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Revisions!
So I'm still at it! Still revising the perpetual SF novel, as a result of another R&R from another small press. And--
It's so much fun! Really, I love this book with all my heart partly because it's been such a journey of discovery for me. I never imagined I would love editing so much; I always preferred the dreamlike state of drafting. But fine-tuning this book is just a blast so far. It's so great seeing scenes come into focus with small cuts or changes in phrasing. I've managed to cut close to 1.3 K words from the manuscript so far and, as far as I can tell, it's helped it. I HAVE added a couple of scenes as well, and there's another scene--a flashback--to be added to the latter half of the story. That's all good. However--
I am trying to correct the position of major plot points as I edit. It was my hope that, by cutting extraneous words and scenes, I'd move the first, second and third turnings where they ought to be (before 1/4 of the way through, before and just slightly after the halfway point). And--it's not happening. You see, as the book itself gets shorter, those percentages don't move. My first turning is still just under 26 percent of the way through, and the second sits at 51 percent.
This is why, in order to force major plot points into position, authors may rely on flashbacks.
As my faithful readers know, I'm averse to flashbacks for this story. I do have a couple already, and as I said, I'll add at least one more. But, in general, I think readers need to experience this world in real time. Else they'll get utterly lost. So I'm kind of stuck.
But here's what I think: What matters more than some arbitrary number is the flow of the story, and its clarity. If I improve those things--and i think I have--it won't matter so much if a plot point happens a few pages after its "supposed to". At least, that's my hope. I'm trying to make sure every word and every scene carries the story forward. If I do that, I really think I'll be okay--if not for this small press, then hopefully for another.
Wish me luck!
It's so much fun! Really, I love this book with all my heart partly because it's been such a journey of discovery for me. I never imagined I would love editing so much; I always preferred the dreamlike state of drafting. But fine-tuning this book is just a blast so far. It's so great seeing scenes come into focus with small cuts or changes in phrasing. I've managed to cut close to 1.3 K words from the manuscript so far and, as far as I can tell, it's helped it. I HAVE added a couple of scenes as well, and there's another scene--a flashback--to be added to the latter half of the story. That's all good. However--
I am trying to correct the position of major plot points as I edit. It was my hope that, by cutting extraneous words and scenes, I'd move the first, second and third turnings where they ought to be (before 1/4 of the way through, before and just slightly after the halfway point). And--it's not happening. You see, as the book itself gets shorter, those percentages don't move. My first turning is still just under 26 percent of the way through, and the second sits at 51 percent.
This is why, in order to force major plot points into position, authors may rely on flashbacks.
As my faithful readers know, I'm averse to flashbacks for this story. I do have a couple already, and as I said, I'll add at least one more. But, in general, I think readers need to experience this world in real time. Else they'll get utterly lost. So I'm kind of stuck.
But here's what I think: What matters more than some arbitrary number is the flow of the story, and its clarity. If I improve those things--and i think I have--it won't matter so much if a plot point happens a few pages after its "supposed to". At least, that's my hope. I'm trying to make sure every word and every scene carries the story forward. If I do that, I really think I'll be okay--if not for this small press, then hopefully for another.
Wish me luck!
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I mean, can you imagine someone actually going, "Well, I was totally absorbed and got carried along by the story and loved it, but then I went back and counted pages and Plot Point X happened three pages later than my guidelines dictate. You'll have to add something in this spot I've marked. And make sure it isn't padding, even though I have no reason to ask you to add it in the first place except to pad out a section so everything occurs at exactly the specified page number." That doesn't sound like a good editor to work with, in my opinion.
Pages, etc--
In this editor's opinion, that's when the story starts, and I need to move this second view of the scene to the 20 percent mark. Yes, he had an exact page number!
It seems this idea comes from a book called Saving the Cat, which I've heard of but haven't yet read. It seems to be enormously influential in TV and film writing and in genre fiction.
I do agree my plot points have to happen faster, and that's what I'm struggling with. Mine is a relatively slow, inward story. But the bigger problem is what the story actually is, and therefore what the plot points are. That the editor did not understand this is a problem I must also solve. Two of my readers gave me a way forward, and I am so happy with the revisions they encouraged. Even so, I do feel this story probably won't work for this particular editor. No fault to him or to me! No one story works for everyone.
Speaking of which--I do appreciate your comment! In some ways, we're talking in a vacuum, since you haven't read the book. Would you like me to shoot you the revised first chapter? If so, how shall I get it to you safely?
Re: Pages, etc--
I have not read the original Save the Cat, which I understand was screenplay-focused, but I did recently read Save the Cat Writes a Novel. And I'm pretty sure it said somewhere that there is some flexibility about exactly where beats should hit and sometimes even in what order. So anyone trying to adhere to the formula that rigidly is ignoring part of the instructions. I also understood the book to be saying that the story ought to fall more or less into those patterns because you have designed the character conflicts to organically produce those beats and then used them during revisions to, for example, see whether a section is paced much slower or faster than others and will feel like it's dragging or racing by, comparatively. I'm pretty sure it did not say to always have Beat X at exactly n% of the way through, not "n plus or minus 2%, because n is a magic number which must never be deviated from on pain of eternal non-publication." But I only read it once, so maybe it does come across that dogmatically at some points? Or maybe the original does?
I also recently read Story Genius by Lisa Cron, which had a really interesting take. I don't particularly like the marketing surrounding the book (anything too strident about how it's new! and different! and will revolutionize your worldview! makes me uneasy). And I haven't fully digested it yet and will probably have to re-read. But it definitely had a lot of food for thought. Cron is pro-planning but not pro-traditional-outlining, in that she doesn't think plotting from the outside in by focusing on the plot events and where exactly they hit gets at the heart of the story and can lead to beautifully-designed but ineffective novels. I don't remember exactly the analogy she used, but it was something like comparing it to cargo cults: looking at a successful story, trying to replicate all the external trappings, and expecting that will make it work. So if you have to make an argument from authority, at least there's one book saying "don't write to a beat sheet," I guess?
I'd be happy to take a look! If it is middle grade or YA, I should declare up front that I'm by no means an expert in those formats. But I do read a lot of SF/F. I'll message you about a way to send it if you like.
Re: Pages, etc--
So--I'm compiling and attaching a RTF. If it seems too much, just let me know when you stop and why, and that will also be helpful.
Thank you!