Of Editing and Re-writing by Konnie Enos

Last week Bonnie wrote about her editing woes. Specifically about all the backtracking she’s had to do to fix the timeline, and plot holes. She also mentioned discovering that my copy of book 4 in my sci-fi series started with well over a hundred pages of scenes that were now in book 3.

What she failed to notice is that I had decided to end book three at a much later point than it had originally ended. Meaning, I’d copied those pages and pasted them into book 3, where I intended to keep them. The issue was, I hadn’t removed them from book 4 yet. Mostly because I was still working on edits to book 1.

However, when she mentioned the issue it’d been long enough since I’d done that for me to forget I had. Though I did remember while I was checking those files for myself. And doing that got me back into working on the edits to my books.

I quickly breezed through book 1, which I had mostly edited already anyway. Then I worked on book 2. It took a bit longer because I hadn’t done as much editing on it previously. Then I started book 3. It needed a bit more work. But with some effort, I finally got through it.

Now at this point, what I have for books 4 and 5 isn’t enough to cover two books, but more than I need for one. Also, what I have for book 5 (both title and content) is not in keeping with the theme/pattern of the previous ones.

Though the biggest issue is the reason I ended book 3 at a different spot. I wanted the story to be a better match for the title, therefore ending in a different spot was needed. This also means that book 4 must end at a different spot.

The other issue I have with both books 4 and 5 is that since I last worked on them, I’ve added aliens and languages, not to mention other details. I’ve even changed some scenes. So both books are going to be more work.

Book five is going to be the most work because of the changes in content, plus needing more material to fill the novel. Different beginning and slightly different ending.

Now, however, I have an issue. I have seven POV characters in my sci-fi but each book has a main focus on one or two of them. (Book 1 is Hero and Heroine 1, book 2 is Hero and Heroine 2, and books three, four, and five are Hero 3, 4, and 5 respectively.)

I’ve also written prologues for books 1 through 4 but I still need one for book 5. However, I’m unsure how to go about it. Each of the four prologues is in the POV of one of the heroes. Book 1 is about Hero and Heroine 1 and the prologue is in the POV of Hero 2. Book 2 is the same, just switched the POVs. Book three is about Hero 3 with a prologue in Hero 4’s POV. Again, Book 4 is switched POVs. All of these prologues are set several years in the past. I don’t have a counterpoint POV character to provide that glimpse of the past for Hero 5. It should be interesting to come up with his prologue.

The other issue she pointed out in her blog was all the backtracking she had to do to fix plot holes and other discrepancies.

Yes, I’ve been doing a lot of that.

Either that or I’ll have to backtrack to check what I have written previously. So I don’t contradict myself. Like saying where an office is in book one, then putting it in a completely different place in book three. I changed book one only to later realize I needed that office where book 1 originally said. So backtrack again and change both book 1 and book 3 so they will match book 4. Yes, that was a bit complicated.

But I think the really fun part is when I realized I’d changed at least one scene in book 3 to take out Hero 5. However, I need the deleted content for scenes I need to add later in the story (book 4 or 5). I went looking for the previous version with Hero 5 still in it. I could not find it.

It wasn’t in previous versions of book 3. I panicked, looking everywhere I could think of for the old files of book 3. It took searching through several more files before it sank into my panicked brain as to why I couldn’t find it.

I’d moved several scenes from book 4 to book 3!

I found it.

Smile. Make the day a brighter day. 

Editing Woes by Bonnie Le Hamilton

 

Sometimes I hate editing. I’ve been working on my epic sci-fi, which is nowhere near finished, trying to at least finish the first book. My problem is while adding more detail to the story, I keep thinking of things I should have shown earlier, or other things that really should be addressed at an earlier spot, and in one case, wasn’t addressed and should have been.

Yeah, I have been doing a lot of backtracking.

At one point, last week I told Konnie I had finished my edits up through chapter fifteen and had started on chapter sixteen, which was true, at the time. I honestly thought when I said it that I was finally making headway. Well, that was last week, for the last two days I’ve been realizing there is a major plot hole in the second scene (the unaddressed issue), and that I hadn’t dealt with a couple of other matters as entirely as I had originally planned.

This means I have to go back and start from the very beginning of chapter one to find all the possible places to fix these problems!

I guess I should count myself lucky that there are no errors with my prologue which is basically a fable or myth about the “creation” of their solar system. That is in fine shape.

The story itself is great, it's just getting all the details in, and correct.

But this is why I hate editing. I do this all the time, I think I’ve got a section done and move on, then, usually right when I’m writing some other detail, I end up going, “Wait a minute!”

