Red edit hiccup

~ Annalisa Crawford

I’m still in the red edit zone, so no completed chart just yet. Instead I have these:

Yes, I’m making the grievous error of not just a prologue, or epilogue, but both!

But, let’s gloss over that for now.

My red edits have gone really well, and I technically finished them last night, after a full-on day of reading my own words, cringing, and occasionally being wow-ed.  In fact, there are several pages which don’t even have any edits on them at all!

I added reason and sense to some of the plot points that were somewhat lacking, and a bit of emotion where I’d forgotten to show it. I cut a lot of useless stuff, including a whole character (RIP MC’s boyfriend, but he was kind of pointless, and ended the relationship in the same chapter he was introduced).

Despite all the cutting – some days, I hovered around the exact same number, even though I was writing furiously – I added 2261 words to the story, which means it now stands at just over 40,000! Still too short for a novel, but on my way. By adding four more chapters, I should easily make that up to 45,000.

I swapped around some of the early chapters, but I’m still not completely happy. The opening feels sluggish and dull – but I think it’s necessary to set the scene. Due to the nature of the story, I can’t use flashbacks (which I usually love, so this is hard for me). Perhaps, when I get to the beta reader stage, fresh eyes will be able to point out the problems.

Big question: Prologues and epilogues, love them or hate them?

 

 

22 thoughts on “Red edit hiccup”

  1. I like prologues and epilogues! But I know they have gone out of vogue with editors and agents…but then I open up a best seller and there’s – you guessed it! A prologue! And an Epilogue! So do your own thing!

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    1. I think if they’re used badly, like to dump the reader in something really exciting, but then the main story start with them shopping in a supermarket, it can be like a false advertisement. I’ve seen some done really well, and give the reader an a-ha moment later on in the story.

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  4. I really like them, especially when they shed light on something in the main plot that just can’t be addressed in that plot – like if you aren’t using flashbacks. On occassion, I don’t like prologues and epilogues, but that’s in the fantasy epics which also include glossaries of characters and five maps – all very interesting but sometimes a bit much for me. However, I know that many readers like having all of those extras. I like prologues and epilogues best in shorter novels like yours.

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  5. I like them. They set the stage for the book and provide a nice, tidy wrap-up.

    Fresh eyes will probably help you with those sluggish areas.

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  6. Happy to beta read whenever you’re ready! It sounds like you’ve got a lot of work done, so that’s great.

    As not everyone seems keen on prologues and epilogues, if you can make them a reasonable length, it might be worth offering them as supplementary books that readers can pick up if they want to know more – perhaps as freebies. Anything’s possible these days!

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    1. Thanks for the offer, will definitely take you up on it 🙂

      The pro- and epilogues will be very short chapters, definitely nothing worth making longer, but long enough to explain what I need to.

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  7. I like them a lot. I think they set the mood – prologue. And I like a tidy tie-up with an epilogue. Very satisfying. Go for it!!

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  8. Hi Annalisa – looks like you’ve had some lovely comments and ideas here .. and offers of beta readers … so good luck – it will all come together … cheers Hilary

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  10. I especially adore epilogues. Sometimes I like prologues, but mostly when they’re really short and REALLY relevant. The epilogue feels like icing on the cake. Now that the journey is over, I get one last moment with my beloved characters. *sigh*

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  11. Wow! Multiple pages with no edits? That’s impressive. I think I had that happen once with my last round of red line edits—and that was because there were only three words on the page. 🙂

    I have absolutely no problems with prologues or epilogues, so long as they suit the story. Sometimes, they’re just needed.

    Happy writing!

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