“I like your jacket,” I said as Sally sat down at the table. She unwound a knitted scarf, rich with reds and greens. “Christmas gifts, as well as these.” Sally held out fingerless gloves. “For typing on cold days.” “Perfect. How is the editing going?” “I’m finished, or at least, for now. I sent it to a group of friends to read, and I’m looking at a conference to attend so I can pitch my story.” “I’m proud of you, Sally. You’ve learned so much this year –“ “I know. I have this strange euphoria. Story ideas follow me into the night and I can’t wait to get started on my next story.” “It’s because you realized…you can write a book. All the way to the end. Nothing feels better […]
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How to Edit your Fast Draft Novel Step 2: Scene by Scene
“So much snow!” Sally came into the coffee shop stamping her feet. Overnight, the sky had buried our little village in thick frosting. I sat nursing a hot cocoa. “I know. It feels a little overwhelming, thinking of plowing the driveway, the porch, the deck…” “Not unlike doing the macro edit on my novel,” Sally said, unwinding her scarf. “But I think I have the big picture/content edits figured out. What’s next?” Kathy handed her a peppermint mint mocha. Sally sat down, warming her hands on the cup. “Now it’s about looking at every scene to make sure it has enough tension and that you’re building in the emotional layers. I call it: Scene by Scene Editing.” “First, start with the scene structure. Determine if it is an Action or […]
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