Getting It Written

If you read my blog, you probably believe the life of this writer is pretty glamorous. I travel around the country and around the world, collecting experience and background for the stories I write. I run around naked in the desert (or the Palouse), dancing and howling at the moon. And every few months or so, I magically release another book.

Oh, my friends, how I wish it were true!

In the three weeks of February past, I’ve spent 23 hours editing and formatting a client project. I’ve spent 53 hours rewriting my next big release, Wild Woods. And I’ve spent 42 hours in the guise of my alter ego, Devon Layne, writing his next erotic novel, Double Take Book 2. All of those numbers are keyboard time on the project. They don't include the hours I spend proofreading, editing, and formatting my books. They don’t include hours of research that I go through to make the stories authentic or so I can understand another author’s work.

“What is the 5k running time for competitive female high school runners in Indiana?”

“What music would a classical guitarist and a flautist play in a recital?” (hint: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL54JVjPqRWsEWgQEsx5pi2k3dRqCM00At)

“What thorny bushes are native to Northeastern Pennsylvania and which invasive species would survive in a hickory forest if introduced.”

“What is a glass cockpit and how does it affect how pilots fly their planes?”

Just a few of the things I’ve had to learn this week.

Most of my day is spent sitting in my writing chair (substitute desk) working on one of these projects and trying to have a modicum of a life outside. The past week, it has been easy to stay inside as temperatures have routinely been in the 30s at night and rain has been falling at an uncommon rate in the desert. So, I’m afraid there isn’t much in the way of pictures this week. It’s all been writing and editing.

Here’s a little insight into the process I’m going through rewriting Wild Woods. First, I say ‘rewrite’ instead of edit. So far, in 300 pages of rewritten material (70,000 words), I haven’t used copy and paste from my first draft at all. I’ve typed every one of those 379,000 characters. Why? Because in retyping, I rewrite. I find simpler ways to say things. I find better word choices. And I quickly pass over the amount of diddly garbage I wrote in the first draft.

This is not editing. When my story editors, Michele, Michelle, and Lyndsy, got hold of the first draft in November and December, they scribbled all over it. “What? Who is this? This is lazy writing. Is this person important later? I have a hard time keeping track of all your red herrings. Ha-ha!” After reading their comments and frequent line-outs, I put a Band-Aid on my ego and started making my own notes.

“This subplot isn’t going anywhere. Delete.” “Can’t have kids this age in chapter two based on what happens in the ninth chapter.” “Stop preaching and tell the story.” There are days when I read two or three chapters (They are long at 8-9,000 words each.) just so I have a better feeling for the flow and can identify holes that need to be plugged to facilitate later action.

And then I type.

When this draft is completed, sometime in the next two weeks, I’ll reread the entire story and continue to edit and tighten before I send it to my proofreaders. And when it comes back, voilà! I’ll have churned out another lovely story on which I have bled for the past six months.

You can help! After eight months on sale, City Limits has only four reviews on Amazon, all 5-star, and none on Barnes & Noble. It has three reviews and two ratings on Goodreads, averaging a 4.33-star rating. It’s a good book. It needs more reviews, especially as I start moving toward the release of Wild Woods in June.

Please read and review this book!

If you can’t purchase the book for any reason, you can read it online for free at http://www.nathaneverett.com/releases/citylimits/. I don’t often flat-out beg for help, but I need your reviews! I don’t think you’ll regret taking the time to read City Limits!

And then, you’ll be all set to start Wild Woods soon.