Editing -Chapter 6

So I've split chapter five into two because of all the rewriting I've done to change the lead up to the ships. At this point I'm back closer to editing rather than writing new scenes or cutting 90% of what I have. Less than 20k words to go. I've done the hardest parts.

But I'm feeling stuck at the start of six. Did I get lost in the rewrite? Have my characters become different people? I'm not sure.

Editing - chapter 2, second draft

As I logged all of my early NaNoWriMos to help me figure out what my process is, I probably should do that with the editing too.

The first draft of chapter one is done. Fairly happy with it, although I suspect there will be some issues with POV although I revised it.

Problem: Astrology.

It's pretty clear to me that the world needs an astrology system that's fairly integrated into their worldview.

Now--there's a point in the story where there's a bit of a deus ex machina--at the beginning, to set the story in motion. I could use a star chart as a more logical departure.

I'm not sure though--will this unnecessarily complicate the story? (probably not) Is it helpful? (unclear) Is my resistance mainly due to lazyness? (likely)

Sure, I can just add in some language here and there and explore the system in full in a later novella (which was kind of my original plan). But does that make the system part of their lives? It really should be....

Editing and Research

Recent research has included:

• The Street with No Name (for the 1950 story);
• Guns of August/Tuchman (for the adventure story);
• The Crimean War/Figes (for the adventure story);
• Wish Me Luck (BBC series) (for the 1939 story);
• Carve Her Name With Pride (film about Violette Szabo) (for the 1939 story).

I really could use some working titles here!

Current editing:

Still trying to understand the structure process. Getting lost in midsection (story-world). Next step: peel out individual subplots and character arcs to help see where they have holes.

Eventually, I really hope to get a story structure process together. It feels so mysterious.

Incoming:

Need more work and thought around either fantasy or sf story lines. Both are currently too thin and the character voices are not strong enough to talk me through.

Smallpox vaccination

Smallpox Vaccination in New York City, Late 40s

British propaganda films

From WWII, via boing boing:

propaganda movies

Editing update

So I am now working on Chapter 5 of editing for the NaNoWriMo 2010 novel, which has the horrific working title of "1950".

I've organized all the scenes through chapter 9.

I'm not quite sure if I have a good sense of what I am doing in this draft yet. It seems very trial and error in a lot of ways. I'd like to be more aware of what I'm doing so, you know, I can do it again. For the other two drafts.