I’ve mentioned before the one step forward, two steps back kind of event, but at this rate, I’ll never finish the series. I’m lucky if I’ll finish the first book!

And I have this major issue with writing things out of order, for the life of me, if I write a scene out of order, I’m pretty much done with the story, I can’t seem to go back and fill the missing sections. Ergo, I can’t move to another book until this book is finished, and I mean, done editing.

Not that I can move forward that much, because as of yet, the twin brother of the hero in book one isn’t talking to me, and I kind of need his POV for most of the rest of the series because he’s vital to the conclusion.

It’s not like he isn’t mentioned already, he just doesn’t make his appearance, yet, unless you count pictures and holographs of him, or the fact that they are identical twins, and the hero has gone searching for his missing twin.

Plus, that doesn’t even get into the fact that last week I was rereading it and realized that the second scene I had happened well before the first scene I had, so in essence, the second scene with the plot hole used to be the first scene.

Okay, yeah that’s something I wrote out of order, but I have to point out that this epic sci-fi started out as a writing prompt I did for a workshop some years ago. It was the beginning of the first paragraph that used to be the first scene. When I submitted that prompt, everyone in the group really liked it and wanted more.

This was right before Nano, so instead of expanding right away, I wrote down some plot points, made a list of characters (a semblance of an outline, if you will), and waited for November first. When Nano started, I fleshed out what had been the first scene, then wrote what had been the second scene to finally bring in the hero of this part of the story.

That has to be the first time ever I’ve written anything out of sequence and still managed to keep going. I promise it usually doesn’t work like that for me, I can show you tons of partial stories with one scene written out of sequence and, even after all this time, I have been unable to fill in the blank. I have tried a time or two, but no go. I do have one where I managed to fill in a little, but not all.

And this is why I hate editing. It’s so annoying to think I’ve finished something and then to have it dawn on me that I haven’t.

Konnie certainly knows how I feel, she’s been editing too. On her epic sci-fi even. But I got her back on that when I informed her, I couldn’t find the fourth book of that series among our shared files. What I did find was a repeat of book three under the file name of book four.

Isn’t editing fun?

Happy writing everyone!

Of Procrastination and Sleep by Konnie Enos

Last night I mentioned to Tony that it was my turn to do the post for our blog. He then commented on my tendency to procrastinate and that studies have shown people who procrastinate tend to come up with the most creative ideas.

I’m not sure that’s true but I do procrastinate a lot of things. Even when I think I have a great idea for my next post, I generally don’t even start writing it before Tuesday night. Lately, it’s been Wednesday morning.

And it’s not like I’m busy.

I spend most of my days sitting on my bed on my tech. Generally, I spend a few hours each morning doing some mind-challenging games (like Sudoku) or getting lost down the rabbit hole of social media. In the afternoon I’ll either read (lately that’s been Kindle books) or watch something with the occasional dive into making sure all our bills are paid and we have enough left over to cover groceries and gas until we get more money. I could also spend hours on end working on one of my WIPS. Once I get started I don’t stop until it’s very late. Usually, really late.

I don’t know if my issue is daylight or activity, though I’d guess activity because I have slept during the day. I am not in the habit of sleeping when I can hear other people up and about.

And that thought just made me realize what the real issue could be.

Around the time the sun comes up each day, the dogs want attention, if only to go out back and relieve themselves and Melinda starts her day. Jerry does too. Neither of them is loud, but I can hear them.

Melinda doesn’t talk much, but I can hear her moving about the house. From skipping up and down the hall to doing her daily chores, there are always some sounds to indicate she is up and about.

Jerry tends to be quieter. If he is in the bedroom, he’s at his desk, has headphones on, and does not move about, much. I can tell he is there without looking because his jittering and fidgeting have his old chair doing a lot of squeaking. One of these days, I’ll get up enough nerve to throw that thing away. Either that or he is constantly going in and out the door. Since he usually does this to check up on his Akita I’ll also hear him opening and closing the gate to the dog run. (The gate is by my bedroom window.)

By midday, Jerry will take a nap, or find something to do outside of the house. Melinda will spend time very quietly browsing the internet, reading a book, or taking a nap if she doesn’t feel well. But by then I’m engrossed in something or the boys have woken up for the day.

Conversations are the biggest indicator the boys are up, or the distinct sounds of Royce running up and down the backyard. Considering it’s rare for my children to hear me when I call for help if they aren’t in the hallway, I’m often amazed that I can pick up their conversations when they are in the front room. Hearing Royce is much easier since he is running right outside my bedroom window.

