Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Change This, Not That


Every author goes through edits. And every author, at some point during the editing process, also goes through-

Ow.
I've said it before: I love going through edits, tightening the story, making it much better than what I could have accomplished on my own. I know what I meant to say, but it takes an outsider to see the inconsistencies and make sure I get my story across correctly.

What the inside of my brain looks like.
Most of the time, it's kind of interesting to see it from the point of view of someone who has to examine the trees rather than see the forest. A lot of "D'oh!" moments happen during this process. Like forgetting entire plot points.

And now I have to clean up my doodie.
But I digress. That doesn't mean going through the editing process doesn't have its frustrating moments. "Remove the dialog tags here." "Change the dialog tags there." "But don't remove the dialog tags here." "Remove the dialog tags there." "You need to add some dialog tags, I have no idea who's speaking."

And while I'm laughing as I type this (because all of the above is freakin' valid complaints that need to be addressed), it can feel a little... well...

Uncle! Aunt! Galactus! ANYBODY!
But the good news is, I'm almost done this round of edits on All For You, which means I'll be back to writing Throne of Oak next week.

Right before I get a round of edits.


(P.S.: I love M.C. Escher's art. The above print can be found at http://www.allposters.com/-sp/Relativity-Posters_i8092129_.htm)

2 comments:

lorimeehan said...

I love your newsletters. You always make me laugh.

AZWitch said...

Indeed they do! Especially when I know how you feel because I'm prtty sure that the inside of my mind looks like an M.C. Escher's print too! lol

Favorite Quotes

"I had the right to remain silent, but I didn't have the ability." Ron White

"So let me get this straight. You want me to kill the little guys, kill the big guys, crowd control those I can't, buff the team, debuff the boss, keep myself alive, AND keep you alive, all while waving a stick and dressed in a towel?" - Anonymous Role Playing Gamer

"I think that statue over there is a statement on modern life. The statement is, "Well, shit." - Varric, Dragon Age II

"Why is it all claws and guns? Can't we piss off a fuzzy planet? Still dangerous, but hey. Bunnies." - Joker, Mass Effect

"Last night, I lay in bed looking up at the stars in the sky and thought to myself, "Where the heck is the ceiling?" - Dilbert


"Aim at the high mark and you will hit it. No, not the first time, not the second time and maybe not the third. But keep on aiming and keep on shooting for only practice will make you perfect. Finally you'll hit the bull's-eye of success." - Annie Oakley

"It is only when you fall that you learn whether you can fly." - Flemeth, aka The Witch of the Wilds, Dragon Age 2

"The very existence of flamethrowers proves that sometime, somewhere, someone said to themselves, 'You know, I want to set those people over there on fire, but I’m just not close enough to get the job done.'” - George Carlin

"I hear there's a wild bridge tournament down the street. And you know Bridge. It's a lot like sex. If you don't have a great partner, you'd better have a good hand." Barry Weiss, Storage Wars

"You know, I used to think it was awful that life was so unfair. Then I thought, wouldn't it be much worse if life were fair, and all the terrible things that happen to us come because we actually deserve them? So, now I take great comfort in the general hostility and unfairness of the universe." - Marcus Cole, Babylon 5, "A Late Delivery From Avalon"

"I aim to misbehave." - Capt. Malcolm Reynolds

"Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid." - Albert Einstein

“If you think you can or think you cannot, you are correct.” - Henry Ford
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