It used to take me FOREVER, Reader. Weeks. Months even. And I used to dread it just as much as everyone else. Sometimes I’d put it off for weeks and start something new just so I wouldn't have to do it. Procrastination by means of doing more work. 😩 I’m of course talking about editing. More specifically editing a story. It used to take me months to do. Endless weeks of grueling tedious work. Now that I have an organized well-thought-out system, I can edit a third of a book in a week. No joke. So if the thought of editing makes you want to scroll the latest social media instead? Well, then you’re in luck because I’m about to show you how to do pain-free edits in 3 passes. First DraftIn your First Draft pass of edits you want to do the following: Go through chapter by chapter and catalog important details about the main cast of characters and locations.
Highlight any place where info needs to be researched: measurements, place names, uniform details—anything—just highlight it and use a placeholder or symbol like an asterisk. You can set up hotkeys to make highlights like this a snap in Scrivener Make sure there are no remaining plot holes. You don’t want any unused Chekhov's guns or unintentional red herrings. Lastly, make sure each scene flows into the next or that you properly utilize scene or chapter breaks. Second DraftIn your Second Draft pass of edits you want to do the following: Start at the beginning and fill in the info you highlighted in the previous draft. You know all those details you shelved to look up or research until later? Now's the time to do it. Check your characters and location descriptions against your continuity log to ensure they remain consistent throughout the story. This is why programs like Scrivener that offer a side-by-side view to display your log on one side and your story’s scene or chapter on the other are super helpful.
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KAT VANCIL THE STORYTELLER'S SAGA QUEST 70 Guys don’t blush that much.’ The above is a comment I received from a peer on a 2017 Romance anthology, Reader. It’s what started me on the road to what I write today—Boys Love. Also known as M/M Romance or Achillean Romance Fiction. So why am I talking about it? Because most storytellers hate reviews. They’re considered at best—a necessary evil. And at worst—something to send you into a doom spiral. Especially the critical ones. But are all critical...
KAT VANCIL THE STORYTELLER'S SAGA QUEST 69 I made a mistake, Reader. A HUGE one. And I had to solve it FAST. Let me back up. I was down to the wire on my deadline to finish a short story for a contest and I miscalculated. By a lot. Like by a thousand words a lot. Now cutting a few fluff words or sentences here or there is par for the course when editing a story. But a thousand? That’s the difference between repainting a few rooms in your home and ripping out a whole freakin’ floor. But that’s...
KAT VANCIL THE STORYTELLER'S SAGA QUEST 68 Bet you’re wondering…Why’s this email coming a day late? Well aside from the fact that I had a massive migraine yesterday— (I’ve got a rare chronic illness that causes them—hooray!) I’m down to the wire, Reader, working on a short story for a contest. The same contest I entered last year and won. Which earned me a coveted spot in this anthology. Versus by the Fantasy and SciFi Writers Alliance The story is due Monday by midnight and I’m mostly done...