Editing updates

 As part of this editing process, I opened a spreadsheet and designed it to keep track of the chapters, the length, and the characters who are in that chapter.

I discovered some very long chapters, so I broke them down, recalling an agent had once commented that short chapters were more reader friendly than long ones.

I also discovered that by listing the characters as active, small active, passive [there but not speaking], I can see if one of them needs a bigger role, a smaller role, or was not necessary at all in that chapter.

More discoveries to come, I'm sure.

– Cat

 

 Progress –

Today I reduced my word count by 125 words.

I came across an unnecessary word. I then decided the sentence that contained it was unnecessary. As I read further, I asked myself if the paragraph that contained the unnecessary sentence that contained the unnecessary word, was necessary. [Oof – sounds like a song!]

And I laughed. Of course the paragraph, and the two that came after it were not necessary to the story. They may have added a bit of fluffy background for a character who isn't the main one, but their presence or lack thereof made no difference to the plot.

I'll have another update in a few days.

– Cat    first posted in 2015