I just finished the second editing pass of Infinite Vampire II: Queen’s Gambit!
Here are some stats on its progressed so far:
After 1st WRITE, wordcount was 135,000. Because I was still working at a “real” job, I didn’t track my hours and just wrote whenever I could. I can safely say that it at least took 200 hours.
After 1st EDIT, wordcount was 130,000. I spent 50 hours on the pass.
After 2nd EDIT, wordcount was 142,000. I spent 80 hours on the pass.
Weird, right?
Well, Queen’s Gambit is a thriller, and I sent it out to my beta readers after the first edit pass. They reported back that they wanted more breathing room and character development. I also realized that I forgot a few scenes (WHOOPS!). I also trimmed down scenes that went long, and I changed some plot points.
I figure I cut about 3,000 words (since the last edit), and apparently added 15,000… I swear they are really really good words!
Next, I’ll do two more editing passes, then send it to my wonderful and amazing copyeditor, then review the changes and do a final proofread.
Writing the steps out, this seems like an insane amount of work, and it really is. But, that’s okay. I can honestly say, that I’m really proud of the novel. My goal when I write is to tell the best, most epic story I can. To do that, it takes work. I think the novel will be a success, but even if it isn’t, that’ll be alright. I’m not writing to try and make a quick buck; I’m writing because it’s my passion. I just hope I can earn a living salary while doing it.
And now the sportsball game is on and my brothers started getting loud. Gotta go!
-M