Gawd.

[mizkit]

God, but THE PRETENDER’S CROWN is a big book. I’ve gone through over 300 pages now (and cut 15 or 20. I’m hoping to discover, when I read my editor’s suggestions on things to cut, that she’s got *different* places to cut from. I don’t know that I can manage to strike the 100 pages that arcaedia/Jenn thinks would be ideal, but if I could get up to 50 or

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[mizkit]

Similarly. :)

I can only read so much in a day, because I stop actually editing and at best start reading, without paying very much attention to what I'm doing.

This is the first time I've ever really had to try to cut a lot, so I'm looking at scenes and trying to figure out if I can make another scene do the same thing more briefly. Two or three times that's been possible, so far. It's hard to do, because I LUFF MY WORDS, but I don't want the book to drag, either.

It's made more difficult in this book by the writing style of this series; it's much more intricate and slower than my other books, with lots of words where possibly fewer would do. The problem with cutting some of them is that, well, this is a stylistic choice, and if I prune back too far I'm taking away from part of what makes the story what it is.

Right now I'm hitting it all at the highest level I can. I've got the revision letter, which I've read and am taking notes on when I get to bits I remember, but later, I'll go through the manuscript a second time on a line by line basis according to the revision letter.

Interestingly, the actual revisions are pretty minor. It's just that I'm trying to cut--well, my agent wanted to see 100 pages cut from the first 250. As I said, if I can get 70 out, I'll feel like I've been pretty bloody successful. I think the book will be better for the cuts, and it helps to have somebody else's eyes on it suggesting places that can be shrunk down, but yes, in short, agonizing. :)

[jeditigger]

That just seems ... dude. Intense. I don't even know a word for it. 100 pages out of the first 250? Forty percent? Eeesh.

I'm asking because I've tried a few times to edit my novel and, as you say, I end up reading. Or getting out a machete and whacking away. :P All or nothing.

I'm sure in the end it'll be great, but...wow, welcome to labor pains. Hang in there.

[mizkit]

It's *hugely* easier to have somebody else's eyes on it to give guidance. I've gotten better at editing, but really, for me, I hand the book over to der agent and der editor when I can't see it anymore.

I can't take 100 pages out of the first 250. Well. I could, maybe, but it would completely eliminate the storyline that my editor asked for, so I'm really not that worried about it. :)