Re-visioning

[blairmacg]

Just a quick update of dubious interest to most.

I've been growing more and more pleased with the beta-feedback I received for Sand of Bone, increasingly appreciating the notes and directions as time lets them sink in. There are, alas, two places where beta-readers seemed to quite disagree. I'll have to make a judgment call and hope readers -- including my beta readers! -- are happy with the final results.

I've not touched the manuscript yet. Like the last round, these revisions are less about tearing out whole sections and more about placing a line or two here and there. By making chapter-by-chapter notes, I'm able to see the overall picture. To start making those changes as I go along would pretty much ensure I lost track of everything somewhere along the line. :)

So the plan is to finish up my detailed notes by tonight, then spend next week and weekend putting all the pieces in the right places.

And then... we shall see. :)

Comments

[queenoftheskies.livejournal.com]

Hooray! It sounds like you're almost there.

What's your process for making the detailed notes? Do you do through the manuscript and make your own notes? Or are they based on the beta feedback?

I'm in one note-making process right now, but that involves printing out my manuscript and making notes for scenes I need to complete. I love scribbling notes all over the thing. :)

Do you find that instances where beta readers disagree is common? Or rare?

[blairmacg.livejournal.com]

Yay for note-making! I can't wait to see what you're writing. I feel like the kid who wants to peek over your shoulder. ;)

On notes: I read and read the beta feedback, then go through the ms chapter by chapter to find places where the changes can be made a little at a tip. I'm not reading deeply at this point, and I'm not making any text changes. I'm keeping myself at the "big picture" level so the changes are more holistic than patchwork. Then I'll go back through the beta notes and incorporate them with my own notes.

I do all this longhand -- not on the ms, but on notepads -- so it's totally sloppy and messy, but it works for me. :)

I've rarely had out-and-out disagreement among betas, though different folks will point out different things they especially like and dislike. In this case, there are two MAJOR points of head-on disagreement. On one side it's "I loved this and makes so much sense," and on the other side it's, "That's the one point I almost put the book down."

I've never had such opposing views. It would be an easy decision, too, if I didn't so respect the talent and skill of each beta reader!