My life as an editor

First of all, I hate it. Editing is mundane and tedious. It grates on my nerves like sand in my shorts. But like all things as an author, it's a necessity. It just doesn't mean I have to like it. On that note, I'm continuing with Mage of Chaos, book 1 of #ShadowGodsSeries. However, I'm kind of doing 2 edits in one. First, I'm doing corrections off feedback from a proofreader. Second, about forty pages back, I'm doing a indepth read-thru for smoothness and making some minor changes on flow. So far, this seems to be working out well and hopefully when I'm done it won't need further edits. At least that's the goal.

That's it for now, though check out my books on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/S.-Scott-Twigg/e/B007H3TEG4/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1466872527&sr=8-1

Per the Norm

During my last post I stated I'd finished the first edit of Warrior of Chaos, book 3 of my #ShadowGodsSeries. In reality, this was a lie. My first edit is a full edit with massive changes, but also includes an additional read-thru with some tweaks in parts. Last week, I completed this second pass-thru and have now printed it off for review. Then I immediately moved onto formatting books 4 and 5 of the series, Brothers of Chaos and Times of Chaos. During those few hours, I reviewed the content of the books and began to remember the full story that I wrote so long ago. With that down, I'm back to doing the second edit of book 1, Mage of Chaos.

On another note, I started to think about my two unfinished books, Opal (of the Stone Vengeance Series) and Child of Need, a stand alone novel based on the occult. Maybe someday, I'll be able to come back to them.

Done for Now

Because of some lingering thoughts concerning the final three chapters of Warrior of Chaos, book 3 of #ShadowGodsSeries, I did some more editing and cleanup. From just reviewing a few paragraphs in my memory, I knew it wasn't right and endeavored to correct these misgivings. Now I'm done with the book. I can set it aside and go back to book 1, Mage of Chaos, and edit that for a third time. Granted, I'm already 61 pages into the edit already, but there is a lot of work still to go.

In many ways, a book is never really finished, but rather exists in several versions. At least that's the lie I tell myself as I'm publishing it. LOL

Two Weeks

After a two week break in editing, I've binged edited 26 pages in the last 2 days. For the most part, it was refreshing, though there is a chapter I need to read through once again to make sure it flows correctly. The good part about what I've accomplished is that I'm nearing the end of the book and getting to the one revelation that the reader needs to understand in order to put one of the character's motivations into perspective.

In addition to this, I was forced to remove a couple paragraphs in a previous chapter concerning one of the characters due to perspective, but (luckily) I was able to add the content back in a bit later. I've been able to clarify some of my initial thoughts on the workings of magic within the world. I've also hinted at the abilities of one of the minor characters which now starts to show itself, becoming a much larger part of the story in the following books. So far, I like the changes I've made as I near one of the funnest chapters in the book; a scene in which two strong headed people meet for the first time. For me, the interaction is iconic and really delves into one of the character's personality.

For the most part, I like writing strong, no-nonsense women. In this #ShadowGodsSeries, that woman is Chalas. Yet, for the first few books, her sturdiness has only been hinted at. Starting at the end of book three, Warrior of Chaos, Chalas really starts to display the reason why she's survived this long and why she's so well respected. Like most stories of this genre, the series portray a man's society, but as the story progresses she assumes her nature role as leader which isn't (and shouldn't be) a shock to anyone.

With only 35 pages to go, my work on it is nearly complete. In some ways, I find it hard to believe I cover so much of the real story within those pages, but that's kind of the point. For a nine book series, each book needs to end with a revelation, a turning point, a victory, or a crisis. In some of the books its driven by a battle, but in Warrior of Chaos it concerns insight into a specific character. That insight also sets up what happens in the next book in the most subtle way.

Gotten Longer

I've been editing like a madman. Now most of you would probably think this statement means I'm spending ever waking hour going through Warrior of Chaos. It's not. Nor does it mean I'm doing twenty or more pages a day. I wish. What it means is I'm putting in more effort than usual which means I spend 2-4 hours a day going over 3-8 pages, at most. With as much re-writing as I'm doing, I think it's great progress. The problem is I wrote this book 15 years ago and my style has changed, though its more than that.

