I just finished off a book by Stephanie Wood titled the After Effects. Since I enjoyed reading its predecessor Aegean Sun: Room 101, the temptation was too great to see what happened to some of the characters!
Where Aegean Sun: Room 101 had a certain voyeuristic quality. So far that the reader could only view to the events occurring in one room; this sequel breaks out of the mould and does an excellent job of breaking from its predecessor’s shadow.
This sequel aims to close the loop on stories which had occurred previously. It was wonderful to see what effects their time abroad had on these characters. Some relationships grew closer, some were created, and others were blown apart.
While there are some stories from Aegean Sun: Room 101 that had no closure such as Jill and Mike’s scare with cancer. Or what happened to Laura and Suzi after their trip, the stories Stephanie Wood choose to pursue were well worth the read!
Overall this novel is a light quick read, which left me glad that I could consume it one go!
Stephanie sums it up from the start. These individually crafted stories are echoes from the past, memories of events that took place in a fairly regular and nondescript room.
It was a light read, which I thoroughly enjoyed! I could easily dedicate scraps of time to it without getting lost. Nonetheless I had no desire to put the story down unless life insisted on it.
I felt a connection to the characters, simply by reading about their thoughts and emotions. There were also several scenes which were eerily familiar, bur that only made it more enticing.
This in turn, this left me wondering what happened to them after they left. So I am very tempted to pick up the sequel and find out!
Even Things That Go Bump in the Night Need a Place to Unwind
I have completed my sixth review of the Grand. This review marked a 53% drop in corrections compared to revision five. The Virgin Goddess of the Hunt had the most substantial drop of 69%, while Ethereal Nights had least at 24%.Overall there were 431 corrections that gives us an average of 26 changes per chapter. Overall this cycle saw a drop in changes for every chapter, although I do not expect this to be a trend.
Here is a summary of the cycle:
Overall a 53% drop in modifications when compared to revision five;
431 modifications for the entire work. The first time revisions are under three digits;
The revision cycle has been greatly accelerated. Here are some of the reasons why:
It takes far less time to run through the material;
There are far fewer errors to find with an average of 172 words between corrections; and
Changes implemented are minor in scope.
I expect to keep pushing through these revisions until the total amount of corrections drop well below 25 for the manuscript. If my current trends hold, I expect there are at 4-5 revisions left.
I saw an article about Quebec’s Secret Meat Pie. Cipaille is a recipe which hails from my mother’s side of the family. After a bit of research, I was able to adjust the recipe to be more historically accurate. Now it features six layers and quatre épices which is popular in French Canadian cooking.
This recipe is said to have origins from within the British Navy. It features a deep-dish pie with three meats and potatoes. The cloves give it a distinctive flavour which really makes this unique among my recipes.
I completed my sixth review of Ghoul Hunters. In this modern day chapter, a group of paranormal researchers discover the truth about the Grand.
There were 33 modifications made to this 15 page chapter leading to a 65% reduction in changes when compared with revision five.
Both Google Docs and Wattpad have the revised edition. Note that the Google Docs version permits comments and revisions, feel free to make use of this capability.
I have completed my sixth review of Journey Through the River of Belief. In this chapter John comes face-to-face with Eleanor and discovers the truth.
There were 32 modifications made to this 9 page chapter leading to an impressive 24% reduction in changes when compared with revision five.
Both Google Docs and Wattpad have the revised edition. Note that the Google Docs version permits comments and revisions, feel free to make use of this capability.
I’ve worked on software development projects in the past. So, once I began writing, I fell back on the tricks of the trade to refine my work.
My writing process borrows from the Spiral development model. As an author, this permits me to power through an initial draft, and polish the work over several iterative cycles.
Diagram 1. Spiral Development for the Literary World
To guide progress, I track trends to measure success. The following section outlines improvements that were made over time for two (2) of my releases:
The Grand
Diagram 2. Shows the progress made for The Grand over nine (9) cycles
What’s with the yellow line? While others measure the number of revisions within a measurable area, the yellow line measures words between revisions. I.e., the more words you have in between the better.
Visually, the changes are more dramatic:
Dark Hearts
Diagram 3. Shows the progress made for Dark Hearts over seven (7) cycles.
Again, the visual changes are more dramatic:
The Difference
The Grand (2017) was written with little feedback. Without release pressures, there was plenty of time to refine. After the book was published, several changes were made to the manuscript to account for feedback in reviews.
Dark Hearts (2022) involved external feedback throughout which led to more work up front. Once I got near the one thousand (1000) revision count for the manuscript, I knew that it’s time to pass the work on to my editor.
The Process
The process is roughly four steps as follows:
Working Version
Convert the manuscript into the format to be used for revision. While I convert the manuscript to an eBook, there are other methods available:
Printing the manuscript.
Modifying the manuscript styles to force yourself to view the content differently. For example, change the font, size, and colour.
The goal is to avoid reviewing the document in the same way you’d write or edit. I often call this switching from content creation to reader mode.
The Great Pause
After my working copy is complete, I set the project aside and tackle something new. Tasks range from reading a novel to painting the house.
If you want to maintain momentum, you may want to consider:
Working on cover.
Working on the blurb.
Preparing the website for the release.
Preparing the marketing material. Or.
Writing a newsletter to mark your progress.
This phase seeks to take your mind off the manuscript and approach the work with fresh eyes in the ensuing steps. This increases the chances of being objective when reviewing the manuscript.
