I’m at an interesting stage with the book. Having finished another draft I need to reshape some of the structure, clarify some parts of the plot and the characters and generally make the flow more lucid. I’m working my way through the book again, reading, editing and polishing. The narrative needs more focus now, and the lexical style needs to be consistent. To aid this I’ve written a few notes. They might be helpful for you. There certainly not set in stone or applicable to every type of novel but they help put all the crap into perspective.

EDITING AND REVISION NOTES FOR WRITING

1. Sort out the balance between this novel being about Peter, Jan, Ann, Erasmus and Ulysses. Who is the book about? What is it about? Try and keep it simple.

2. Look at the tone of the book. If it had some central colours what would they be? Look at the style of writing. Is it appropriate to the plot or characters? Does it have to be? Keep the style and tone consistent.

3. Try and cut the parts which tell us how a character is feeling if it isn’t already obvious via the dialogue, action or reaction of the other characters.

4. Structure. Cut chapters down if they go on and on. Establishing chapters, characters and narrative…don’t dwell for too long, the story has to keep moving and developing. Don’t be afraid of making the reader use their brain. Place the reader in situations where they don’t know what the hell is going on from time to time…slowly leaking more and more information as the chapter or scene develops.

5. Every chapter and should grab the reader. Make a revelation, raise a new question, end on a cliff hanger if you want to but also be very visual and intrigiung with the language without being too flowery or up your own arse.

6. Work more on characterisation. Think about the following: Individual dialogue, appereance, motivations, relationships with other people. If it were a play how would I differientiate between each character? Try not to catch the ‘Tarantino syndrome’. If the author has strong opinions, feelings and wishes they want to communicate with the audience, is there a way they can do it through one voice rather than several? Better still, just make sure your characters have different systems of belief, beheaviour, way of speaking than the author.

7. Themes. What themes am I exploring? Control/identity/fragmented community/relationships/self-interest/life/death/corruption?. Don’t know. Not my concern. Let reviewers and readers do that.

8.Plot. It’s quite complex in places. What sub-plots should I cut and what other ways could I go about keeping it more simple, but not too simple? Find the balance between trying to show in the body of the text what I reveal in big character speeches. Do this so as not to disturb the flow of the book. Sometimes, structurally a novel to have a stop/start style. Keep it moving, but change the pace now and then.

9. Create a basic timeline for the novel, of events. As sequence. This may help with structure.

10. Try not to digress. Everything must have a reason for being in the book, every line, every sentence, every word. (This is helpful again for the structure, tone and plot)

11. What is the central conflict within each chapter?Does it have to have one? Why should the reader care about the conflict or even the characters? Is there anything for them to relate to?

That’s it for now.