I ended up going over chapter 3 yet again last night before posting it up for critiquing, so no chapter 25/26 work last night. My wife kindly proofread chapter 3 and had some goodThat's all right, I'll get to it the rest of the novel, soon I hope. To be honest, the beginning and the ending are the two sections I'm most concerned about. The beginning needs to be as good as I can make it, that's the part of the novel editors and agents are going to read and to make decisions on buying (or just reading on). The ending is the part where I need to satisfy the reader and make them want to buy read more of my stores. I can't tell you how many 'acclaimed' authors lost me as a reader because their ending sucked*.
Of course, now that I think on it, the middle's important, too. I don't want readers getting bored and putting the book down. Good books I've read have been the ones where I devour them in one sitting, no matter how long that is. The books I carried with me into the kitchen and the bathroom. Great books have those elements and are memorable enough to stay with me long after the book covers are closed.
I want to write a great book But first I have make this book 'good'.
I think I can safely and sadly expect that I'm not going to get the second draft done before I leave for World Fantasy at the end of the mouth. Rabble. I remember hoping I'd have the third draft done by now. Heck, I can remember wanting to have the book 'hand in ready' by October 27th. Now I'll be deliously happy if the first 5 chapters are polished enough not to embarass myself if a pro reads it. Oh well, crawl before you can walk, walk before you run. In the meantime, I need to write more. I wonder if I'm going to have to make yet another cut, this time in my critique groups. I've got three stories to do before tomorrow morning.
*Usual culprits are unexpected character changes, downer endings, 'message' ending, endings that are too rushed, ending where the main character didn't earn their happy ending or endings that simply did not live up to the expectations I had for the book. I'd name names here but frankly, the list would be depressing.
Of course, now that I think on it, the middle's important, too. I don't want readers getting bored and putting the book down. Good books I've read have been the ones where I devour them in one sitting, no matter how long that is. The books I carried with me into the kitchen and the bathroom. Great books have those elements and are memorable enough to stay with me long after the book covers are closed.
I want to write a great book But first I have make this book 'good'.
I think I can safely and sadly expect that I'm not going to get the second draft done before I leave for World Fantasy at the end of the mouth. Rabble. I remember hoping I'd have the third draft done by now. Heck, I can remember wanting to have the book 'hand in ready' by October 27th. Now I'll be deliously happy if the first 5 chapters are polished enough not to embarass myself if a pro reads it. Oh well, crawl before you can walk, walk before you run. In the meantime, I need to write more. I wonder if I'm going to have to make yet another cut, this time in my critique groups. I've got three stories to do before tomorrow morning.
*Usual culprits are unexpected character changes, downer endings, 'message' ending, endings that are too rushed, ending where the main character didn't earn their happy ending or endings that simply did not live up to the expectations I had for the book. I'd name names here but frankly, the list would be depressing.
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