Too much is happening around here these days, making editing a real salty one! Amazingly, summer has dragged on a lot longer than it should have. It’s now October 21, and we have yet to have a hard frost. That means my vegetable garden is still in production mode. I guess I could deconstruct it now, but then I’d miss out on fresh veggies, some of which actually enjoy the cooler temperatures, like lettuce and spinach and chard. There seems to be no end to this mild weather, at least that’s what my phone tells me. It’s unreliable, yes, but I need it.
Finally, we are moving forward on getting the roof repaired (hopefully before the first snow). A huge tree bounced off it May 5 during a night of wind gusts into 96 mph. I didn’t write about it, too busy in the aftermath. This isn’t the first time a tree fell on our house, and unless the neighbors remove the last one standing, it won’t be the last time. Fighting with the insurance company is no fun. I don’t get the reluctance to pay off; we pay premiums, a monster tree fell on our house. We have photographic and video evidence that it’s not in our imaginations.
The tree after my husband sawed off the smaller stuff.
Actually, we filed a claim for roof damage on our rental house (different insurance) – much later, mind you, in August – and ta-da! as of Friday, we have a new roof on that house! What a difference a company makes!
(Side note: Nationwide is NOT on your side.)
So now that Real Life complications have finally settled down (somewhat), I’m able to go back to the manuscript. Unfortunately, after taking a two week break, I’ve got to start at the beginning.
This is where taking copious handwritten notes are a good idea. After reading the handwritten notes (doesn’t take much time), I can get back to the work a lot easier.
I can’t remember when I started writing reference notes. It might have been when I was re-writing Finding Cadence, and the first time it was to get the timeline straight. That story takes place between February and October. I find that using a monthly calendar (with space for each day) and inserting it into my notebook to write notes works well for me. I’ve done it with each story I’ve written, whether it takes place in a week, or 30 days, or longer. I log which characters have a major scene, page numbers, on specific days.
The notebook also records each character’s personality traits. You might not want the reader to absorb all of that information in the finished book, but it’s important for the author to know their characters inside and out. (I want to insert here that writing isn’t just about writing. A lot of major thought has to be put into what exactly you’re going to do, and how you’re going to achieve your goals.)
I also clip photos to insert in my notebook, draw maps, draw house layouts, etc. I suppose I could use Pinterest. I have a Pinterest page and have used it for writing before, but at this stage I’m all about having a tactile reference that is not connected to the Internet.
Oh yes, I’m a pantser. I couldn’t outline my story before writing it, no way! I could maybe come up with a vague outline once the first draft is written. However, it does help to have some idea of what you’re doing, and taking notes, whether you do it with pen and ink (or pencil) or on your computer is a must!
So far, on the current edit (the story takes place during seven days), I’ve completed Days 1-3. A quick read, and I’ll be able to start on Day 4, maybe by this afternoon.
Happy reading, writing, and editing to you!
