Today I re-editied my novel, Maven Fairy Godmother, (97k words, 490 pages) and submitted it to the Authorwise contest. I am glad I did the re-edit. I found words missin, repeated paragraphs and several other glitches. I also rearranged (for the umpteenth time!) the first four chapters. I think it's done now, until someone offers me money to change it!
At the urging of my agent, I had taken out about 30k words, which I will start working up into short stories, as they probably won't fit into the sequel. I found some remnants of those subplots and cleaned them up.
I have a sequel in the works, and I am working to build a platform so that I can find a traditional publislher to pay me to publish it instead of doing the POD-vanity thing.
I want to thank all the pepole here on Gather who have made such encouraging comments about my writing as well as the ones who pointed out improvements I could make.
I wish the best of luck to the Romance Novelists, and hope that someone will run a Science Fiction/Fantasy contest at some point.
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Comments: 37
And re: a FCF/SF contest - me too!
Beauty and the Geek
Cat-House Sonnets
It is a good thing you have called a halt! If you are like me, you could edit and re-edit till there is nothing recognizeable in the manuscript.
Next time consider having someone edit your work. It is next to impossible to edit your own work because you already know what you meant to write and that is often what you see rather than what you've actually written.
I agree, Umar, but after a year and a half of it sitting in the dust, I was better able to read it clearly. I did not remember what all I had cut out of it, and what stayed in. Some time and emotional distance helps. I am glad that I did not submit it before I edited it again.
Thanks Jane, I'm always up for a free book.
Editing never stops, does it? I love being able to return to a piece of writing later and tweak it just a bit. Of course, I love it more when after a long time away from it, a story reads as complete, no changes necessary.
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U
but I may have to break down and do a REAL fantasy, which for me would be ROMANCE!!! *grin*
WAHOOOO>>>CONGRATS!!!!!
hope i make up for my tardyness with loud...if you could hear the airhorn I'd do it too :)