A good example about this behaviour is an article on how the brain interprets words. Note how this paragraph is legible for many despite the spelling.
Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.
If your mind can read such garbled text. Imagine what it can do when intimately familiar with the text?
Note
It’s entirely possible to edit too much. A good sign is when you’re skimming the material vice reading. If you become sick and tired of reading your own manuscript, it’s time to take a break and step away.
Feedback
Feedback is critical for this process, otherwise our creation exists within a bubble. While challenging for new writers, engaging others is a good way to catch plot holes, or fill in the details that your readers will be looking for.
There are different types of feedback:
Alpha Readers. Alpha readers are typically engaged during the writing phase. These should be trusted readers that you can bounce ideas off.
Beta Readers. These readers are engaged later in the process, and for me that’s around revision 2 or 3. For new readers, it’s a good idea to provide them with a list of questions to work through.
Editors. Editors here will focus on story structure and pacing who help you keep the reader engaged. Some editors may advise you that there could be significant structuring or restructuring of a manuscript, so engage them early.
Note
Good editors are worth their weight in gold. Because of the investment, some independent authors rely on Alpha and Beta readers to address developmental concerns.
I don’t recommend engaging a developmental editor without prior interaction. Many will do a sample for you, which is a great way to determine if the opportunity exists for a lasting working relationship.
This step is often concurrent with The Pause. This is an opportunity to distribute a working copy to readers in order to solicit input and opinions.
This step can employ services like Wattpad and Patreon for enabling interested readers to follow your progress and interact.
Revise and Implement
In this step, you’ll revise chapters, tweak, and make corrections to the content. This process is sometimes referred to as redlining and was traditionally done using pen and paper. The term also evokes memories of school papers dripping in red ink.
Note
Tools like Grammarly and ProWritingAid are invaluable during this stage. They can help with your writing and even assist you in finding issues like inconsistencies in spelling, echoes (repeated sentences and lines), complex sentences, and so forth.
However, these programs are not perfect and should not be trusted blindly. It’s often possible to have the tool recommend you add a comma, only to recommend its removal the next time you run through.
I use a Kindle Keyboard which permits me to type in comments. These comments are annotations of changes that will need to be made to the manuscript later. Early revisions tend to generate lots of corrections, so I transcribe often to avoid data loss.
Diagram 4. Mock-up view of a review process on a Kindle Keyboard
Over the cycles, the number of revisions drop in number and complexity. Whereas during the final cycle, I’m looking for things like elusive typos.
This stage also permits you to adjust chapters, including their order. You may opt to add, rewrite, split or remove chapters. Just like you would add, fix or remove features in a software project.
Repeat!
Start the process all over again. Create a new version of the manuscript, take a break, revise and implement. With every revision look at your metrics to measure progress.
Towards the end you’ll know when it’s ready. For me, that’s when I hit one thousand (1000) revisions for whole of the manuscript.
Revisions may have different goals. The first should be about adjusting the structure and detail, while later revisions concentrate on trimming the fat and finding those elusive typos.
A good way of staying focused is to track your progress. Otherwise, you’ll end up in an infinite loop. You have to find that point where the manuscript is ‘good enough‘ to be passed on.
After ‘Good Enough’
This is the stage where you hand off the manuscript to someone else for a sober second look. Primarily someone who will review the document for lingering errors. I use my editor for this step, but a trusted reader can help as well.
Alas there is no rest for the weary, as there’s still work to be done before release. This includes but is not limited to:
Normalise your manuscript (editors often help with this step).
Format your manuscript for print, and eBook.
Integrate the cover with the manuscript.
Release your book.
Advertise!
More on Editors
There are many types of editors. Here is a distinction between the types and when you should engage them in the process:
Developmental. Major story and character points, early in the process, no line editing or proofreading.
Substantive/Content Editors. Once you have a solid story, it’s time to catch lingering plot issues.
Copy/Line Editors. Your story itself is solid, now it’s time to make the writing tighter, sharper, and stronger; improve the reading experience.
Proofreaders. This is absolutely last step before you go to print, addressing only basic punctuation and grammar, but not touching the story or the writing style.
Some editors will perform one or several of these roles. In many cases, it’s prudent to get another editor for proofreading as a final check of the manuscript.
I have completed my sixth review of Ethereal Nights. In this chapter a flapper wakes up in the Grand with no memory on how she got there.
There were 21 modifications made to this 9 page chapter leading to an impressive 53% decrease in changes when compared with revision five.
Both Google Docs and Wattpad have the revised edition. Note that the Google Docs version permits comments and revisions, so please feel free to make use of this capability.
I completed my sixth review of The Van Helsing Paradox. This chapter explores what happens when a hunter walks through the doors of the Grand in pursuit of prey.
There were 44 modifications made to this 25 page chapter leading to a 54% reduction in changes when compared with revision five.
Both Google Docs and Wattpad have the revised edition. Note that the Google Docs version permits comments and revisions, so please feel free to make use of this capability.
I have fond memories of visiting my grandmother and coming face to face with this cake. This recipe combines a delicious coffee cake with a creamy nutmeg sauce that really complements it!
This dish required a fair amount of deciphering. For example, the original recipe called for 2 eggs of grease for the cake.
The sauce needs a consistent temperature to thicken reliably. If you can get an even flame then this will be no problem. However, for electric ranges I recommend using a cast iron or steel saucepan to compensate for the on-and-off cycle of the heating element.
