Archive for the ‘Editing’ Category
Periodic State of the Elfyverse, January 2016 Edition
Folks, I haven’t done this in a while, but I figured I’d give you a “state of the Elfyverse,” which has grown to encompass all my writing and editing in addition to the ELFY saga.
Perhaps I’d best start there, though, as that makes sense.
The next book in the Elfyverse is actually going to be three books. For years, I’ve called it AN ELFY ABROAD, because it’s a pun (Bruno’s the Elfy, and Sarah’s the “broad”) as well as being absolutely true. Bruno is a stranger in a strange land, and he’s going to visit the Troll Realm, he’s going back to the Elfy Realm as a power (however uneasy he may be over it), and he and Sarah have many more adventures in the Human Realm (our Earth).
That much, I am positive about.
Everything else, however, is up for debate, as the book/trilogy is in the midst of a revision. But it is in progress, and I hope it’ll be along in due course.
As for other stories in progress…
- There will be a fourth story in the Darkover universe if I have anything to say about it, featuring my judge character Fiona n’ha Gorsali as a young woman just taking up her judicial duties for the first time.
- I’m plotting out Cat’s journey in “The Quest for Columba,” a novella set in my husband’s alternate history/fantasy universe from Cat the shapeshifter’s perspective. (I figured Cat has a great deal to tell me, and he’s probably been saving up the story for a long time. Why should his wife, Columba, get all the fun?)
- There is an Elfyverse prequel in the works called KEISHA’S VOW, which is about one-third completed. I hope to take that up after I’m done with “The Quest for Columba.”
- There is a sequel in the works to my short story “Baseball, Werewolves, and Me,” featuring my worldly-wise psychic Arletta James and her werewolf husband, Fergus.
- And, finally…I’m getting closer to turning CHANGING FACES in to my publisher, but that’s still a few weeks away.
Now, why is all of this in development at roughly the same time?
Partly, it’s because two of the stories were ongoing at the time of Michael’s death in 2004 and I have refused to give them up.
Partly, it’s because I knew there was more to Cat’s story when trying to add touches to Michael’s second Columba story, “Columba and the Crossing,” and that turned into a much more lengthy endeavor. (Right now, that story will be published after I finish “The Quest for Columba.”)
And partly, it’s because I have more stories than even this — but those are the ones people know about, so I wanted to give some sort of update publicly even if publication for any or all of them is a while yet (except for CHANGING FACES, which will be out this year for sure).
So, in between finishing up an extensive edit and working on a few other edits besides, I’m working on my stories, little by little.
Well, that, and planning some book reviews, and writing a few blogs now and again, and trying to help my fellow writers and editors…
And playing my instruments, and writing a piece every great once in a while…
and talking with my friends and family, grabbing a bite to eat and some showers here and there, and sleep, glorious sleep…
You get the idea.
What are you up to, and how is your New Year going thus far?
My Latest Guest Blog (About Editing “A Little Elfy in Big Trouble”) Is Up at Murder By Four
I’m happy to report that my latest guest blog, this one about editing A LITTLE ELFY IN BIG TROUBLE twelve years after I first wrote it, is up at the prestigious writing website Murder by Four.
Now, you might be asking yourselves, why have I been doing so many guest blogs? (Much less why I have had a number of guest bloggers at the Elfyverse.)
There is, of course, a reason for that.
A LITTLE ELFY IN BIG TROUBLE has been out exactly one month. And between that and the two stories I have in the EXQUISITE CHRISTMAS anthology, I wanted to make sure anyone who had any interest in my writing was aware of these things.
(As for an answer to the second question: reciprocating with my fellow authors in the EXQUISITE CHRISTMAS anthology just seemed fair…besides, they’re all fine writers and I thought at least a few of you would enjoy hearing about them and their stories.)
Anyway, I’ve tried to write a wide variety of things. Some have been about the nature of romance, while some have been about editing.
Why did I write two blogs about editing? Well, I found editing A LITTLE ELFY IN BIG TROUBLE to be a major challenge, something completely unlike anything else I’ve done to date. And I figured that two places would appreciate hearing about this — my friend Chris Nuttall’s blog, and the prestigious writing website Murder by Four.
Fortunately for me, both places appreciated me talking about editing. Chris ran the blog first — bless him forever! — and now, Murder by Four has decided to run the editing blog as well.
Here’s a bit from the guest blog:
“So, Barb, what’s the difference between a full-on edit and a rewrite? Especially since you’re talking about adding things or rewriting them?”
A full-on edit is meant to help you, as a writer, figure out what else needs to be added to complete your novel and make it the best novel you are capable of writing. It is not a rewrite, because those usually mean you’re starting from scratch, and you might use some of what you had before – or you might not.
It’s a matter of emphasis, mostly. Analytical skills, perhaps. And certainly a matter of thoughtfulness, thoroughness, and sticktuitiveness…because when you edit for yourself, you have to believe you can see it as someone else does.
