Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Writing Prompt #11 a & b

11a) How do you prefer to edit your own work? Describe your process at any level of draft.

11b) Write a paragraph/scene involving the words “supercilious,” “dog” and “envy” in any tone, first person.

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Here’s mine:

11a) I definitely write using a computer, but I prefer to edit pen and paper style. Despite the vast amount of paper it consumes, I print my draft and red-line it by hand. Well, maybe pink-line it. Purple, depending on my mood. I’ll do that at any stage, rough to final draft, then go through and enter all of my edits into the word doc. I find I’m more effective at catching things that way, and I read more thoroughly on paper.

Yeah, I’m old school like that.

11b) I cornered the dog, almost smiling as his gaze darted to my left and right, seeking an escape he wouldn’t find. His shoulders hunched and he seemed to shrink in size. He backed away til his heel hit wainscoting, as effective as a doorstop wedging him in place. In my mind I saw the supercilious grin he had employed all evening. It was a thin disguise, no more masking his hunger for the young gel’s innocence than his off-hand remarks had disguised his envy of her suitors.

2 comments:

  1. Well, being the organization freak I am, the first thing I do is an outline in Photoshop, using "Index card" image blocks containing major beats marked up against a timeline. Once I'm done re-arranging the deck chairs, it goes into a chapter outline.

    From the outline, I go and draft the chapters, and then let it "set" for a week or so, while working on something else. When I come back, I do another pass.

    Then I have my editor run his eyes over it for first impressions.

    Then I run through again.

    Then I shoot the engineer in me and ship it.

    (BTW, not feeling creative enough to do B)

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  2. Well, you sound more organized, but less neurotic than me. ;-)

    Though, for my very first submission of a manuscript I'm a little less obsessive. Probably because by that point I've already been looking at it so much. I get a little spastic and just send it out.

    When/if that comes back as a rejection, then I'm back to edits and usually do another full round of edits, send it back out, then do ANOTHER full round of edits. I can't tell you the number of times I've done complete manuscript edits on Sworn Sword.

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