Editing 102

No, you didn't miss Editing 101...it was just so long ago I don't think I could blog about it now.

So, what is Editing 102? Maybe a better title would be "You Never Stop Learning" or "You Never Stop Realizing Where Your Writing SUCKS" OR "Holy Jeebus I Spent 5 Days and 65 Hours Editing and SURVIVED" OR HEY...HOW ABOUT..."I NEVER WANT TO READ MY OWN BOOK AGAIN AS LONG AS I LIVE"...

*sigh*

Let's back up...

Editing 101 was a crash course slapped onto me by Ms. Grames a year ago, which was a HUGE "Ah-Ha" moment for me....(Jeebus, that woman reeeally taught me a lot)...I would then consider what I put myself through for 5 days this past weekend Editing 102...with notes from my current Editor, Mrs. Becraft.

It FINALLY clicked for me on Day 4. I'm slow, what can I say? I suddenly saw the horrible redundancy areas of my book. Sadly, I was 1/2 way through the book upon realization so I'm glad I'll have one more pass at the PIMA (Pain In My Ass...aka My LDG Novel) before it goes to the E-gods for public distrabution & consumption.

I spent 65 hours in my desk chair (aka torture device from hell) in 5 days. I basically ate, slept, edited, ate, edited...then repeat for 5 days. I refused to open Twitter, FB, or my blog for fear of being "sucked in" and losing valuable time. I had a deadline...and only one hand to edit with. I think I used up my 40 hrs of free Pandora and I only took breaks to walk the dog, grocery shop, hug on my dog, stretch or get food from kitchen. I think I took one phone call from a writer pal in MI and texted a bit with Lauren. That was it in 5 days. I was FOCUSED.

And I think my brain bled because of it.

Women, by nature are multi-taskers. Right now I have 12 things open on my desktop. Normal. It's a normal, happy place. The only things I had open were my Word doc, a verbs spreadsheet, iTunes & Pandora...it felt like a foreign universe.

But, I made a breakthrough in seeing the smaller errors this weekend. Big errors (Editing 101) were hard but yet once pointed out I was like, "I totally see that!" With Editing 102...it took a bit to really see. But when my mind went, "Holy shit! I get it!" It was a big break through. On this pass I cut the word count by almost 3000 words. NO JOKE. I added some too...which tends to happen when you're re-writing sections that need help. But in the end, I'd still cut about 2300 words.

Maybe, just maybe, I'm learning. :)

One more pass to go on it...after that, I swear on a stack of Bibles, I'll never read that full thing again (unless paid to).

XO

Tamsin :)