I have finished the first draft of the manuscript for my second novel, and I'm finally editing. Does anyone out there actually enjoy THIS part of the process? I'm not talking about the editing that goes along with finalizing the entire work. I mean, the first read through and making sure your book doesn't sound like the ramblings of a psychotic wordaholic.
Don't you like that... wordaholic. I am so guilty of overstating and overusing words. Here's the perfect example... my first novel, FRIDAY LUNCH is 368 pages. Well, the original manuscript is almost 500 pages with a completely different ending, and there are characters that you'll never meet.
I'm a work in progress, and in my second novel I have tried to create more story in less pages. I like the element of finishing strong and my manuscript not looking like I just purchased refill paper for the copier. I like to have it printed from the computer and in my hand for the final read, because there's just something about turning that last page and closing that notebook that gives me such finality that I instantly want to start creating again.
Are you a wordaholic? My mom reads through my book first before anyone and she has taken her red pen and marked out entire pages. Some would cringe, but not me. I'm all about the strength of the work, so when it's in your hands, it has the ability to hold you until the end.
Can I ever recover from my addiction to words? Not likely. But, what author do you know that can say anything without being a little flamboyant in their descriptions?
