Yesterday was an incredibly busy day; complete with travel, visiting family, and eating far too much. Needless to say, not much happened on the novel editing front. I only have 60 or so pages left to read, and all my wrapping is done, so I am cautiously optimistic I will meet my goal of finishing the first read through before I go to bed tonight.

I needed yesterday to remind me that while I’m excited about my novel, and the writing process in general, it’s equally important to spend quality time with friends and family. It is far too easy to get wrapped up in a fictional world, and forget about the day-to-day joys and chores that lurk beyond the keyboard. With this in mind, I will still try to meet my goal, but I will also take the time to drink some eggnog, cuddle my children, and enjoy the season.

Happy Holidays, Everyone!

Cheryl.

cherylangst@gmail.com

I made it to page 138 of 196 (single-spaced) last night. I am still pleasantly surprised at the level of writing I am reading. I’m beginning to believe this could turn into a decent novel!

On the flip side, I have run into an issue with chronological order within the story. The first draft has a mixture of messing with time (deliberately witholding scenes for greater tension) and playing nice with time (putting scenes in their proper order), and I am finding the lack of consistency to be frustrating as a reader. Now I have to decide if the novel can work if I place each scene where it should fit within the chronology of the story. I will have to do some serious re-writing to build up the tension that will be lost by the change…

No one said editing would be easy, right?

From beyond the keyboard,

Cheryl.

cherylangst@gmail.com

I took a deep breath and opened the binder housing the first draft of my novel, preparing to wince in pain and embarrassment. Much to my relief, and mild chagrin, I discovered my novel wasn’t as horrid as my imagination made it out to be. All the tension and anxiety melted away as I sat back to read what I had crafted those many weeks ago.

In order to read it as a whole, or as much of a whole as possible without locking myself in a room for six hours, I set up a Word document on my laptop where I could make general comments as I read. My plan is to edit the novel in several layers–the first being an overall assessment of plot, character, pacing, and engagement. With this in mind, my comments are quite general–these are sweeping changes I feel I need to make to the ‘bones’ of the novel before moving deeper into the specifics of the writing itself.

Here’s an example of what I did in terms of editing last night (I know I said sweeping things, but sometimes little details snuck into my list–and I’m okay with that):

Chapter Ten

  1. Targersson’s name is incorrectly spelled
  2. Targersson should be supporting  Cheng – we need to see more of his personality and his closeness to Cheng
  3. The final paragraph of the scene with the lad with the fuel canister may be redundant and lowering the tension of the chapter
  4. May need a scene between John and the lad and John with the air filters
  5. Get rid of Billy’s name and refer to him in some other way
  6. The call from engineering scene needs to move to some place prior to John’s waking up  from the explosive nightmare
  7. “what with the current mission” needs rewording – she’s not British
  8. The scene that ends with her refusing promotions needs another paragraph or two to tie it back to the present where it started
  9. Need to know what Karenshikov’s department/job is for the scene to make sense
  10. This is a really big chapter – look for ways to break it up

My intention is to go back and make all the changes listed in each chapter (which includes moving some scenes around in the book–significantly changing how it will read) and then read it again for the same, global issues. Once I’m satisfied with the overall read of the book and the growth and development of the major characters, I will focus my editing on each scene, making sure it contributes to the novel in a meaningful way–by increasing the tension or raising the stakes.

I made it through the first fifteen chapters last night (a little over 25% of the way through the novel), so I should be finished my first global read through by the time I go to bed on Christmas Eve. When everyone else is waking up to the excitement of gifts under the tree, and goodies in the stockings over the fire, I will be eagerly anticipating the moment when I can sit in silence and rip into my novel the way my children rip into their presents.

From beyond the keyboard,

Cheryl.

cherylangst@gmail.com

I have been eagerly awaiting the moment when I could start editing my novel. I forced myself to work on other projects in order to give myself some distance from my story. I read several books about editing in order to work out a plan of attack for when I opened my binder and took up my red pen.

