I have been working on a new novel for more than three years. It has had many, many rewrites, and more than its share of frustrations and stress points. It is long—more than 60,000 words—and complex, but the goal is a taut thriller about some important subjects—and history.
When my editor read the latest version, she felt I had made major progress, and had solved key plot problems. What essentially remained, she said, was a need to cut some 5,000 words, which is to say about twenty pages from the manuscript.
My reaction? I am delighted, even as I know that it will be hard to achieve. It is just here that a good editor is so vital, and for this writer, a blessing. Since I have worked on this so long (by my standards), rewriting sentence by sentence, word for word, cutting this much is difficult. However, an objective eye will point the way and provide vital focus. That the book will be leaner, swifter paced and thereby (hopefully) even more suspenseful, is exactly what I want.
As it happens my daughter, a third year medical student, is doing her surgery rotation at this same time. I will be sure to ask her for advice, too.
1 thought on “Performing surgery”
I was asked to cut 60k out–which is an entire book. Don’t know if it is possible but that is my task for 2014. I feel ya! Good Luck!