Do you edit or rewrite anything before you're finished with your first draft? I've never really thought about it before, generally I like to edit after a couple of days, but is it better to leave everything until you've finished your first draft?
Do you edit or rewrite anything before you're finished with your first draft? I've never really thought about it before, generally I like to edit after a couple of days, but is it better to leave everything until you've finished your first draft?
I know your problem well, Sandra. My laptop's first language is Spanish. For the most part it talks to me in English, but the first sign of a problem and it reverts to it's mother tongue quicker than Manuel the waiter in Fawlty Towers. *Rolls eyes*
Thank you for explaining that, I've got a lot of things I can work on now :)
Signposting.
Signposting is very important. It lets the reader know exactly where he/she is in the story at any given time. It also indicates what is about to happen in the next part of the story.
The arrogant cavalry Commander sat rigidly in the saddle. 'The bridge was his objective.' He brought his sword down swiftly. The light-cavalry charged and rammed into the back of the helpless refugees.
'The bridge was his objective' is a sign post. It indicates the Commander's clear intentions to the reader.
Joanne Harris of Blackberry Wine, Chocolate and The Lollipop Shoes is a brilliant sign-poster. Her chapter titles have dates that indicate specific days of the month. They act as vital sign posts in the plot and storyline.
Dialogue or Streams-of-Thought can be used as a sign post. A character can say or think what he/she intends to do next or in the future.
The author knows what is in his/her mind and understands what he/she means when they write, but the reader does not. Without a signpost you may lose the reader.
Shoes and Socks Problems.
A problem which I believe all authors suffer from. We plough ahead and then add NEW INFORMATION about a character, a dramatic situation, a setting, the storyline which has already been dealt with in an earlier chapter. This NEW INFORMATION should have been placed much earlier in the story. Usually in an existing chapter I thought I had finished.
An glaring example would be adding back-story or descriptions of your main characters over halfway through your novel.
When editing ask yourself does this piece of text belong, or belong here.
Shoes and Socks problems are easy to find during the editing process. The pieces of text look like they have been stuck-in. They hinder the pace and flow of the prose, and storyline. They either need cutting or placing in a much earlier chapter.
I hope that helps.
Good luck.