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Cold Fire Revisions, Lightborn, DABWAHA
Mar. 3rd, 2011 10:18 pmI think the revisions for COLD FIRE are done.
Here are some stats, for those who are interested in the process:
I started writing COLD FIRE at the tail end of February 2010. There was no first draft as such, but a series of partial drafts, each adding on to and revising what had come before, until eventually I turned in a completed draft on Dec 6 2010. This draft had portions that were in third or fourth draft form and other sections that were fairly raw first.
The draft I turned in to my editors in Decembr 2010 was 654 pages*, and about 215,000 words. I turned it in KNOWING it needed significant cutting and focusing (the plot has not changed at all, but I've not just tightened up the book but really focused the characterization and the way the story unfolds). I simply needed the space away from it. I personally don't mind turning in a flawed draft. I get a better revision this way. That's just how I work, and is not meant to suggest others ought or ought not to work that way.
I have been fortunate in having a dozen really valuable beta readers. I received my official editorial comments on February 5 2011 and promised to have the book done by the end of the month, which I technically have done IF February was a month of normal length. Right?
The draft I turned in is 528 pages* and 178,000 words. By comparison, COLD MAGIC ran 491 pages* and just under 160,000 words. [* that's manuscript pages, not book pages]
I suspect after the editors read this revision, I will make one final light pass over the manuscript in the nature of polishing and sanding off the last scratchy bits. Then the book will go to a copy editor, and I'll have a final chance to cut and line edit.
I'm taking 3 days off.
Meanwhile: Tricia Sullivan's LIGHTBORN is on the short list for the Arthur C Clarke Award. Congrats!!! I'm just thrilled about this.
Finally, I'm amusingly thrilled to mention that COLD MAGIC has made the field in one of those March Madness book tournaments, this one DA BWAHA and staged by the marvelous bloggers from Smart Bitches and Dear Author. It's Romance oriented, and COLD MAGIC evidently slipped in in the Crossover division. The formal announcement is tomorrow (which is today already in most parts of the world, now that I think about it), and I'll post more info when I have more. No, I have no idea why it is called da bwaha.
Here are some stats, for those who are interested in the process:
I started writing COLD FIRE at the tail end of February 2010. There was no first draft as such, but a series of partial drafts, each adding on to and revising what had come before, until eventually I turned in a completed draft on Dec 6 2010. This draft had portions that were in third or fourth draft form and other sections that were fairly raw first.
The draft I turned in to my editors in Decembr 2010 was 654 pages*, and about 215,000 words. I turned it in KNOWING it needed significant cutting and focusing (the plot has not changed at all, but I've not just tightened up the book but really focused the characterization and the way the story unfolds). I simply needed the space away from it. I personally don't mind turning in a flawed draft. I get a better revision this way. That's just how I work, and is not meant to suggest others ought or ought not to work that way.
I have been fortunate in having a dozen really valuable beta readers. I received my official editorial comments on February 5 2011 and promised to have the book done by the end of the month, which I technically have done IF February was a month of normal length. Right?
The draft I turned in is 528 pages* and 178,000 words. By comparison, COLD MAGIC ran 491 pages* and just under 160,000 words. [* that's manuscript pages, not book pages]
I suspect after the editors read this revision, I will make one final light pass over the manuscript in the nature of polishing and sanding off the last scratchy bits. Then the book will go to a copy editor, and I'll have a final chance to cut and line edit.
I'm taking 3 days off.
Meanwhile: Tricia Sullivan's LIGHTBORN is on the short list for the Arthur C Clarke Award. Congrats!!! I'm just thrilled about this.
Finally, I'm amusingly thrilled to mention that COLD MAGIC has made the field in one of those March Madness book tournaments, this one DA BWAHA and staged by the marvelous bloggers from Smart Bitches and Dear Author. It's Romance oriented, and COLD MAGIC evidently slipped in in the Crossover division. The formal announcement is tomorrow (which is today already in most parts of the world, now that I think about it), and I'll post more info when I have more. No, I have no idea why it is called da bwaha.
