Daunting

The task of editing is daunting.  Since I can't seem to remember what I've told you and what I haven't (I could check, but I'm far too lazy...), I'll do a little refresh here again...  While at the writing course in Hockley Valley at the end of February, I finished the first draft of my novel about Dad.  The course leader recommended an editor and I decided to take the next step.  The feedback has been awesome, however, the amount of editing required is daunting.

But first - an excerpt from the 5 page summary report:

 " The book is a rich, complex portrait, not only of a man but his family.  Although this is a so-called ‘ordinary’ family with lives that many people would recognise as close to their own, the depth of the exposition and insights into family life are enjoyable and compel empathy. 

  The book’s structure is a series of vignettes, not told in chronological order, with a strong narrative force.  The vignettes flow together well to tell the story of a man’s struggles with fatherhood, from his daughter’s point of view, from her earliest memories to his untimely death and its aftermath and consequences for her. 

  It is a character-driven work, and the main characters – particularly father (Dad) and daughter (Laura) – are drawn ‘warts and all’ and are very real.  Dad, as the central character, is likeable and engaging from the start but also deeply flawed.  We are sympathetic to him, mainly because we recognise his humanity.  These characters are a great achievement.  

  The vignettes relate different kinds of events in the family’s life: iconic or ‘typical’ events that illustrate the family culture, and events that changed and shaped the family.  Although the narrative focuses on character rather than plot, there is a causal chain of events in which Laura grows and changes through childhood, and these events contain enough drama and action to sustain the story.        

  Written as a kind of honest eulogy, the book often has an elegiac tone but is also suffused with an original sense of humour, deliberately painted as a family trait.  The honesty and humour lighten the sadness to create an overall tone that is thoroughly emotionally engaging.  (I laughed and cried.)"

And then the best comment of all?

"Once the book has been revised and copyedited as suggested here, I believe it will be of publishable standard."

Call it bragging, I guess.  I just like to call it sharing.  I figure I've shared enough of the bad, I should share the good :)

In my actual report, there were 199 comments.  Now you know why I say it's daunting....  Approximately 50 of those were just positive comments, saying how much she liked a certain passage, or how well a style was working, which was very, very cool.  The only thing is that left about 150 places where I need to edit.  So I've been doing what I do best: procrastinating.

But tonight, I've tackled the first couple of comments.  I tried to keep going, but I seem to find making tea more interesting and blogging is a good distraction as well.  There are just some parts that are going to require some heartfelt effort and I'm shying away from it at the moment.  I guess everything in good time, but if I don't get moving, it's going to be another year before I get through all the suggested edits.

So 3 down, only 147 to go...