How to Edit Your Novel and Not Throw It in the Trash
In December last year I finished my novel. Finally! After about ten months of researching, plotting, and writing, I could finally say I’m finished! Pop the champagne! Bring out the chocolates! Let’s celebrate! Of course, my boyfriend, being the more logical one, brought up the teeny tiny fact that, in truth, I was not finished. I still needed to edit. But at the time, in my mind, I was done. Party time! Editing — shmediting. After finishing a story that took up most of my life I felt like I could take on the world. Editing would be a peace of cake!
Looking back now, I was so excited. I had my little unicorn notebook on my right and a unicorn mug filled with hot cocoa on my left. I was ready to bust this thing out in a month and have it ready for publishing in September.
The excitement? You know what happened to it?
It died.
After the first read through I realized I began my novel too early. I had to scrap about three or four chapters, which I originally spent hours on to make perfect. Word of advice, don’t spend hours on writing beautiful prose in the first draft. There is a high likelihood you will just have to chuck it out.
The next pitfall I found was about halfway through with the initial edit. I realized my protagonist’s goal — What was it? Was it lurking behind a rock? Nope. Under the bed? Nope. Oh where, oh where could it be?
My protagonist didn’t have a goal.
At least not a very good goal.
Honestly, she was just wandering around aimlessly being pulled from one direction to the next without having any impact, which made her downright boring.
So, I had a choice to make. Either repeat my usual and just dump the project and start a new one, or fight on. I put so much work into this piece and I was so invested in the characters. I really wanted to see what would happen at the finish line and what kind of person my protagonist would become. However, I also had so many other ideas for different novels I could start.
My problem is I never finish anything. I constantly have new ideas going in and out of me. As soon as I get about twenty pages into a story I stop and start a new one. My computer is riddled with at least thirty story beginnings, but not one with an ending.
I decided that this time I will finish this story, even if it takes me another year. But I had to go in with a game plan if I wanted to make it to the finish line. So I wrote a list of what needed to be done.
1. Give my protagonist a goal.
Preferably two goals. What makes an interesting character audiences want to read about, is someone who has needs and wants which conflict with each other.
2. Delete all useless plot.
My character was going through so many different stories. She met evil cat people that wanted to destroy all humanity. She was captured by priestesses who were secretly assassins. You know what my story was supposed to be about? Sirens and pirates. Yet, at some point I moved so far away from that theme and got lost along the way. You know why?
Because she didn’t have a goal!
I didn’t delete these story lines. I cut them from my novel and saved them in a separate document. They could always make great short stories or novels themselves!
3. Write all ideas for future novels down.
At some point in the editing process I just can’t help, but get sidetracked. Like I said before. I have so many ideas running in and out of my head it’s difficult for me to stay focused. So, get a cute notebook or make a word document and just save it for a rainy day.
4. Take it chapter by chapter.
Just like in life, don’t worry about what happened in the past and don’t worry what’s coming in the future. What’s happening now? Stay focused in that and how it furthers the characters.
Conclusion
And there you have it. That’s how I have somewhat stayed sane in the writing process and not just thrown everything in the trash. Honestly, I think most of this could have been avoided by simply giving my character a goal and keeping them from going off into wild tangents. The best thing to keep in mind is to make it fun for yourself. Grab some coffee (or tea), put on some epic music, and bust out that story. That novel belongs somewhere and someone will definitely want to read it.
