On Editing…

A couple of weeks ago, I printed up all of the pages of the novel that I had written up until that point. I had a couple of reasons for doing this:

1) I needed to regroup and see where the novel was going. This was a good idea because there are times I made references to things that I never went back to and other times I see where things were really moving.
2) I want to have a solid 20 to 25 pages to submit to Vermont College which only helps me have a solid first 20 to 25 pages of the novel. So, essentially that 50 pages I had earlier, has completely changed – for the better I think.

I have definitely succeeded in both accounts. I don’t know what the rules are with editing while completely a first manuscript, but it seems to work for me. For one thing, I completely changed the nature of the relationship between the two main male characters so that the story isn’t about the friendship that already exists, but the one that will eventually emerge. I also solidified where my characters sit in the social network of the school. I have a better idea as to the ending of this first book and where the next one will pick up. And, I have weaved into it a very exciting addition to the whole aspect of the book – which continues to remain hidden for now…

I guess it is a lot like retracing your steps in life, sometimes you have to reach back into something that happened in order to move forward. I think that is exactly what I’ve done here…