Revisions and Schedules
It’s been three weeks since I’ve looked at The BookTM. I’ve heard from one reader, received preliminary feedback from a beta, and am hoping to get more critiques this week.
The plan is, this week I’ll be going through The BookTM to see if there’s anything that smells “off” to me. Then I’ll go through it again for line edits and typos.
And, hopefully, by the end of the Halloween weekend, I’ll have received comments from my remaining readers and betas(1), to incorporate their comments with my last pass review. Then, November 1st, I’m editing and revising.
What’s with the scheduling?
In a nutshell, the number one advice writers is to sit down and write. Every day.(2) Maybe for a set period of time, maybe for a certain word count. Doesn’t matter for how long or for what goal so long as the criteria is met:
(a) sit butt in chair; and,
(b) write.
I haven’t heard the same sort of advice being given to writers when it comes to revisions, but it’s fair to assume that it’s very much along the same lines:
(a) sit butt in chair; and,
(b) revise.
In order for that to get done, I need to schedule the work time. If I don’t, I become a serious contender for the throne of Procrastination. I will curl up in my chair and watch football (and I don’t watch football rather than write/edit/revise.
Setting a deadline(3) helps kick-start my brain into motion to get it done. And ultimately, the goal is to get it done by November 15th, so that I can send The BookTM off once again.
Someone knock on wood for me. I might need a volunteer to kick my bum if I start to slack.
(1) Yes, this is a gentle prod; I know life rears its ugly head, and there’s no hurt feelings if my deadlines are missed. I STILL want to get your feedback, though, because I can always go back to the beginning if necessary. I just prefer to do it all in one pass.
(2) The last three weeks have accumulated a big goose egg of no writing, but not completely unproductive; I worked on the outline for the sequel for The BookTM, notecarded 3/4ths of Biohazards, and wrote an out-of-sequence scene for Biohazards.
(3) Also known as “the date by which I will complete this, or die trying”.
Crossposted from my website. Comment here or there.