I’m aiming for. Sunguard needs editing still, and I intend to finish it this week even if I have to sacrifice sleep. I have some minor goals (my fiction class, a crit, and start/build a short story first draft), but not until Sunguard gets another pass.
Monday Update
I spent a good deal of time on Sunguard today, but a computer glitch resulted in a loss of every one of those changes. My evening was spent preparing for the vacation, so I had no time to redo the edits. I did receive a rejection on my short story, so I prepped the next submission package and will mail it out again on Tuesday.
The vacation is going to be fun, but getting ready to go on one is usually a fairly busy time, especially with kids involved. I’ll get there, even if I don’t sleep tonight!
Edit: Sunguard
Yes, still going with Sunguard. I haven’t touched it since earlier in the week and I really want to try and finish this version before I head out on vacation. I had about an hour tonight and implemented the simple edits I marked on the printed manuscript, but I still have in-line comments I made with one scene to add and another scene to rewrite. Time remaining? I have my lunchbreak tomorrow, and a short bit of time tomorrow night before I start packing, so there is some hope. I’m eager – this one is going to be my next submission.
Editing Sungard
I’m working on the next draft of Sunguard. The story has come a long way from when I struggled to write it, and it still isn’t easy. The effort has been worth it though, I really think I salvaged a decent story from first draft garbage. Another day or two and the issues should be ironed out.
Moving Forward
I reread my edits to Sunguard, and between my own observations and a first reader, I made some notes for the next edit pass. I moved on to Eve, which has a good foundation in conflict and emotion, but I need to add some description which is sorely lacking. I think it’s one of the reasons I tend to write more fantasy than science fiction, I have more to play with regarding description and environment. But who am I to back down from a challenge! I’ll keep you posted.
Edit: Sunguard
The Sunguard edit has met with some success. The story nearly doubled in size, and maybe 100 words remains of the original story. The changes are definitely for the better. The ending took an odd turn, but I think it works. I’ve got it out to some readers now, so hopefully soon I’ll know if I’ve gone off the deep end or not. Happy reading, my friends. 🙂
Balancing
I’ve been working on multiple things since Sunday, not really getting too far with any of them. On the other hand, I’ve managed to regain control over the day-job workflow, and I think that (and the two year old) have consumed most of my energy. Oh, and the growing one, too. (Pats tummy).
Something drastic has to happen to Sunguard. I’m playing with the different scenes, but I still don’t have the right combination. The story concept is right, the characters are right, even the viewpoint is right, but it’s the sequence of presenting the events that’s bothering me. Backstory is fine, but in a short story, an entire page of backstory is too much. I generally try to avoid flashbacks unless the story truly needs it. This story either needs the flashback (groan) or I need to start earlier. But that means dragging my readers through an event akin to a meteor shower and hitting those same people once a month for three to four months. I think that’ll kill the interest in the character. Those events, those changes, lead to what Ashelle is dealing with now. I think the event isn’t so much the “meteor shower” but Ashelle’s interpretation of it. I don’t like my options right now. I feel like there’s another option, but at the moment, I can’t identify it. I’ll keep playing with it, I guess. It’ll hit me eventually.
Editing Sungard
Something clicked or unblocked or woke up, not quite sure which one at the moment, but am half way through the Sunguard edit. Out of nowhere.
Maybe it’s my magic notebook? It told me to edit Sunguard tonight…
When An Edit Isn’t An Edit
When is an edit not an edit? When it’s a complete rewrite. I think that’s my problem with Sunguard. I deleted the first three pages, wrote another two and a half, but I’m going to delete most of that. I’ll wait until I get the ending sorted out, then tie the beginning directly to that. In the meantime, I’m not happy with what I rewrote.
I’m right back at the original issue of viewpoint, too. Ashelle’s voice hits my fingers in the first person, and I’m forcing her back to third. (I type often before I realize what’s in my head). I don’t write first person well, but I don’t think Ashelle is giving me a choice this time.
I also think I’ve started the story in the wrong place. (Real interesting timing with the online advanced fiction course I’m taking through University of Madison. The first lesson is “Begin Someplace That Matters”.)
Since I’m rewriting this anyway, I’ll try the first person, see if I can’t do something decent with it. It may help to reread one of my viewpoint reference books. Maybe I’ll grab it on the way up to bed.
On the upside, I decided today I wanted to start sketching again. I don’t know where it came from, aside from sharing my beloved colored pencils with my two year old daughter.
DAWN BONANNO 