Big Edit Done!

Finally, after over a month of going over my colonial novel, The Last Cabin, I’ve finished major edits to my 15 chapter story. I cut a good 20,000 words out of my first primary draft and have settled the novel at just under 95,000 words total. It took a good bit of work, but I’m glad it’s done.

To get there I had to go through the story with a markedly different mindset than I did when writing it. I removed as many instances of passive voice as I could, i.e. variants of “to be” verbs. I also cut out as many adverbs as possible, namely those verb modifiers that often end in “ly.” I even took to eliminating plenty of adjectives as well when I felt I used too many in a paragraph.

It may seem silly at first to emphasize such corrections, but it really makes a difference regarding the flow and character of your tale when a reader peruses the text. In addition, I made lots of content alterations as well. But my fight for a perfect novel is far from over. Now I’ve begun work-shopping the novel with a few trusted friends and will branch out from there in order to get as much feedback as possible. 

Strong Female Characters

In my latest novel, The Last Cabin, I’ve tried to build in stronger female characters. Not just for the sake of doing it, but to craft the story around central women that drive the story forward. I’ve come realize and reevaluate my past writings and have come to the conclusion that a strong female character is the essential element in any good story.

I know some of you may or may not agree on this point, but I’ve even begun rewriting my previous Civil War novel on the precept that it needs strong central female characters to make the novel something truly worth reading. In my quest to ever broaden my horizons I wanted to ask who your favorite all-time female characters are.  

Some of my personal greats would include everything from Jane Eyre to Scarlett O’Hara to Princess Leia. Pretty much anything from a Jane Austen novel or the ancient Irish epic of Deirdre get high marks from me as well. So when it comes to writing a really intriguing female character, who would you draw upon for inspiration?

What Do You Write With?

I realize that when inspiration strikes us we all have various ways of putting it down to paper. Some prefer pens other pencils. Some like computers, and I’m guessing someone out there still uses a typewriter.

The real question is, what do you use? And why? Does the medium with which you write influence or affect your style? If you write in MS Word or Google Docs, does it alter your content at all?

I know that I prefer a basic word processor, and I love to work on the computer. When it comes to editing I really wonder how I would create multiple drafts on pieces of paper if I wrote it all in cursive. I’d probably need scissor and glue to cut and paste. So what is your method of choice when writing?

Edits

So far I’m about two-thirds of the way through my edits for my novel The Last Cabin. I’m pretty excited about the way it’s shaping up, as I’m not only getting the word-count down a bit, I’m really sharpening the storyline itself. So what’s this book about again?

I still owe you all a concise synopsis, but here’s the ultra-short version. Basically, it’s a coming-of-age story of a teenage boy living on the colonial frontier. He and his sister are forced to play surrogate mother and father to their younger siblings when they find themselves cutoff and isolated in the last cabin on the Virginia frontier.

I’m pretty satisfied with the plot so my primary focus has turned to improving the prose of the book itself. Namely, by cutting out as many adverbs as I can, eliminating passive voice from creeping up too often, and even limiting my use of adjectives all allows the reader to navigate the story more effectively. Thanks to everyone for your patience and support so far! I hope to have the rest of my edits completed in the next week or two!  

Reading Diaries

In my attempts to ever broaden my horizons I’ve taken to reading a different genre of writing, namely diaries and journals. I’m talking about published diaries of course, not what your sibling keeps under their bed at night. I admit that I had low expectations at first, but have since been pleasantly surprised.

I just read Mary Chesnut’s diary written during the American Civil War. It reads like a novel and is both a historical treasure as well as a great work of art. Her insights into day-to-day life as well as the sweeping events around her make for a truly great story.

It’s given me a new respect for people who write diaries, and also given me a new way to think about them. Not merely a laundry list of daily activities, they provide a time-capsule of sorts into an individual’s life at a set period in time. So, to all you diarists and journal-keepers out there, who knows, you might just be creating something for the ages. 

Longest Waits

A funny thing happened the other day. I received a letter from an agent I’d met at a writer’s conference nearly a year ago. It turned out to be a standard “we liked your work, but we’re sorry we can’t take on any new clients at this time…” etc. etc.

I didn’t even remember the agent. I’ve waited days, weeks, and months to hear back from agents and editors before, but I think a year is about the longest delay I’ve ever had to a query. But it’s all part of the game, and the reason why I always have multiple submissions out at the same time.

One of the self-mocking contests I’ve enjoyed with other writers is comparing our most sincere rejection letters. They can be astonishingly nice and even funny. So, to my fellow writers out there…what’s the longest you’ve ever waited to hear back from an agent/editor before? 

America’s Cup

America’s Cup, so called because the Americans once held the title for so long, is the largest, most prestigious international sailing competition held throughout the world. It is the third biggest economic draw to a major-city after the Olympics, and Soccer’s World Cup. And the next one, to be held in 2013, is coming to San Francisco!

Needless to say, my dad, myself, and anyone else who sails on the bay is stoked. The Golden Gate yacht club won the cup for America last year in Valencia Spain, and now has the very same cup which has passed form victor to victor for over the last 150+ years. Winning the cup is a massive undertaking, not only in sailing skills, but in financial backing.

Oracle is sponsoring America’s team, who will face off against the best sailors in the world in the first America’s Cup to be held in the U.S. in over 15 years! I know it seems strange to get pumped up for something that is over two years away, but trust me, you’re going to want to get front row, bay-side seats to watch this competition. Checkout the trailer video here to get a sneak peek!