David Weller Author Blogspot

Apart from a small arrow indicating that the start of the first paragraph should be against the left hand margin, a missing question mark and one small typo, this chapter didn’t draw any criticism from my editor. At first glance it seemed that it required almost no work at all. Appearances can be deceptive. This chapter marks the midpoint in the story. It is where something happens to set the MC off on a new path. In the first draft, the MC became less proactive from this point on. This was the main issue which needed to be addressed when I set about revising. Because of changes I’d made to earlier chapters, much of what I’d written became redundant and so I cut out almost 80% of the original text. The manner in which the MC is forced to change direction wasn’t as dramatic as it could have been. This is where I needed to go and lie down, close my eyes and come up with something better. I’m not going to give away too much here but the solution was so simple, I still wonder w...

When I looked at the MS for chapter eleven there wasn’t a single comment by my editor on the first two pages. Great, I thought. I must be getting the hang of this now. How wrong I was. Fortunately for me, revisions to earlier chapters enabled me to remove most of page three and tweak what was left. Page four was much the same. Page five required only minor changes and I incorporated a suggestion my editor made about the MC welcoming the opportunity to meet up again with someone she once knew. The main change to this chapter came on page six where a plot line concerning a minor character reached its climax. I didn’t exploit this to its full potential in the first draft. Apart from the reader learning that the minor character’s scheming hadn’t paid off, it was a bit of a letdown. This was mainly because she didn’t react against the fate which awaited her. In chapter two, the MC’s best friend was completely caught out by events, so didn’t have any time to put up any resistance. I...

The purpose of this blog is to illustrate how critical self editing can improve an aspiring author’s work. It is also to show the value of seeking an opinion from someone qualified to give an honest and unbiased assessment. If you’re not sure what I mean, read through my posts.

Apart from a small amount of rewriting to show character reactions in more detail, Chapter Nine required only minor editing. However, a comment my editor made about the MC disobeying orders provided a catalyst for me to make changes elsewhere. This comment was highlighted again in the editorial report and made a very valid point. In my first draft, the MC was just a little too nice and as the story progressed this became a hindrance. In my rewrites I have shown the MC being rebellious from the start. This aspect of her character is one which helps to define her as a person and makes her actions later on more believable.     Chapter Ten is where the editing stopped and some serious rewriting began. In summary, this is what I did to improve it. In the original version, the MC witnesses the Watch leave the village to try and catch one of the mysterious intruders. The following morning, she learns that they’d had an encounter and several people were hurt. She pays a ...

I said in an earlier post how I’d written the initial draft of this novel in 1 st person, present tense. This was to enable me to get closer to the MC’s POV. Once I’d completed it, I changed it into 3 rd person, past tense. Whilst I’d succeeded in my aim, I did manage to trip myself up. The problem was that the first draft resulted in a couple of events in which the MC wasn’t present. She learned about these events from a third person. This resulted in ‘telling’ not ‘showing’. The first of these involved an incident which resulted in the MC’s nearest and dearest being arrested. I discussed in an earlier post how I’d rewritten this into a scene shown through the eyes of the most important character present. The second occurred in Chapter Ten and involved an encounter with mysterious outsiders. The MC witnessed some of the other characters set off into the night and learned about their adventure when she visited a friend who’d been injured. The third and fourth examples oc...

The saggy middle plagues many novels, even published ones. My first self edited draft was no exception. When a Literary Consultant read my one page synopsis, her expert editorial eye spotted this immediately. When I received my MS back from the editor, she commissioned to read my work, this aspect was highlighted in far greater detail. I’m not sure what causes this. Perhaps it’s because we’re all fired up at the beginning and lose steam as our stories take shape. Maybe it’s down to complacency, or impatience to get to the end. Whatever the reason it is something we need to pay attention to. The second half of my novel has required ten times more work than the first. It is where the editing stopped and some serious rewriting began. Over the next few posts I’ll try to illustrate some of the changes I have made.

Throughout most of my MS, I showed characters' reactions in an appropriate way and with enough detail. Chapter Eight was one place I could have done better. To illustrate this point, I’ll show you the original text followed by the amended version. Jennifer opened the door with anticipation. Jennifer held her breath; her body tense as she opened the front door to let them in. "Guardians and suspected Scavengers," Jack moaned. Jack sprang from his chair with resentment creasing his face. "Guardians and suspected Scavengers," he said, storming out of the room and slamming the door behind him. "Best we try to get some sleep," Ellie said. "It will be dawn in a few hours." Ellie struggled to keep her hopes alive. "Come on," she said, getting to her feet and offering a hand to help him up. "We could both do with some sleep." Dawn came before Ellie was ready and she stumbled from her bed more asleep than awake. ...