Ooooohhhh!!!!!! This is so hard.
Okay it's not hard really but I was just feeling the need to be a bit a dramatic artiste/creative type and I didn't much fancy lopping an ear off.
This is my problem.
I am editing BTL and I have realised about ten minutes ago that I seem to be getting through this rewrite much quicker now than I had been when I was doing the early stages. Now, it could be that the early chapters were really rubbish and needed a lot of work on them while the part I am on at the moment is just brilliant. Somehow I doubt it. Do you think that maybe I'm rushing it because I'm keen to send it off to the agent that I was going on about the other day. (I am sort of thinking out loud here so please bare with me. Do however feel free to jump in at any time.)I think that I am rushing it. Yes definitely now that I've put it like that I think that I am. There was a point in my last chapter when I thought "hang on that happened a bit quick didn't it" so if I'm thinking that then readers but more importantly in the first instance agents probably will too.
Deep sigh.
Yes, I am rushing it. There are parts that need changing but I'm going to plod on 'til the end and then go back. I went over and over the first 3 chapters until I was heartily sick of them so I don't want to make the same mistake again.
Okay so that's that drama over now I would like some more hard and fast advice rather than just the kind listening of friends to someones rant.
I have a problem with chapters.I made the mistake of just writing the book without any chapter breaks so now I am busily trying to fit them in. What advice can you give me about the best place to do this. Is it when you move onto a different aspect of the story? Or would some of you do it a different way? I would love to hear from anyone who can help. I think that i am happy with my chapters but I would like a different perspective.
Thanks as always for listening.
8 comments:
Hi GBW, have a look at a book you really enjoyed reading. See where the author has made the chapters breaks.
From my understand( and I've been know to be wrong here and I haven't had a book published yet. Before anyone points this out to you..lol)each chapter needs to finish on a cliff hanger or something of excitement to make the reader turn to the next page.
When I mapped out my novel I made sure that each chapter in itself had a sort of beginning middle and an end. My chapters came to a natural ending but finished on a high that made the reader want to know what was going to happen next.
In my first attempt at writing a novel I wrote each new chapter with a different character so as I got closer to the end of the books all the characters would final meet up.
I hope this is of some help.
Good luck
Annie
Cheers Annie and raspberries to anyone who would point out that you haven't had a book published yet. I will certainly bear in mind what you have said. Currently my chapters are each dealing with something in particular.
I like the idea of each character having it's own chapter and then meeting up at the end. Whatever happened to that book?
I don#t really have anything of value to add other than to say that I am currently in the same situation. As I am writing I struggle to work out where and when a chapter break should go! I will watch your comments with great interest!
I am so glad that I'm not in this boat by myself Mummy. Let's hope that we can both learn something.
Well, GBW, I'm rewriting that book as we speak with the feedback I received from a publisher. Fingers cross that I get it right this time. Oh and by the way they didn't say that any of my chapters were in the wrong place or weren't stronger. It was mainly that my characters needed more background to bring them alive.
Sounds promising Annie
I think you need a plan or check list for your editing procedure. That way you'll keep track of what you've achieved and what is still to go. For me, there are many passes through the text when editing: plot consistency, characterisation, atmosphere & emotion, pace, grammar, punctuation and probably a few more. I make a table of edit types and chapters, then try to make sure I fill in the table completely before I deem my editing to be finished.
Chapters should have a beginning, a middle and an end. The ending should have some kind of hook or unanswered question, to make the reader want to move onto the next chapter. I'm basically agreeing with what Annie says; something I was taught on a writing course.
Wow, that chart sounds a bit complicated and as you've probably guessed I'm a very uncomplicated sort of girl (okay girl might be stretching it.) I do agree though that I need to have a record of what I've done so I'll bear a simple version of your chart in mind.
I didn't make it to the novel writing section of my course so I wasn't taught the beginning middle end thing for each chapter but I do remember reading it somewhere. I guess that must be the way to do it.
Thanks
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