Revision the Second #1

Update 1 1-7 March 2021

Last Week, I called for a new start and this is it. I’m going through another round of revisions to get the novel super tight. My main goals are a far smoother, “more hooky”, prologue followed up with a tighter first chapter. I will then revisit some of my action sequences and see about making them a little snappier.

I am a classic over writer, so sometimes my action sequences get a little lush. Long sentences and lingering over some of the details. I’m going to try for a little mix up of the pacing. Basically, get in some “Biff” “pow” and “wham.” And leave the introspection and details for the breather between the fights.

What happened this week:

My time is mostly devoted to school right now. I have two final classes and both require my attention. So, don’t expect big numbers on the revision front. I am setting up the whiteboard and will be pushing myself to get through 2-4 chapters per week.

I only just went through the prologue and the first chapter this week But I’m aiming to get through chapter 6 by the time my next Thesis Diary posts. Then we have a problem.

I believe I mentioned this in the last post, but most of my professor’s advice centered around trimming the fat, and upping the fight pacing. Except for chapter 7.

Chapter Seven

Originally chapter seven was a vignette that was cut out of chapter six. It’s short, barely serves to add characterization to the POV character, and only fills in some details that readers probably wouldn’t need. (To be honest the details are kind of answered in chap 13 or 15, somewhere in there, with a single throw away line from the POV character). So, do I excise the entire chapter… or do I follow my prof’s advice and add more to it? I mean the book could use a few less pages and words. This book still counts as a “first novel” even though I do have No Laughing Matter published. As much as I would like to think of the Ashlands as my second novel, my prof thinks that most agents/publishers will look at it as my first.

Those of you not in the know, it is very difficult to sell a long book when you’re new. Publishers have to pay for those pages in the book, and they don’t want to invest in an unknown commodity. So, it’s a harder sell. I knew all of this but still went for it anyway.

The original version of the Ashlands would have been the third book in a series and would have been over 300,000 words. So, this cut down version as the FIRST book in a series should be easier to get going. We’ll find out when I start querying agents.

Querying Agents:

So, I’m a little behind on this. I was going to write the first five emails and get them ready to go, BUT, I am working on making sure that my prologue and opening chapter are as close to perfect as I can get them.

Also, I’m not really behind as I had planned on querying at the end of March or early April, so week one march would have been ahead of schedule.

I’m just impatient enough that I want to get out there and get going. But I need to make sure I get everything done. No need to rush one part when I still have three other things to finish.

Goals this Week:

Well, a have some writing to do for my classes, one of them is not going the way I thought it would go… but I’m dealing with that disappointment. As much as I have loved school, and as much as I have said I never wanted it to end, and if I had the money, I would go for a third degree. I’m kind of ready for both of these classes to be over and for me to reclaim that class time for writing, painting, and other work.

Other Writing:

Besides the school work and revision of the novel.

I still have a short story out for consideration. And I have a literary article that is awaiting feedback before I do a final draft or submit it. My writing coach on the article is busy, so that feedback will be delayed by a week or three. I really, really want to get that perfect and get it published. Not for the cash, but because I think the article is important, and I really want to share it with you all when it’s published.

The Call of Cthulhu Campaign. So, I did manage to stop myself from working on it last week and I probably won’t touch it this week as any time spent writing on that is time NOT spent on revising the novel (nor on outlining the next novel).

Long Term Schedule

This is a new thing I’m trying out. Putting the next several weeks or months’ worth of goals in writing to give myself deadlines and accountability. Normally I just do a week out.

March (by the end) 5 query letters written, 21 chapters revised.

April: The rest of the book revised, outline for next book finished.

May: Start rough draft of next book, next five query letters sent out. Graduate College.

All subject to change, and I’m sure I’ll break that down into a week by week later on.

Short one this week. I popped another disc in my back so dealing with agony and muscle spasms. Time at the keyboard will be limited this week.