Now, when Melinda goes to bed at night, we do turn out all the lights and anyone still awake tries to be quieter which would be conducive to getting some sleep myself, especially since the sun is also down by then, but somehow I never do.

Sometimes I’m balancing a checkbook and need to hunt down some discrepancy or another. Most of the time I am right in the middle of reading, writing, or editing something and I want to at least get to a good stopping point.

I think we’ve all been there. A good stopping point is the end of the chapter (or scene) but when we reach it, we’re so into the story that we simply continue until we realize how late it is. Then we’ll chide ourselves to go to bed at the end of the chapter only to forget again when we reach it.

It’s not unusual for me to notice that it is all but morning again and force myself to close my laptop and get some sleep. Then when morning comes I spend the day with a headache because it wasn’t nearly enough sleep.

This all means that I feel like I’m not getting enough sleep. Or more accurately, I’m not getting enough sleep. But on the plus side, procrastinating does seem to help me come up with ideas for my posts, and I can type fast enough to get them ready before our deadline.

Smile. Make the day a brighter day. 

Of Birthdays and Memories by Bonnie Le Hamilton

 

Yesterday was my sister’s-in-law birthday, but due to her being out camping with her big sister and brother-in-law, I celebrated with her this past Saturday. While we were chatting over lunch, I mentioned something about needing to get Konnie her birthday gift to her, before I forgot.

Well, Shirley (said sister-in-law) started to say something then berated herself, saying, “Stupid, stupid, stupid.”

I frowned and asked her what was going on and she looked at me and said, “I was about to ask when Konnie’s birthday is.”

Let me point out that a few years ago Konnie came up here to celebrate our birthday with me and Shirley, her big sister (Vera-Ellen), and Vera-Ellen’s husband and daughter, threw the two of us a birthday party. On the other hand, Shirley does have Alzheimer’s and I found it pretty good that she remembered that she did know when Konnie’s birthday is before she actually got the question out.

Now if it had been Vera-Ellen or any of her family, I’d have questioned their sanity, but Shirley? The one who writes shopping lists then leaves them at home and tries to get her shopping done without one. Only to forget the two most important things on her list. Necessitating a second trip to the store, for which I am the chauffeur.

I will admit, I’m not sure all my in-laws know when my birthday is, even if they all know I’m a twin. However, Shirley, Vera-Ellen, and Vera-Ellen’s husband and daughter do know. Well, at least Shirley knows when she remembers.

Vera-Ellen and her family don’t have that excuse.

The rest of the family, well, I’m not even sure when all their birthdays are. Tom was always very vague about when their birthdays were, nor did he ever make any effort to call his siblings on their birthdays. Today, I know some of their birthdays simply because I’m friends with them on Facebook, and I really should write them down, since Facebook only reminds me the day of their birthday.

I kind of need a little more notice than that if I’m going to send them something if I remember and have the money for it. Having money to send something would be the issue. I’m lucky if I have money to buy something.

Though it did penetrate my thick skull this year that Konnie’s youngest was born on the birthday of one of my brothers-in-law. Why I didn’t notice before, I have no idea. But I could swear, this year is the only year Facebook notified me of both birthdays, which of course doesn’t make sense. Clearly what is at issue here is my thick, or scattered, brain rather than Facebook messing up.

At any rate, I can now tell you the birthdays of all three of Tom’s sisters, and the one brother. So, I am getting closer to knowing them. Took me long enough. The only trouble is I learned when the birthdays of two of his sisters before we were even married.

His sister Bonnie was born a day shy of his first birthday, and the oldest of my brothers was born on his 5th birthday, which makes it easy. And Vera-Ellen was born on August 22, the year before him. Those three came in such quick succession that his family always celebrated all three birthdays on the birthday in the middle, Tom’s. He complained about that when we first started dating.

I listened to his complaints without a word, when he finished, I said, “Yeah, I know what’s like to have to share your birthday; I’ve been doing it my whole life too.”

He responded, “Oh brother, I’m complaining to the wrong person.”

“Ya think?”

I have always shared my birthday with Konnie. I can think of one year when we had separate parties simply because she still preferred an all-girls slumber party, and I wanted a party, with guys, gals, and music.

Which didn’t go over so great. Let’s just say, I also hate having a birthday so close to a major national holiday. It never fails that come our birthday, everyone, or almost everyone, is still out of town with their family.

Konnie had picked the week after our birthday for her party; they turned out for Konnie’s party and didn’t bother to RSVP for mine.

No one did. So, I planned on everyone I invited coming and had a ton of leftovers. Not a fun night to say the least.

Though maybe I should work that disaster into a story someday.

Anyway, happy writing everyone, I’m off to do more editing on my sci-fi!