Given my schedule for the next couple of months, I decided forgo my normal pause. Putting my revisions on hold would have me revising the Van Helsing Paradox during a business trip and that would have been fairly disruptive.
Revision 3 is now complete and I ended up with about 500 less revisions. There was an increase of 350 words despite the there being a net loss for most chapters. Two additional scenes were added to describe Clara physically, which led to a net increase. Revisions are getting smaller in scope and I rarely need to rewrite a few sentences are rewritten.
So what does this tell me? That I am on track. While this revision is far from perfect, my metrics are improving and I plan to restart the process end February.
Even Things That Go Bump in the Night Need a Place to Unwind
One of the core changes between my review process for the Grand compared with the Portrait was record keeping. The Portrait‘s development had taken place over a decade, using various mediums and statistics were honestly an afterthought.
As of this post, my third review of the Grand is complete. This review marked a 48% drop in overall corrections when compared to the previous revision. Siamese Dreams had the most substantial drop at 56%. Journey Through the River of Belief stood at the opposite end of the spectrum with a 42% reduction in changes.
Overall there were 2,385 corrections done over the whole of the Grand giving us an average of 139 changes per chapter. It shows a trend where each review results in less overall changes. However, some of these changes included the addition of sentences and paragraphs.
Here is a summary of the above:
Overall a 48% drop in modifications when compared to revision two;
2,385 modifications for the entire work;
139 modifications per chapter;
Siamese Dreams had the fewest changes at leading to a 56% decrease;
I also learned that there is no easy metric from which to work from. The Grand uses changes per work page (A4), changes per Kindle page and changes per eBook percentage. None of these match up in any way, if two chapters have similar scores in changes per work page, they will not match up for the other metrics. I found it odd, but it provides me with an idea on my progress.
Perhaps in my next novel, I will keep track of changes compared to the total word count. Again it will not be the perfect metric to follow, but it will provide some insight!
I have completed my third review of Ghoul Hunters. In this modern day chapter, a group of paranormal researchers discover the truth about the Grand.
There were 161 modifications made to this 15 page chapter leading to a 51% reduction in changes when compared with revision two. Overall, this revision concentrated on improving the chapter’s readability. Several modifications were related to formatting and maintaining consistency.
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 third review of Journey Through the River of Belief. In this chapter John comes face-to-face with Eleanor and discovers the truth.
There were 109 modifications made to this 9 page chapter leading to a 42% reduction in changes when compared with revision two. Overall, this revision concentrated on improving the chapter’s readability. Several modifications were related to formatting and maintaining consistency.
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 second review of Ethereal Nights. In this chapter a flapper wakes up in the Grand with no memory on how she got there.
There were 111 modifications made to this 9 page chapter leading to a 50% reduction in changes when compared with revision two. Overall, this revision concentrated on improving the chapter’s readability. Several modifications were related to formatting and maintaining consistency.
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 completed my third 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 344 modifications made to this 25 page chapter leading to a 54% reduction in changes when compared with revision two. Overall, this revision concentrated on improving the chapter’s readability. Several modifications were related to formatting and maintaining consistency.
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 completed my third review of Siamese Dreams. This chapter follows the tale Morris Little, a travelling salesman who finds he is stuck on a woman with feline grace.
There were 161 modifications made to this 12 page chapter leading to an impressive 56% reduction in changes when compared with revision two. Overall, this revision concentrated on improving the chapter’s readability. Several modifications were related to formatting and maintaining consistency.
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 completed my first review of Chariots of Thunder. This story revolves around a motorcycle stunt driver who was taken after a crash involving the Wall of Death. Explore just what patrons of The Grand will do to keep themselves occupied!
There were 200 modifications made to this 14 page chapter when compared to the initial version. Overall, this revision concentrated on improving the chapter’s readability.
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 completed my third review of Into the Fire. In this chapter, a chambermaid’s car breaks down on her way back home. What could possibly go wrong once the sun sets?
There were 96 modifications made to this 8 page chapter leading to an impressive 55% reduction in changes when compared with revision two. Overall, this revision concentrated on improving the chapter’s readability. Several modifications were related to formatting and maintaining consistency.
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 completed my third review of The Virgin Goddess of the Hunt. In this chapter, a group of mobsters decides to lean on the Grand and discover what happens when guests have a chance to play.
There were 177 modifications made to this 17 page chapter leading to an impressive 64% reduction in changes when compared with revision two. Overall, this revision concentrated on improving the chapter’s readability. Several modifications were related to formatting and maintaining consistency.
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.