Revisions!

[mary_j_59]

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!

Comments

[sunnyskywalker]

Oh goodness, if it's a matter of pages, I think ignore the arbitrary numbers by all means! I have always looked at those beats as rough guidelines, more to make you check whether your characters are, in fact, doing things that change their situations and make them face new decisions, not just spinning their wheels. Are the plot points coming at those spots because there's genuinely something missing or too much of something somewhere--or are events building tension and forcing the characters to make decisions in a smoothly-flowing sequence just fine already? Would a reader actually feel that it's dragging, or not notice whether the beats are on the "wrong" pages in any fashion whatsoever?

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.