tag:dreamwidth.org,2013-01-31:1958188Finishing Fics... FinallyFinishing Fics... FinallyFinishing Fics... Finally2015-02-02T19:39:58Ztag:dreamwidth.org,2013-01-31:1958188:40290wordstitchFinding motivation through editing2015-02-02T06:24:12Z2015-02-02T19:39:58Zpublic18Posted by: <span lj:user='wordstitch' style='white-space: nowrap;' class='ljuser'><a href='https://wordstitch.dreamwidth.org/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png' alt='[personal profile] ' width='17' height='17' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' /></a><a href='https://wordstitch.dreamwidth.org/'><b>wordstitch</b></a></span><br /><br /> One of the things that I find really helps me to get back into a fic I've left for a long time is to do a nice, thorough edit of it. I read through the things I've already written with a red pen and pare down the words, try to make the sentences as tight as possible. Then I make the changes and read the bits aloud. <br /><br />I found that in making the fic better, I regain a bit of enthusiasm for working on it, and end up wanting to write more scenes, or expand on existing ones. <br /><br />Here are some of the things I check during edits: <br /><ul><li>Deletion of <strong>unnecessary adjectives and adverbs</strong>. "Really", "very," "slightly", "slowly", "quickly" are ones I watch out for most! </li><li>Deletion of <strong>repetitive words/names</strong>. Find yourself using the same descriptor a whole lot? I do! I usually run my fic through something like <a href="http://www.writewords.org.uk/word_count.asp">this word counter that analyses which words show up most frequently</a> in the text. Specifics like "growls" or "replies" that show up too often usually get changed to something else, or something less specific like "says." I also notice during editing that one of my characters says the other characters' names too much in a conversation, and I take those out too. There's also a <a href="http://www.writewords.org.uk/phrase_count.asp">phrase frequency counter</a> which helps too! </li><li><strong>Abrupt scene endings.</strong> This may not be a problem for most people, but I write in short scenes and sometimes those scenes end too abruptly. </li><li><strong>Passive language.</strong> Self-explanatory. </li><li><strong>Unnecessary metaphors/similes</strong>, or silly ones. This happens less and less often as I become more aware of it. But everyone's had a period in their lives when they turned slightly purple in their prose, and it's good to remind oneself those bits don't always work. </li><li><strong>Tense shifts. </strong>Writing different tenses in the same fic happens, especially when you're moving from one tense to another between different works. (contributed by <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.dreamwidth.org/profile?user=rikym'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png' alt='[profile] ' width='17' height='17' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' /></a><a href='https://www.dreamwidth.org/profile?user=rikym'><b>rikym</b></a></span>)</li><li><strong>POV/perspective shifts. </strong> If you're in third person limited for most of the story and then suddenly shift to third person omniscient that might be weird for the reader. (contributed by <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://www.dreamwidth.org/profile?user=rikym'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png' alt='[profile] ' width='17' height='17' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' /></a><a href='https://www.dreamwidth.org/profile?user=rikym'><b>rikym</b></a></span>)</li></ul>Please do let me know what other things you check during your read-throughs that might be useful? I can add to the list =D <br type="_moz" /><br type="_moz" /><br type="_moz" /><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=onedeadplotbunny&ditemid=40290" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2013-01-31:1958188:1252Dancing between raindrops, never getting wetWhere has this comm been all my life?2013-02-05T21:08:56Z2013-02-05T21:16:05Zcontemplativepublic11Posted by: <span lj:user='hickumu' style='white-space: nowrap;' class='ljuser'><a href='https://hickumu.dreamwidth.org/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png' alt='[personal profile] ' width='17' height='17' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' /></a><a href='https://hickumu.dreamwidth.org/'><b>hickumu</b></a></span><br /><br />Hey there, folks! I'm Hicku. I write both fanfiction and original works, whatever comes to mind. I play video games, I watch cool shows, I volunteer, and I'm studying Cybersecurities in college. I'm trying to get into running, I'm trying to get good at knitting, I'm trying to learn how to make clothes, and I'm trying to at least pick up drawing as a hobby again, but on top of school stuff, it's all slow going. As I mentioned in the subject line, this seems like one of those comms I didn't even know I wanted at first, but now I'm wondering how I ever did without.<br /><br />I'll do my best to offer support to anyone who needs it, even if I might not be the greatest on advice! Group support got me jogging - group support can get us all clacking away at the keys! Heck yeah! *fist pump*<br /><br />So, I'd like to warm up the comm a bit with some bemoaning. And that bemoaning is this - it's the editing that's the hardest part. <br /><br /><span class="cut-wrapper"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b class="cut-open">( </b><b class="cut-text"><a href="https://onedeadplotbunny.dreamwidth.org/1252.html#cutid1">Read more...</a></b><b class="cut-close"> )</b></span><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=onedeadplotbunny&ditemid=1252" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> comments