Now that the moment is here, I find myself staring at the binder with trepidation. What if my story is so horribly flawed it can’t be salvaged? What if I don’t have the staying power to go through every last line with a fine-toothed comb? What if I cannot edit my way out of a paper bag? What if I hate my story when I read it again?

I know, self-doubt is deadly. I need to remember that I can write. I can write well. What I have to say is interesting and entertaining to my readers. I actually have a publication credit to my name–I cannot possibly be as horrible as my lack of self-esteem would lead me to believe.

Forgive me my moment of weakness. I’m sure I will be back tomorrow, brimming with excitement and enthusiasm for the editing processing!

From beyond the keyboard,

Cheryl.

cherylangst@gmail.com

I have been reading a very interesting book on editing called, The First Five Pages, and I am looking forward to applying some of the exercises and strategies to my novel when I leap into the editing process. This is really just a quick update to let you know I haven’t started editing yet–I’ve been busy with other projects. I hope to settle into editing mode sometime in the next day or two.

Until then, assume I am typing away on some piece of fluff for friends and the holidays!

From beyond the keyboard,

Cheryl.

cherylangst@gmail.com

PS: I went to a Canucks game tonight. That’s why the post is so late (and so short). Forgive me, I promise to do better tomorrow!

I read a post on Cassandra Jade’s blog (http://cassandrajade.wordpress.com/) where she initiated a discussion about the various genres people enjoy writing. It got me thinking about my own writing, as such a post should, and I have reached an interesting conclusion.

I like to think of myself as a science-fiction writer, but in reality that’s not what I write about. Sure, I like to stick my characters in space, or on alien planets, but that aspect is really like the set dressing on a stage. I write about characters; what makes them happy, sad, terrified, angry, passionate. I put my characters into settings, sit back, and watch how they deal with whatever I throw at them.

I like space. I like aliens. I like the idea of futuristic technology that allows us to do things we can only dream of at the moment, but I don’t write about that stuff; I use it to craft situations and challenges for my characters to work through. I don’t know if this makes me a science fiction writer or not.

Regardless of what you write, take a moment to wander over to Cassandra’s blog and help add to the discussion – it will get you thinking!

From beyond the keyboard,

Cheryl.

cherylangst@gmail.com

I have left my novel alone for a week now. I know many experts recommend a longer ‘rest period,’ but it just so happens that I am beginning two weeks of vacation starting tomorrow, so while it would be nice to leave it longer, now is the time in my life when I will have sufficient chunks of time to devote to ripping my beloved work to shreds.

I probably won’t start tonight – I have a couple of other, short stories I am working on, and I don’t want to lose the momentum for these projects until they’re done.

On a different, yet related, note – my NaNoWriMo swag arrived today! I ordered the NaNoWriMo author stainless steel travel mug and the 2009 winner shirt. I am very pleased with my purchases.

Hooray for the holidays!

Cheryl.

cherylangst@gmail.com

It’s one thing to come out and proclaim one is going to pursue a writing career in a blog, and entirely another to tell one’s colleagues at work. I started this blog as a means of documenting my journey as a writer. I hoped that, over time, I would develop an ‘audience’ here – a group of people interested in what I have to say, and the stories I write. It seems as though I am slowly succeeding on this front as I have a dedicated cheerleader who avidly gobbles up anything I compose, and there is even someone who has subscribed to my blog. A small audience, to be sure, but a very important one nonetheless.

While it is possible for billions of people across the globe to read my posts, the odds are very slim. My blog is averaging five or six visits per day (which is better than the zero or one I started with); well below superstar status. In addition, these people who come to my site are completely anonymous – if they don’t like what I write, or think I can’t write my way out of a paper bag, it’s no big deal, I just won’t see them here ever again.