Anyway, I do hope you will enjoy reading this guest blog as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Happy Monday, everyone!
My New Guest Blog Is Up at Chris Nuttall’s Blog
Folks, I am happy to report that Chris Nuttall accepted a guest blog from me about editing. I called it “Adventures in Editing: Going over A LITTLE ELFY IN BIG TROUBLE, 12 Years Later.”And it’s up now over at Chris’s busy blog, the Chrishanger.
Why did I write this, exactly? Well, back in May, I wrote about the struggles I had in going over my final edit of A LITTLE ELFY IN BIG TROUBLE. I ended up adding some scenes, pruning back others…I actually did more than my editor asked for in certain respects, because I felt my book deserved more.
And because ELFY was originally one book, I needed to write a brand-new first chapter, too, plus I added a “What Has Gone Before.”
I didn’t talk about all of that at Chris’s blog, mind. I thought his readership might be more interested in why I did what I did, and what the difference is between what I call a full-on edit (otherwise known as a full line-edit plus a conceptual edit plus a consistency read) and editorial changes.
Here’s a bit of that blog where I discuss exactly what the differences are between a full-on edit and editorial changes:
When you are dealing with editorial changes, you move more quickly through your manuscript – at least, I do – and you aren’t as concerned with the intrinsic wholeness. You have to believe in your editor, and trust that he or she knows your writing well enough that you won’t be steered off-course…and you have to trust that you will make the right changes in the right ways.
But in a full-on edit, you are looking at everything. Word choice, even if no one else has mentioned it. Whether you should add something at the beginning, because you now have two books where you once had only one. Whether you need additional scenes to clarify things, and if so, what?
And when you’re done with your edit, you go back and make whatever changes are necessary.
In other words, I analyzed my manuscript as if it were written by someone else. I saw where it had weaknesses, as well as strengths. I tried to shore up those weaknesses. And I looked for ways to be consistent, without messing with my earlier style whatsoever – as, over time, I’ve become a slightly different writer.
In addition, I added a short and funny excerpt from Chapter 2, which is a scene I decided to add after I was done with my final edit. (The only place this excerpt appears besides Chris’s blog is at the Twilight Times Books site in my sample chapters; this is at the beginning of chapter 2.)
But that’s not the only reason to read my newest guest blog,
Please do go and take a look at this guest blog, as I put in four tips at self-editing that may help you out a little.
And while I believe every writer needs an editor besides himself/herself, you can help your editor out a great deal if you at least try to go back over your manuscript and attempt to read it as if it were written by someone else.
A Writer’s Work Is Never Done…
It’s Friday, folks. And as such, I figured I’d give you all an update as to what, exactly, I’ve been doing this past week.
Most of the week was taken up with a major editing project, but I also found time to check over the ARC of A LITTLE ELFY IN BIG TROUBLE, do some work on CHANGING FACES, and of course write my blog complaining about the Milwaukee Brewers trade of Francisco Rodriguez to the Detroit Tigers for a single-A infield prospect.
I managed to get a great deal of work done, this past week. But of course there’s still more to be done — A LITTLE ELFY IN BIG TROUBLE should be out next week, just before Thanksgiving, and I have to read over the file one, final time just to make sure I have dotted my i’s and crossed all my t’s…or at least made sure I didn’t misspell Bruno’s name.
When I get this busy, sometimes it’s hard to remember which end is up. I’ve been juggling three major projects — the edit for someone else, A LITTLE ELFY ON BIG TROUBLE, and CHANGING FACES. While I’m good at prioritizing, and I am reasonably good at remembering just where I’ve left off at any given project, I only can do so much.
That said, during the past week I also worked a little bit on two other projects — because three major projects obviously aren’t enough, right? (Must. Have. More.)
Anyway, the major edit has been turned in. A LITTLE ELFY IN BIG TROUBLE is wrapping up, and will be out — thankfully, as I know many people have been waiting for it and have asked repeatedly why it’s not out yet. (Patience, my young friends. And old ones, too — ’cause I don’t want to leave anyone out.) And I get closer to finishing my final edit/rewrite of CHANGING FACES every time I work on it…the hope there is, I should be done in time for a Valentine’s Day launch.
Finally, two of my paranormal romance stories are included in the forthcoming Exquisite Quills Holiday Anthology, this time to be offered via Amazon (and priced at ninety-nine cents USD). I’ll try to get you links when the anthology goes live…and I hope you will enjoy them.
Nightmare at the Hugo Awards: No Award “Wins” Five Times…including for Best Editor Categories
Folks, right now, I’m not happy. As a writer and editor, I look forward to the Hugo Awards ceremony every year to see what other people active in science fiction and fantasy think of other writers and editors.
