Five Struggles of Editing a First Ever Novel
I'm in the middle of edits for my first novel, The Dawn of a Hero. I noticed a few things that were missing in comparison to my more recent novels, which made editing a bit of a challenge. I thought I might share some of my struggles. Believe me, they're eye-roll worthy.
1. Plot structure. We all need bones to stand. A house needs a structure to be useful. Same with our stories. Well, younger me didn't know this. So I just slapped eleven chapters together and hoped it would turn out okay. *hits younger self with a 2x4*
2. Character motivations. Antagonists need motivations. Mine didn't have one. In fact, he didn't even show up until the last few chapters. Talk about not scary. So yeah. Had to go back and add some fun reasons why he's the bad guy! (or else it would be a really boring, pointless read. No one wants that. Blah!)
3. Useless characters. We've all been there. We want to write the next Hobbit, where there are dozens of important characters constantly present in the story. BAD IDEA! Unless they add something to the story, don't bother creating them in the first place. You'll likely take them out later. I've taken out at least two major characters and changed/combined several others. Super annoying, but necessary.
4. Non-period lingo. Yeah. Yep. Okay. Sure. etc. I'm writing fantasy, y'all! Medieval Fantasy! Most don't have that kind of language. But twelve-year-old me didn't know that! So guess what? I wrote it that way, thinking it was okay. *facedesk* *whacks my younger self in the face with a heavy dictionary*
5. Rabbit hole side plots. We've all been there too. There are so many different side plots that seem more interesting than our main plot. But no! We must leave them behind or else rein them in! I had so many different avenues that I took during my first draft. Now I've got to round them all up and decide which ones to keep.
There you have it!! Five things I'm struggling with during edits. One day maybe I'll start sharing bits and pieces of my story. But for now, I hope you got at least a few laughs out of my shortcomings.
What sorts of things do you struggle with as you write? What are ways you go about fixing them?
1. Plot structure. We all need bones to stand. A house needs a structure to be useful. Same with our stories. Well, younger me didn't know this. So I just slapped eleven chapters together and hoped it would turn out okay. *hits younger self with a 2x4*
2. Character motivations. Antagonists need motivations. Mine didn't have one. In fact, he didn't even show up until the last few chapters. Talk about not scary. So yeah. Had to go back and add some fun reasons why he's the bad guy! (or else it would be a really boring, pointless read. No one wants that. Blah!)
3. Useless characters. We've all been there. We want to write the next Hobbit, where there are dozens of important characters constantly present in the story. BAD IDEA! Unless they add something to the story, don't bother creating them in the first place. You'll likely take them out later. I've taken out at least two major characters and changed/combined several others. Super annoying, but necessary.
4. Non-period lingo. Yeah. Yep. Okay. Sure. etc. I'm writing fantasy, y'all! Medieval Fantasy! Most don't have that kind of language. But twelve-year-old me didn't know that! So guess what? I wrote it that way, thinking it was okay. *facedesk* *whacks my younger self in the face with a heavy dictionary*
5. Rabbit hole side plots. We've all been there too. There are so many different side plots that seem more interesting than our main plot. But no! We must leave them behind or else rein them in! I had so many different avenues that I took during my first draft. Now I've got to round them all up and decide which ones to keep.
There you have it!! Five things I'm struggling with during edits. One day maybe I'll start sharing bits and pieces of my story. But for now, I hope you got at least a few laughs out of my shortcomings.
What sorts of things do you struggle with as you write? What are ways you go about fixing them?
I mostly struggle with pacing. I'll look up from writing and realize I've just been making useless conversations or overloading description or action. Thankfully, it's fairly easy to edit...just cut a few things out, and stick a few things in to even everything up!
ReplyDeleteYes! Pacing can be very difficult during first drafts (or even second drafts), but thankfully it's something that can be fixed pretty easily!
DeleteI totally get where you're coming from. These are the hardest things about editing. Thankfully I'm drafting right now.
ReplyDeleteGlad you're back! I didn't really know you were taking a break, too.
LOL, I went on a trip with Jules and her family. I kinda forgot to mention it... but anyway, I'm back and ready to get back into this awesome thing called writing!
DeleteYeah, we kinda stole her for a week...
DeleteLol, well I hope you had fun. Its cool you guys know each other in real life. Having writer friends is important. <3
DeleteAHHH, THESE STRUGGLES ARE SO REAL!
ReplyDeleteOn a side note, I found that having my characters take the Meyer Briggs test as a really good way as finding out their strengths and weaknesses, which helps me find motivation for them!
I haven't yet tried the Meyer Briggs test on my characters. But I have considered it. So maybe I'll do that at some point and see if it reveals any new info.
DeleteThis sounds like my early [and abandoned] stories! A few things were missing... like plot structure and character motivations (especially for the late-arriving antagonist, yes!). Hopefully my writing has matured a bit since then and my WIP won't be as bad as my old ones...
ReplyDeleteI hope your editing goes well! :)
Jem Jones
If you cringe a bit at your old writing, chances are your writing has matured. So keep on writing and get excited about where it's going to take you next!
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