Posts Tagged ‘draft’
A muse takes over – final edits
This week I am working towards final publication of my first sci-fi novel on CreateSpace – Meniscus: Crossing The Churn.
I have incorporated the comments of my editor ( Lee Thompson Editing + https://leethompsonediting.com/ ) into my final draft.
I have sent my beta-version to my six beta-readers and will make a few edits based on their comments.
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A glimpse of the book in final editing. The blue paper was a gift from my husband who thought he was buying white paper! The yellow tabs are just a few last minute changes. The white frame is my way of seeing how the book will look on the final page size!
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At the last minute I decided my font was too small and switched from Garamond 12 to Garamond 14. It took a while to get all those drawings back to the left hand page!
Now, I have printed out a final version to have one last view before I load the cover, text and other information into CreateSpace.
A comment about independent versus traditional publishing:
I realize how patient the publisher was with all the edits for my poetry book within easy reach (Chapel Street Editions, 2017).
I also realize that my publisher made the final call and ‘pushed the button ‘ regarding the final, final, final draft. Left to my own, I realize I am a bit nervous about this last step and find myself procrastinating, just a little.
To that end, I spent all morning, not working on Meniscus:Crossing The Churn, but on the early draft of the fifth book in the series!
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Copyright 2017 Jane Tims
writing a novel – searching out the symbols
When I wrote ‘Open to the Skies’, I used various ways to examine and tighten the plot. One of these was to list the various objects in the book and consider them as symbols.
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For my book ‘Crossing at a Walk’, I will use this process to help my eventual readers understand the progress of the story.
Mentioned once, an object, such as a candle, is just a candle. Mentioned twice, it becomes a symbol, and the reader remembers the first mention of the object and draws understanding from the symbolism. So a candle may be remembered for its light. If, in a subsequent mention, someone blows out the candle, this may make a comment on the idea of communication. Passing a candle from person to person suggests the passing of stories between people. The use of symbols deepens meanings and helps the plot reverberate throughout the writing.
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Symbols operate like mini sub-plots throughout the story. These mini-plots echo the main plot, and the objects change in a way that illuminates the main plot. The mini-plots also tend to occur in three ‘beats’, providing a beginning, middle and end. For example, an unlit candle becomes a useful source of light and is passed between people at a wake.
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In this round of edits, I have tried to examine the use of symbols in my novel. To do this, I built a list of the objects I have used as symbols. Then I looked for their occurrence in the novel to see if I could identify three ‘beats’ and a mini sub-plot. In some cases, I identified gaps – fixing these has helped me to solidify my overall plot.
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This is a short version of my list of some of the objects/symbols in my book. When I assembled the list, the items in red were missing and I had to fill out the story accordingly. Perhaps you can use this method to help strengthen the narrative in your own fiction.
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| Object | Symbol | Occurrence (page numbers) | Mini-plot | ||
| coyote | fear | 87 | 104 | 120 | coyotes howl in woods; they rattle some of the retreaters; Sadie considers it a failing of the retreat |
| church tower | refuge | 15 | 104 | 181 | tower is off-limits to retreaters; becomes a place to sleep in safety; a place to write a poem |
| paper maché ball and chain | servitude | 39 | 58 | 180 | Sadie is asked to provide a community service placement for Minnie, a trouble-maker; Minnie stores the ball and chain, a theatrical prop, on a library shelf during her stay; when the time is up, she destroys the ball and chain |
| rain | a barrier | 6 | 133 | 186 | rain interferes with the retreat at every turn and ends up being the source of the flood that threatens the covered bridge |
| scale model of a covered bridge | remembering | 35 | 132 | 150 | a scale model of the covered bridge is purchased at an auction; helps tell the story of a character in the novel; could become the only memento of the bridge |
| burning candles | passing stories from person to person | 58 | 140 | 188 | candles are not allowed in the old church but later become a practical source of light during a storm and a way of passing stories about the covered bridge from person to person |
| loon | communication | 21 | 169 | 182 | loon calls at retreat encourage people to talk to one another |
| stars, shooting stars | hope | 12 | 109 | 185 | stars become inspiration for an artist, encouragement for a love-interest, and an inspirational setting for a wake |
Copyright 2015 Jane Tims