Where am I going with this post? Well, talking about writing in my blog is fine, but it’s a little like pretending. If I want, I can just stop posting and slink away with little to no embarassment on my part. However, if I start to tell friends, family, and co-workers about my writing ambitions, that’s a different story. I can’t just stop seeing them if I fail. I can’t pretend I never said, “Oh, I sent a manuscript off to a publisher.” (I haven’t said that yet because it’s not ready to submit – don’t worry, you’ll be the first to hear about it when it happens!)

I have decided to be open about my writing ‘career’ with my colleagues at work, and I’ve done this for two main reasons. One, it’s an exciting journey for me and I want to share it with others as I go along (I guess it’s the storyteller in me coming out). And two, it forces my ambitions out from the ‘pretend’ pile and into the ‘realistic’ slush pile. If I tell people I’ve sent something off, then they are likely to ask me whatever happened. It may not be fun to say, “Oh, it got rejected – again,” but if I want them to share my journey, they deserve to see the ups and the downs.

As cool as it may be to fantasize about walking into my boss’ office and saying, “I quit. I’ve just signed a $20 million three-book deal. I know I never mentioned it before, but I’m a bestselling author,” it’s really rather unrealistic. I would rather have my colleagues cheering for me than stunned, and they won’t be cheering if they haven’t sympathized with me along the way.

It was a bit scary, but I’ve started telling people at work what I’ve been up to. Now I just have to work my tail off to see that something comes of it. I don’t want to be known as the woman who gave up too easily. I want my colleagues to be able to say, “Hey, I knew her before she became a famous writer,” or “I used to work with her. I got to watch her writing grow and develop over the years,” or even, “I work with her! Yes, I can get you an autograph!”

The cat, for what she’s worth, is out of the bag.

From beyond the keyboard,

Cheryl.

cherylangst@gmail.com

I fell like I need a trumpet flourish for this post…

Remember how I mentioned that I submitted a short story to a few magazines for publishing? Well, today I received an email from one of the magazines, and they’re going to publish it! My very first published story will appear in the January 2010 issue of Static Movement. It’s an online science fiction and fantasy magazine that publishes an issue every month, and once every couple of years they publish a print version of their ‘best’ stories.

I can’t share the story here with you until the rights revert back to me at the end of January, but I can post the title and synopsis for my first publishing credit. The story is called, A Question of Purpose, and here’s its essence:

The walk from the prison cell to the Admiral’s chambers was a scant 200 feet, but for Commander Jack Burns it represented twenty-five years of his life. A life spent loyally serving the Empire. A life he now questioned. He measured the distance as he walked, unknowing, toward a destination that would change his life forever.

I am thrilled to have my very first publishing credit! Actually, I’m still a little stunned. I keep opening the email and rereading the text, just to prove to myself I’m not delusional. I’m sure it will eventually sink in, and I’ll be able to walk without clouds under my feet and a goofy grin plastered across my face, but until then I’m going to enjoy this fabulously wonderful feeling of euphoria.

From beyond the keyboard,

Cheryl.

cherylangst@gmail.com

I decided to use my coupon from CreateSpace for a free proof copy of my NaNoWriMo novel. I figure that since I plan on rewriting and editing it so that I can one day send it out to be published, I don’t need to save the coupon for that version as I will invariably pick up a copy or two once it’s actually published. Instead, I decided I wanted a memento of the original draft, warts and all, to remember my novel writing adventure.

I played around with margins and formatting, as well as fonts and spacing as I prepared to turn my Word document into a PDF. The best part was messing around with the various cover page templates. I chose an olive green background with orange writing – which doesn’t sound very appealing, but I can assure you it works quite nicely.

I am looking forward to holding the book in my hands. It came out at 346 pages in trade paperback size (8.5 x 5.5). The spine is 0.75 inches thick! Even if the inside is less than stellar, it will be pretty cool to hold something that amazing with my name on it.

From beyond the keyboard,

Cheryl.

cherylangst@gmail.com

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