I’ve been working on editing the novel (again). I’ve decided that the best approach is to start with an outline of the scenes I have so far. Then, I can decide what stays and what goes.

To complicate matters, I’ve decided to add three new characters. They’re going to add quite a bit to the plot, so that’s even more rewriting.

Even with all the editing, I still really like this novel. The plot is good, and the characters are people I’d like to know more about, even if they’re not the nicest people all the time. Face it, who wants to read about those, anyway?

One technique that I like is outlining scene by scene and then looking at what conflict (if any) is there. If the scene doesn’t move the storyline alone in some way, then it either needs rewriting or removing. I know some people don’t like a conflict-packed novel, but I think if you take a broad definition of conflict, it works well. Conflict doesn’t have to be action-oriented.

I also find that I have to make myself not jump in to rewriting. I can easily rewrite the first fifty pages dozens of times (editing!) and never look twice at the rest of the novel. My first step has to be taking a look at the novel as a whole, and doing an outline is the best way for me to do that.

I’ve been working on editing my novel, and I thought I might share the process I go through to do so.

First, I break the novel down into scenes. Each chapter might be one or (more often) several scenes. I make a quick note of each scene in each chapter, which yields a rudimentary outline. Of course, if you write from outline in the first place, this step should be pretty quick.

Then, I evaluate each scene and decide if it stays or goes. Does the scene contribute to the overall plot?  Does the scene accomplish something that no other scene does?

Then, I decide if I need to add any scenes. Since I write without an outline, sometimes I want to work in a scene or two to foreshadow an event later in the novel.

After I have an outline of all the scenes that will be in the novel, then I begin reworking scene by scene. One of the first things I do is evaluate the level of conflict in the scene. What kind of conflict is it? Can I show the conflict that’s going on in a better way?

Then, I look at the setting, descriptions, etc. I tend to be a little sparse on setting during the rough draft, so I need to make a conscious effort to work that in.

After reworking all the scenes, then I begin to tackle dialogue. I want my characters to have their own voices, but often those unique voices don’t fully develop until well into the novel. I use a highligher and mark each of the main characters’ dialogue in a different color. Then, I read each character’s dialogue on its own and make any changes that I feel are needed.

Finally, when that’s finished, I correct any grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc.

Sound time consuming? It is.

For those of you who are wondering, I’m still at step one. I’m outlining and evaluating which scenes will stay in the novel. I have a long way to go!

I finished the rough draft this evening. Word count is nearly 73,000.

Next step, get a free rough draft printed up from Lulu . They’re offering a free book to all NaNo winners.

Then, editing! I’ll be spending the next few days dividing the book up into scenes and creating an outline. I’ll be submitting this to Wizards of the Coast by mid-February, so I have a lot of work to do.

over 60,000  words

Okay, so it isn’t where I wanted to be by now. I had hoped to finish the novel by the end of this month, but that isn’t looking very promising at the moment.

To complicate matters, I seem to have written myself into a pretty interesting situation, but I have no idea how to get out of it. No, I don’t outline before writing. To be honest, I’ve never finished anything that I outlined first, but that’s a different story.

So… my character is in a pretty tight spot. Lots of loose ends are being tied up, questions answered, etc. But the major conflict remains, and I don’t see any way to resolve it at the moment.

I’m asking Santa for a big stocking full of inspiration this Christmas. Let’s hope that I’ve been good enough to get it.

Word count: 56,289

I just wanted to give a quick novel update. The word count is creeping up, albeit slower than I had hoped.

As has happened on several occasions, I just watched the characters take on their own lives. Challenging, but certainly interesting.

word count: 54,340

Okay, so it’s not nearly what I had hoped it would be. My goal is about 2000 words per day until the novel is finished. Obviously, I haven’t been achieving that.

One thing I am happy about is that I’ve been able to keep up the habit of writing every day. Yes, the plot is a bit slow in coming now, but I know from experience that will change if I keep pushing through.  In order to do that, I have to keep writing, every day, no matter what.

Wish me luck, and higher word count!

Word Count: 53,448

Here’s some basic information about the novel…

Working Title: Lost Time
Genre: Speculative Fiction
Main Character: Single female

This novel has been percolating for a while, but I did begin it on November 3 , when I joined NaNoWriMo . I didn’t outline beforehand, as recommended, but as you see, things worked out just fine anyway.

I’d be curious to know how many people outline a novel before writing and how many are like me and just write — by the seat of their pants, so to speak.

I’ve tried both methods, and frankly, outlining doesn’t work well for me. Part of the joy of writing is watching the story unfold, and enjoying the surprises (and pitfalls) along the way. Once a story is outlined, it has lost its charm for me, and I’m very unlikely to do much more with it.

My goal is to finish the rough draft some time in December, and I’m guessing that will be about 90,000 words or so. Whew!