The Silent and Brave revision page #141

I’m still stuck on Chapter 12 in The Silent and Brave, but it’s only because I’m working on the changes suggested by my editor in The Peaceful and Just. It has been a good experience, actually. I have been able to see places where a careful reading exposed mistakes that I could no longer see, which was exactly what I wanted.

Some things I was able to fix, thanks to my editor: I have a habit of using different words to describe the same person, place, or thing. I do it for variety, but what it really ends up doing is confusing the reader.

Also, I get so lost in where I am that I forget to adequately describe it for the reader. I can already see it, so I either remove the simple description or else muddy it up so much by trying to describe everything that I lose the easy picture.

When faced with editing, I think the artist’s mind goes to concept changes, and mass reworkings of a project. It’s not really as scary as that. I have already done all the hard work. I have slaved over paragraphs. I have learned about my characters. I have made my plot.

All I really need is a few simple, short, descriptive sentences that fit around all of that complicated stuff, to make it easier for the reader. It’s not hard or intimidating. It doesn’t even take a lot of time. What it does is make a huge difference.