The director's cut
This week, I had to oversee the copy-edit for my new novel, Eleven, which I’m not even going to post a link to enable you to buy, because it’s coming to seem increasingly dishonourable as the rest of this blog gets more and more team-spirited and heartwarming. Anyway. The changes have been made and the thing is now off to the typesetters. They will use a printing press, or whatever it is, to make it into a book. I will then check it again. Then they will use a photocopier, or whatever it is, to make copies. Bookshops will decide if they want to stock it. Finally, a few people will buy it and then it will be bumped off the shelves by Jordan’s latest novel, ‘The Girl Who Rose From Humble Roots To Be Successful’. OR, it will become a much-loved literary classic. Depending on how well I’m sticking to my optimism vow.
A lot of people ask me how long it takes to write a novel – quite a few people are trying to do just that as their TYSIC - but the answer is quite complicated. From the first words on the page to the last can take anything from a couple of months to a few years. But when you’ve written the last words, your problems are only just beginning. Your agent will suggest changes. Once the book’s been bought, you will work with an editor who suggests more changes. The copy-editor will suggest further changes. By now you’ve most likely drifted a surprisingly long way from the original idea - for example, the story was meant to be about a baker making his way in early 20th century Nebraska, but it’s now about dolphins playing chess – or, on the flipside, you’ve somehow clung on to the original idea but in the process completely lost faith in it.
Either way, I think it’s nearly impossible to come to the end of the book-writing process without feeling, at some point, you lost the plot a bit, the same sort of feeling you get when you’re telling a long anecdote at a party and, halfway through, look around the faces and think ‘why did I start telling this?’ For this book, I’m lucky enough to be working with the best and nicest editor I’ve had, and the most perceptive one, as well. So the process has been smoother and more satisfying than normal. But the job is never quite done. Even a finely honed piece of writing is liable to be picked apart at the hands of a copy-editor. For fun, I’ve included in this blog several turns of phrase which I believe would be corrected by an editor. If you like, you might want to try and guess which ones they are. I’ll publish the answers tomorrow. If I can get a publishing deal, that is. Ho ho.
Posted by Knox on May 8, 2011
OK – phrases for editing (i feel i’ve been a little overzealous, but…):
- which I’m not even going to post a link to enable you to buy
- or whatever it is
- But when you’ve written the last words, your problems are only just beginning
- Either way, I think it’s nearly impossible to come to the end of the book-writing process without feeling, at some point, you lost the plot a bit, the same sort of feeling you get when you’re telling a long anecdote at a party and, halfway through, look around the faces and think ‘why did I start telling this?’ (just because this is hugely long)
Posted by Rachael on March 20, 2010
I hope this isn’t your way of telling us that you lied before and the book is actually about dolphins playing chess. Although I would still read it if you wrote it.
Posted by Marie on March 20, 2010
@Mark Watson
Of course, and apologies if I was slightly over-eager in jumping in to defend the editing process.
Posted by Laura on March 20, 2010
I’m looking forward to reading it; really enjoyed the other books.
As for editing, I’m used to marking Primary School writing, so as long as it full stops and capital letters and most words spelt correctly, I’d give you a gold star and a big “well done, Mark!”
Posted by Mark Watson on March 20, 2010
Oh I wasn’t criticising the process. Editing is completely necessary. I just think people don’t realise how much of it goes on.
Posted by Lauren on March 20, 2010
If you’re studying editing as part of your course, and you only found two things you’d change, how concerned should you be about your chances of graduating at the end of the year? I’m thinking the answer is ‘very.’
Posted by ElizabethD on March 20, 2010
There’s a few sentence fragments…no I can’t do it. I know you said we could but it feels…odd. Anyway at this point I’m still an amateur.
Posted by Kirsty on March 19, 2010
Thanks for this Mark. I’ve just this week, 24 thousand words or so into my novel, hit a “wait, what?” moment when I’m worried the whole concept behind the story is something that will only be interesting to me… and that if I was just telling the story as an anecdote in a social setting, now would be when I would be trailing off and going “oh, you know… you probably had to be there. Anyone fancy another drink?”
This blog has been profoundly helpful. I now know that I’m not alone in this feeling, it DOESN’T mean that I’m a useless storyteller. And it couldn’t have come at a more perfect time. I suspect I will be up all night now, writing with renewed enthusiasm. So if I get in trouble at work tomorrow for making mistakes because I’m tired, it’s TOTALLY your fault.
x
Posted by Marie on March 19, 2010
(Playing devil’s advocate)
I think authors sometimes don’t have the necessary distance from their text to objectively judge it. Editors don’t set out to butcher it, or to remove the meaning from it. They simply try to make it better.
The phrase ‘kill your babies’ or the less horrific ‘kill your darlings’ comes to mind. It’s something I found difficult to deal with while working on short films. The amazing, difficult shot that we’d spent ages setting up wouldn’t fit in to the overall tone of the film. It hurt, but we had to remove it, and looking back, it was the right decision, as the film was more coherent without it.
I work on the outskirts of the publishing industry, and the people I’ve met who work within it are, almost without exception, dedicated and genuine people with a real love of literature.
It’s good that you care about the changes you’ve been asked to make – editors do tend to worry about those authors who are happy to take every suggestion on board – but don’t take their suggestions as a slight on you or your writing.
And on an endnote, just think of how you’ll feel when you can pick your book up (in it’s shiny new cover) in what remains of the bookstores. That feeling will make the process leading up to it worthwhile.
Posted by Kathryn on March 19, 2010
I re-read this post several times and found many things which I would change if I were an editor. Then I felt like an idiot for picking it apart- what the hell do I know about writing? Even if it is perhaps a prospective future career.
I would definitely take out “nicest” as “nice” is apparently not a word, according to my English teacher. Other than that I’d find myself trying to re-write everything and probably making it worse in the process.
Maybe this could be part of my TYSIC, discovering I’m well suited to a career in editing. So 3 years of an English degree won’t seem like a complete waste of time, life and money.
Posted by Misha on March 19, 2010
Arguably any long piece of writing makes you wonder what you’re doing.
End of year coursework is making me question my continued sanity/existence.
I’ve failed massively on my tysic this week, but I have been very busy. That’s my excuse and i’m sticking to it. Hope the new small human isn’t giving you too much grief.
Posted by Magnificent Josh on March 19, 2010
1. Erm, I’d guess, the first sentence as it is so long with so many commas.
2. And maybe “Depending on how well I’m sticking to my optimism vow.” as that’s not a whole sentence.
3. Possibly “So the process has been smoother and more satisfying than normal” for the same reason.
4. “…baker making his way in early…” definitely.
There’s probably several more or I’m offending Mark by pointing out some questionable sentences.
Posted by Lisa Brunders on March 19, 2010
Didn’t spot a thing, but then I was reading for pleasure, not editing!
Eleven had better be good as I ordered it, first time on Amazon, and from a mobile phone. Haven’t read a book in years either. All these changes you’re instigating, it’s brilliant, keep up the good work.
Posted by Someone on March 19, 2010
Hmmm… I’m pretty rubbish at English grammar unfortunately, but I’d actually love to be an editor, so I have a few prrroperly (in the Welsh sense) guessed guesses!
:
.
‘From the first … to a few years.’
‘… coming to seem…’
‘… and the thing is now off…’
No offence if those are all wrong! Ha – Just for funsies eh. I know, I know I am an idiot
Posted by Anji on March 19, 2010
Perhaps the safest bet would be that the part about the nice editor would stay but that the majority of the rest could be ‘re-worked’.
Look forward to seeing the actual answer tomorrow!