editing your high word count
If you love the thrill of a first draft, then the editing might be less thrilling.
For NIGHT SOIREE, I set a word count goal of 80,000, assuming I might go over to 90,000, but SOMEHOW didn't end up wrapping up the story until 116,000 words. Oops?
After a second pass through with lots of notes for revisions, I had only cut my word count to 110,000 words. So, before I go through and make all the edits I want to make, I NEED TO LOSE SOME WORDS.
A lot of words. I'd like to be down to somewhere between 95,000-97,000. And, even though I know all the tricks like saving deleted scenes/sentences you love in a separate document to stare at, it's still really hard.
I was missing so much substance from my first draft of the PROTECTRESS, that I wanted to make sure I had it all out there for NIGHT SOIREE and could then go through and cut. As if I'd just merrily delete all my darlings and be done with it.
Well, I'm trying. I'm down to below 108,000 about 25% of the way through the book. Here's what I've found is most helpful for looking at when cutting words:
Obviously, words that aren't doing anything need to go, but this probably won't get you exactly where you need in word count goals.
Be tight in your descriptions. Particularly, in world building, I've found that 1-2 well thought out sentences go a longer way than over describing.
Some of my favorite scenes are conversations that do nothing for the plot. Characters bantering at each other (ahem Val and Clove). Alas, I'll miss these scenes most of all.
Comments