My first edits

I came to realize, not by myself of course, but by following sage writers' advice that the first chapters of my first drafts were redundant and unnecessary. For readers.

The information contained was necessary for me though, the author, in establishing the setting, the character or characters, what made them tick.

For my first novel, I removed approximately fifty pages of what turned out to be back story for both main characters. Though these back stories were firmly entrenched in my mind, they did not move the story forward. Important elements of the past were easily summed up and dropped in when required.

In my second novel, I removed approximately twenty pages, again all back story. Was I getting better?

Not likely, but once again I had vital information about the main characters that I needed to continue their stories.

My third novel, still to be edited, is going to lose about thirty to forty pages. I created elaborate setups, not only for the main characters, but several secondary characters. More vital information that I needed to continue, but completely unnecessary for readers to know in advance.

For my fourth novel, now a nearly completed first draft, the back story is so much a part of the present story  I may leave it in. But this is sort of an experimental story, not a typical romance. I won't know until the end. But that's all right, because again I learned vital information about the character.

Many writers create character sketches for all their main characters. Other writers simply begin the story and work out the characters' lives as they move forward. One of these methods might be in my future, but at present I'm satisfied with the knowledge I get about my characters by writing their earlier stories.

--Cat