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Status: Drafting the fourth book in the PERILOUS series!

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Deleting the Eyes

I am having way too much fun with this edit. Last edit, my editor had several scenes she wanted me to write, and others she wanted me to expand on. This edit, we're all about deleting.

And it's way easier.

Once I get over the fact that I'm performing plastic surgery on my baby (yikes!!!), I can picture all the beautiful forms this baby can take. So we delete a chapter, combine two chapters into one. Snip snip snip.

Then she points out to me that I have a thing for eyes. Eyes? Yes, I probably do. She pointed out to me one scene where I had eyes everywhere. Eyes flicking, eyes staring, eyes widening, eyes glancing, eyes welling up with tears, eyes closing. All on one page! You can tell a lot by the eyes. But I was telling too much. Most of the eyes got cut.

But seriously. I love feeling how trim this manuscript is getting.

9 comments:

Sara {Rhapsody and Chaos} said...

I love that feeling too! It kind of feels, to me, like squeezing a tube of toothpaste - The more I trim from the first few chapters... the bulkier I think it feels throughout the rest, haha.

Kate said...

A friend once pointed out my overuse of "my eyes" in my manuscript. That phrase still sneaks its way into every rough draft scene--thank goodness for revision.

Mary Gray said...

Ha, I had an "eyes" moment too. Guess it's a common mistake.

Karen Jones Gowen said...

It's so crazy how someone can come in and spot the obvious that we miss. And you say, "HUH? How did I miss that???"

Tamara Hart Heiner said...

Ha, too funny! It's great to get another pair of 'eyes' on it.

nephite blood spartan heart said...

That just tells me what a visual writer you must be-lots of descriptions then?

Laurel Garver said...

Sound like it might be a lietmotif, to toss out one of those terms one of my English professors loved so much. But just the same, repeating an image too much sucks away some of the power. Sounds like your editor will help you strike the right balance.

Amber said...

haha, I love that the "eyes!" I agree, you can tell a lot by them, but sometimes there's just too many of them! "Eyes" can be creepy you know!

Lothiriel said...

I always like to read what a character is seeing through their eyes. It makes me feel like I'm there and see what they see.

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