tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632878082669459487.post3159335419845872300..comments2023-10-21T07:30:22.394-04:00Comments on A Million Blogging Monkeys: NovelwurstAlan Orloffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03695574442723430347noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632878082669459487.post-71723250166745044812009-11-14T04:56:03.797-05:002009-11-14T04:56:03.797-05:00It depends how terrible the first draft is. I'...It depends how terrible the first draft is. I'm defintitely the type that when I edit as I go I don't move in a story. I didn't finish my first draft of any novel length piece of writing until last year because I just kept rewriting beginnings and not getting much further. Since I've taken the close my eyes and type approach to first drafts I've written a fair number, unfortunately most are extreme works in progress.<br />That said, spelling is the least of my problems. I have to go back to basic plot mapping and character motivations and graphing out subplots and where they travel through the story and intersect each other and just generally make sure it makes sense. Then I get on to the spelling and worry about sentences and making it pretty.<br />Thanks for sharing this post.Cassandra Jadehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17515442718374750674noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632878082669459487.post-48020766516058835842009-11-13T16:46:23.293-05:002009-11-13T16:46:23.293-05:00Okay, I admit I do spell check as I go. But I figu...Okay, I admit I do spell check as I go. But I figure, so much gets changed during the revision stage, it doesn't make sense to do a line edit type spell check until a little later.Annettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02755947919433555176noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632878082669459487.post-46633564802523525232009-11-13T16:31:54.345-05:002009-11-13T16:31:54.345-05:00Galen - Your memory is better than mine. I have tr...Galen - Your memory is better than mine. I have trouble remembering my name sometimes, no matter how many times I say it. For the record, I did not find your blog today offensive. In fact, your anecdotal research mirrors actual market research--more women buy books than men.<br /><br />Annette - Congrats on getting to the hardcopy edit stage. I spell check before, I spell check during, I spell check after. I hate typos!<br /><br />I don't eat sausage either.Alan Orloffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03695574442723430347noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632878082669459487.post-69593739131748789132009-11-13T15:36:40.215-05:002009-11-13T15:36:40.215-05:00My process is very much like yours, Alan. Except I...My process is very much like yours, Alan. Except I save the spellchecking and word finding until after I've done the hard copy read-through. By the way, yesterday I printed out my first draft for that very reason. <br /><br />However, as a vegetarian, I can't get into the sausage-making analogy. I'm with Michele. The picture is ick! LOL!Annettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02755947919433555176noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632878082669459487.post-50339554957317187022009-11-13T15:07:24.298-05:002009-11-13T15:07:24.298-05:00Your process is very structured and logical…a grea...Your process is very structured and logical…a great thing. Mine’s not quite as well thought out. Primarily, I read my document over and over, until I can repeat it by heart. Many sins and oversights surface this way…particularly bulky, awkward sentences or scenes. I do some of the search things as well, but primarily, I rely on how it reads to my ear and if there are logic breakdowns. <br /><br />Best Regards, Galenjoe doaks-Authorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05283066862112820202noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632878082669459487.post-30435946324769384092009-11-13T14:40:19.826-05:002009-11-13T14:40:19.826-05:00Michele - Find and Replace is invaluable for when ...Michele - Find and Replace is invaluable for when you need to change your character's names. Just be careful: if you change Tom to Jim, you might have your character putting a slice of jimato on his sandwich!<br /><br />Elizabeth - Maybe you should put up a sausage recipe on Mystery Lover's Kitchen. I've got a picture for you! (even if Michele thinks it's gross).<br /><br />Margot - I'd love to read for content first, but I get too distracted by all the typos and ugly prose. It has got to be semi-clean before I can read through it on paper.<br /><br /><br />Thanks for the tweets, tweeters!Alan Orloffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03695574442723430347noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632878082669459487.post-59152754111237322922009-11-13T12:53:58.705-05:002009-11-13T12:53:58.705-05:00Alan - I like your method! I always have a process...Alan - I like your method! I always have a process I go through, too, to "make my sausage." I start with content: is it interesting? Is it a taut plot? Am I off on a tangent or wasting too much verbiage on something? Are the characters real? Then I move to the structure (chapter organization, etc.). Then I do the mechanics stuff. At least that's what works for me!<br /><br />And like Elizabeth - I'm tweeting this 'un : )Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632878082669459487.post-73878971152807934022009-11-13T12:44:57.479-05:002009-11-13T12:44:57.479-05:00This sounds like a very organized way of making sa...This sounds like a very organized way of making sausages, Alan! And very tweetable...<br /><br />Elizabeth<br /><a href="http://mysterywritingismurder.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow"> Mystery Writing is Murder</a>Elizabeth Spann Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15625595247828274405noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632878082669459487.post-60455439297231056552009-11-13T12:36:54.863-05:002009-11-13T12:36:54.863-05:00VERY helpful to a newbie writer. Thank you! I kn...VERY helpful to a newbie writer. Thank you! I know it's basic, but I didn't know about Word's refine feature. Thanks! <br /><br />Uhh, the sausage pic? Very gross.<br /><br />Michele<br /><a href="http://southerncitymysteries.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">SouthernCityMysteries</a>JournoMichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11170364981958685438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632878082669459487.post-84320840643629293972009-11-13T12:28:27.789-05:002009-11-13T12:28:27.789-05:00Crystal - It only sounds organized. It really is l...Crystal - It only <i>sounds</i> organized. It really is like making sausage.<br /><br />Elspeth - Editing does seem to take less "work," but then I think I must be doing it wrong.Alan Orloffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03695574442723430347noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632878082669459487.post-10306426596546719962009-11-13T11:59:07.821-05:002009-11-13T11:59:07.821-05:00We seem to follow a very similar process in our sa...We seem to follow a very similar process in our sausage-making. I spell check over and over again. I check verb tenses as well. Then it's time for the placeholders; which can take a while. Chapter breaks are usually okay, but might get fiddled with. I'm incredibly aware of timelines when I'm doing the first draft so hopefully there's no monster mistakes.<br /><br />I actually don't mind editing; far more logical than writing the sucker!<br /><br />ElspethElspeth Futcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10330102545384369360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3632878082669459487.post-81098524422382394962009-11-13T11:02:10.346-05:002009-11-13T11:02:10.346-05:00Interesting way to make sausage, Alan! Very method...Interesting way to make sausage, Alan! Very methodical and, well it <i>sounds</i> quite organized.<br /><br />I just love these glimses into the process of making sausage. :)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04855818112935929377noreply@blogger.com