by Michelle Sass Aleckson, @Jesses_girl4evr
Fine. I admit it. I’m a messy writer. Anyone who reads my first draft will wonder how I ever thought I could write. But for me, that creative energy must not be tamed. So Creative-Michelle gets free reign over that draft.
But often what she plops in my hands is a lumpy bumpy mess that somewhat resembles a story. I count on my slightly stricter inner-editor to whip it into shape. But it’s quite a big job.
I tried taking it scene by scene. I’d start working on scene tension, get sucked into finding a different word for “smiled” and then find myself completely lost on how to layer in the excitement yet trepidation I think my heroine was feeling and forget all about the tension I was trying to build in the first place. I never seemed to move on to the next scene.
My poor editor self. So overwhelmed with the mess Creative-Me made. So many things to look at. Story structure, scene structure, tension, word-smithing, emotion, storyworld, and timing. And even though she’s an editor, there’s still a lot of random in her, so she was easily distracted and running in circles.
A new strategy was needed. So of course, I asked the expert. Susan May Warren.
Susie’s advice: layers. Do the editing in layers.
(And that, folks, is why I’m a member of Novel. Academy!)
I’m now focusing on one element at a time, starting with the biggest: overall-story structure. After a rough draft I give it a quick read through and take notes on any big plot holes or things that need filling in the over all story. After reading the whole story, I go back and fill those gaps.
Then I go scene-by-scene to look only at the individual scene structure. I put my blinders on and try not to worry about emotion or anything else. Just break down each scene and make sure it’s got the elements it needs.
If it’s an action scene, is there a clear goal or want for the POV character? What is at stake for the hero or heroine? And are there obstacles keeping the poor hero from reaching his goal?
Is it a reaction scene? Then Editor Michelle looks for the dilemma or creates one. The hero must look at all the options and decide something and face the next challenge.
Does each scene end with something in the air, making the reader want to keep going? Go from “Once upon a time” to the “happily ever after” and make sure every scene is strong and has the necessary tension.
Now I go back to the beginning and look at emotion. What is the main feeling of the POV to start the scene? Is it displayed in the character’s actions and dialogue? Is it reflected in storyworld or metaphor? How does it change by the end of the scene? Lather, rinse, repeat for each chapter.
Finally, I add in the final layer, get down to the nitty gritty words themselves. Strong verbs? Active voice? Deep POV? Good! And Editor-Me is ruthless with cutting out fluffy overwriting while she’s at it!
Whew! Now it’s looking more like a story. Something both Creative & Editor Michelle can be proud of.
I’m still finding my groove with this novel-writing thing but taking editing it in layered bite size chunks is making the task a lot less daunting.
How about you? What’s your editing strategy?
After growing up on both the east and west coasts and traveling the world, Michelle Sass Aleckson now enjoys living the country life in central Minnesota with her husband and four children. She loves rocking out to 80’s tunes on a Saturday night and playing board games with family and friends. She’s a graduate of Novel Academy’s Storycrafter course, and she won the 2018 Genesis Award for Romantic Suspense and the 2018 Cascade Award for Contemporary Fiction. Look for her debut novel with Sunrise Publishing in 2021. And in the meantime, you can connect with her at michellealeckson.com!