I’m not writing a new novel. I’m not finishing a previously started novel.
I’m going to edit. I have a completed novel (Donne & Donne, File 1: Gunsmoke and Jasmine) that is, of course, incomplete without some serious editing. Our small writing group this past year (waves) simply wasn’t enough (which I’ll take at least a third of the blame for, if not more).
I found an estimate from last year that, when pounding away on writing, I’m averaging about 1,000 words / hour (sometimes more, or sometimes less, but on average). So for purposes of tracking my NaNoProgress, I’ll be using that number, backwards — i.e., an hour of editing (glares at self to keep self honest) = 1,000 words. So that magical 1,667 words per day translates out into 1 hour and 40 minutes of work each day.
Yeah, real work. In some ways this will require more discipline than normal writing, because I won’t have words to point to, just my record of hours. And fudging that number only hurts me.
I mean, I’ve got a spare 1:40 / day, right? Right?
Things to do (not necessarily in this order):
- I’ve been loading the story, chapter by chapter, in to YWriter, an app that was recommended to me and which I’ve been using the past several months. Doing this after the fact is not only getting the outline and character facts and location facts and scene word counts identified, it should make the further editing efforts easier. It’s also serving, a bit, as a first pass edit. (Biggest thing so far: discovering that two of my major secondary characters had their names magically change half-way through the book.) (No, it wasn’t actual magic.)
- Clean up the overall timeline — day and hour. There are some wonky gaps and overlaps, and enough “Who’s doing what when?” questions that I just need to get it charted out. It’s all stuff that NaNoWriMo doesn’t let you do at the time.
- I need to clean up my San Francisco geography.
- I need to do some spot research on Chinese mythology.
- There are a few “[fill this in later]” moments on both the above points.
- I need to take a “senses” pass. I tend to focus on the visual. That needs some punching up in other ways.
- I need to look at some of the loose ends and either snip them off, tie them back in, or turn them into lead-ins to future endeavors.
- I do have quite a few notes from my writing group (waves) to ponder and potentially incorporate.
I don’t think I’ll run out of to-dos.
My goal for the month is to end up with a completed novel, to the point where I can:
- Give it to some folks for some serious review.
- Potentially shop it around.
- Self-publish and not be completely embarrassed when I give it to people.