This year, apparently the other active writers and editors in my field think that no awards at all should be given out to editors. Because that’s what “won” at the Hugos this year — No Award — in both “best editor, short form” and “best editor, long form.” (These were two of the results of the 2015 Hugo Awards; go take a look at the rest if you are so inclined. I’ll wait.)
Look. I understand that the SF&F community has been rent asunder over the past few years. But one thing I thought everyone could all agree on was that books do not produce themselves.
To have a book that reads well, you need not only a good writer with an interesting plot and some excellent characterization, but a highly competent editor to pull the story into its best-possible form.
Why? Well, the best writers in the world can and often do make mistakes, and it’s up to your handy-dandy, trustworthy, hard-working editor to fix them.
The people who were nominated for Hugo Awards all have a great deal of experience as editors behind them. None of them were people who just came in off the street and started editing yesterday; most have edited for at least ten years, and some a great deal more…even the casual fan is aware of Toni Weisskopf of Baen Books and Sheila Gilbert of DAW Books, to name two fine editors who were passed over for “no award” in the long form category, because these two ladies have had long and successful careers as editors to date.
How “No Award” can be voted for by anyone in good conscience over either of them bothers me.
Quite frankly, even though I’ve not been a fan of Vox Day as an editor or a writer, I don’t see how “No Award” can come before him, either. His authors have all sworn blind that he is as hard-working as any of the other editors who were nominated, and he’s been in the SF&F field for quite some time.
Editing awards are about simply that: editing…and who’s good at it.
And speaking of Vox Day solely as an editor — solely for the work he has done — if he’s been nominated for an award, dammit, he deserves to come in ahead of “no award” just like all the other hard-working editors in these two categories.
As a hard-working, lesser-known editor, let me be the first to say, “Boo, hiss!” to the Hugo Award voters who decided to turn the editing awards into a mockery — all because some respondents apparently did not like the Sad Puppies and/or Rabid Puppies, and decided to throw their votes away rather than vote for any of the people who’d actually done the work to help put high-quality books and magazines up for sale.
Hugo Awards committee people, I don’t blame you for this nonsense. You did your best with a bad hand, and I appreciate the hard work and effort you put in.
I do blame the campaign in the media, that has done its best to devalue the hard work of people of various races, creeds, ethnicities, and sexuality/gender preferences. Because I am tired of the narrative framing already, that somehow voting for “No Award” has brought back the “integrity” of the Hugo Awards…as that is simply hogwash.
A Writer/Editor’s Work Is Never Done…
Folks, you’ve probably noticed two things in the past few weeks.
One, I haven’t been posting much.
Two, I haven’t reviewed a book at all over at Shiny Book Review.
Why? Well, I’m in the midst of revising CHANGING FACES; it’s due out in late October, I already have cover art (I posted about that before, if you missed it), and the preliminary edit is done. Now it’s up to me to fix everything…and that takes time if you want to do it right.
I’m also in the midst of checking over the ARC (advance reader copy) of A LITTLE ELFY IN BIG TROUBLE, which is due out in mid-September. I do not yet have cover art there. But I do have a complete file, the edit has been done, I’ve applied all the changes required…it’s up to me to look at things and make sure I’ve done my job correctly.
Which again means I need to take some time to do it right, of course.
And, finally, I’m wrestling a short story into submission. It’s due tomorrow morning. I’ve really had to fight with this story; I “heard” it in a way that was not conducive to what the story actually is — this may not make much sense to people who don’t write fiction, but the problem I’ve run into is that an older version of the title character has been reminiscing with me about what happened when she turned thirteen. And her older self does not remember all the actual emotions her thirteen-year-old self had. So it hasn’t felt authentic to me.
I have a hard time writing fiction when it doesn’t feel right. I tend to get a lot of scene-setting, descriptions, and no dialogue…then I have to go back and figure the dialogue out, figure out if the descriptions will stand now that I actually have something going on, and then graft the actual action of the piece on last.
It’s time-consuming, but worth it, providing the story sells to the proper market. (Let us sincerely hope it will.)
In the meantime, I also have been dealing with a few edits for clients, as per usual. I had a job interview for an editing job (no, I can’t say where) a few weeks ago, so I prepared for that — as I never go in unprepared if I can help it. And I’ve been playing concerts with the Racine Concert Band every Sunday night at the Racine Zoo since the start of July; we play these concerts on one intensive rehearsal, which means I have to do some practicing in order to do a good job.
All of these things require time and effort, or I may as well not even bother.
But because of this, I can’t do some things I truly want to do, like review a few books at Shiny Book Review.
There’s just no time whatsoever for it. Which makes me feel a little guilty…but I can only do so much.
So there’s the update, folks. I’m working hard, and I hope that I’ll be done soon with my last lookover for A LITTLE ELFY IN BIG TROUBLE…I know I have some folks who’ve been clamoring for it (bless you all!), and I sincerely hope the extra time and effort will be worth it in the end.
Barb Caffrey's Blog 