tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post3254688019569009942..comments2024-03-28T13:37:53.397-04:00Comments on SleuthSayers: Extreme Editing Leigh Lundinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07921276795499571578noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-39590614957312000932019-10-22T20:30:21.698-04:002019-10-22T20:30:21.698-04:00Good points, all.
Some random thoughts:
Somerset M...Good points, all.<br />Some random thoughts:<br />Somerset Maugham says you should pick up a story like a puppy, a little before the middle.<br />David Morrell says that if you can't get the scene to work, it probably doesn't belong there.<br />I say, there's something to be said for circling, but not for stalling the action. <br />I'm-a love that comment, not coming up with an ending is cowardly, and a cheat. David Edgerley Gateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05302818835018859164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-89301003319637859642019-10-21T19:04:41.353-04:002019-10-21T19:04:41.353-04:00Great advice Travis. For as dense as Ellroy’s work...Great advice Travis. For as dense as Ellroy’s work can be, he can move the action along like no one else.Lawrence Maddoxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03057386966178865691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-38731649074994679032019-10-21T18:20:50.591-04:002019-10-21T18:20:50.591-04:00Right now I have to excise a thousand words for a ...Right now I have to excise a thousand words for a 6000 word story.<br /><br />I found doubling a word count to bring it up to a minimum really difficult. I solved it by doubling the story into a 2-for-1… which the editor didn't buy. I still liked it!Leigh Lundinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07921276795499571578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-42317073818821487262019-10-21T15:49:15.233-04:002019-10-21T15:49:15.233-04:00My first novel was accepted at about 77,000 words....My first novel was accepted at about 77,000 words...IF I could cut it to 70K or less, that publisher's limit. I went through my outline and cut every scene involving one subplot that created a continuing red herring and false suspect. After I'd done that, I only needed to cut another 500 words or so. <br /><br />It worked, but that publisher and I parted ways soon thereafter, and I stupidly discarded those scenes and that outline. I re-edited and republished the book about two years later and still wish I had those missing scenes to restore. <br /><br />The only times I've tried drastic cuts on a short story, they've turned the story to chaos. I still have two stories that I've run out of places to submit because they're a little too long for most market guidelines, and they're already cut as much as I can cut them.Steve Liskowhttp://www.steveliskow.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-34132336803969997902019-10-21T12:53:47.973-04:002019-10-21T12:53:47.973-04:00My personal record is cutting a story from 6500 to...My personal record is cutting a story from 6500 to 5000 words. The original was pretty flabby, obviously.<br /><br />Cutting to meet submission requirements has given me such good results that my last step in writing any story is to tell myself, “It’s 200 words too long. Find them.”Al Tucherhttp://alberttucher.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-51496366334282946872019-10-21T11:03:02.542-04:002019-10-21T11:03:02.542-04:00BTW, your title "extreme editing," made ...BTW, your title "extreme editing," made me think of this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLf4FTDUB2kRobert Loprestihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08844889305615182897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-47682031493023569062019-10-21T11:00:18.508-04:002019-10-21T11:00:18.508-04:00Boy, if you are looking for contractions you are r...Boy, if you are looking for contractions you are really down to brass tacks. I love the Chekov quote.Robert Loprestihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08844889305615182897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-28935179696597166352019-10-21T10:04:43.418-04:002019-10-21T10:04:43.418-04:00Oh, I've made some drastic cuts - in fact, I j...Oh, I've made some drastic cuts - in fact, I just cut out a whole page from a beginning that was going on too long. It's hard. Very hard. Eve Fisherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03015761600962360110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-82285535029889847542019-10-21T07:34:20.600-04:002019-10-21T07:34:20.600-04:00Cuts are no fun but as you point out, they can mak...Cuts are no fun but as you point out, they can make for improvements. The worst job I ever had involved cutting a short history book by nearly 50%- I had been given the wrong word count to start with!janice lawnoreply@blogger.com