When I first started writing this series, I did so in a very distinctive way. The style was abrupt and didn't flow well, especially when reading it. Over the course of time, it would become easier on the reader, but never smooth. Also, I wrote for multiple perspectives within the same chapter which I've learned is not the best. Because of these things, I'm having to read ahead and decide on the best approach for the chapter, the book, and the series. I emphasize one character in one chapter and a companion in another. This makes for a difficult time of editing as I need certain things said without switching perspectives. That's why it's taking so long.

Now the good part: I'm in the middle of editing one of my favorite scenes in all of the series. It's a long chapter, but it demonstrates a particular aspect of one of the characters that I adore. When I finish with this chapter, I'll have about 75 more pages to go before I complete the first review of the book. Also, with all my edits, the book has stretched from 281 pages to 311 and I haven't even added the map or glossary yet.

In all the books so far, Warrior is my favorite, though there are parts in every book that I love. As I move to the following books, I'll have to see which one is truly my favorite.

#ShadowGodsSeries

Said This Before

Over the course of this blog, I've spoken of my writing and of some of the techniques I use to really dig into my characters. I've even talked about my reason for starting the Stone Vengeance series based on the character Jeremiah Stone and the demon Hades. Once, I even touched on the real reason why I started writing in the first place. Though I've stated that its because I have an active imagination and this was a way for me to convey some of my thoughts, it's not the entire reason why I began down this path. The real reason is I don't believe characters, as they are portrayed in books, are strictly black or white. Their personalities should color the spectrum. They should be indicative of real life. Yet the sci-fi/fantasy trilogies I read as a youth followed the belief of good people were beyond fault and bad people were always ruthless and uncaring. For me, this created a false image of the world I was being thrust into as an adult. It's also why I believe that people are inherently good and why I always give them the benefit of the doubt. I have since learned not to be so naive.

I bring this up because of where I am within the editing of book three, Warrior of Chaos. It's a section where the ruthless Lord Storem and the honorable warrior Trais Greywind meet for the first time. Needless to say, it's an encounter neither character forgets, but I see it as more than that. In that brief scene, Trais realizes that Lord Storem is an honorable man despite his otherwise despicable behavior. In turn, Lord Storem sees that Trais is a warrior who is much like himself in the fact that he'll do anything to win. What this seems, to these characters and to me in real life, is that we are not perceived as we truly are, but as society deems us. That's until we are willing to step out of our comfort zones and meet the other half (as they say). For all of us, passing judgement is an easy thing to do, but its also the wrong thing to do. We don't really and truly understand a person's past or how the most minor of things could affect their life. We didn't walk in their shoes and they have not walked in ours. So until you really meet someone, sit down and talk to them for a length of time, you should never say you understand them, nor should you judge them. And you should never speak poorly of them because that says more about you than it does about them.

Half-Way

Over the past week, I've edited over 40 pages of Warrior of Chaos. Now, in my previous post, I stated that this book focuses primarily on Lord Storem, but that's a lie. It also centers around another warrior name Trais and the true meaning of war within his eyes. In a way, it spells out how war has changed throughout our history and how the aftermath of it is dealt with. As I've said before, my books have a philosophical background and that's what I really enjoy about them. I hope to inspire thought, not just tell a story in each one of them. In many ways, this is the same approach I took in my book A Romance Novel, though that's another story completely and one that strikes a little too close to home at times.

For now, I'll keep editing and revising, adding and deleting, until I have this first edit complete. Then I'll return to book one and finish up the edit on that before moving on to book two. Hopefully, by the time I get finished with those, edits from book three will be back. Also, at the same time, summer should be here and my cover artist will be available to wish the artwork for all three books at once since my page counts will be fairly set. In all, if all goes well, Mage of Chaos will be out by Christmas. Though its a little late (by about 4 years), better late than never.

Wish me luck!

Shadow Gods

Anyone following me knows that I'm finally getting around to editing and eventually publishing my series Shadow Gods #ShadowGodsSeries. This was the original series I started way back when I was seventeen and didn't finish until I was thirty-seven. Even then, it's rough and needed editing (a lot of editing). Right now, I'm on my third edit of the 1st book, completed the second edit of the 2nd book, and am about 2/5th of the way through editing the 3rd book. Considering there are 9 books in the series, it's gonna be a while before I finish them all. However, I'm not going to wait for all of them to be done before publishing the first book, but I want the first 3 relatively complete before putting out the first one. This way the series will roll out fairly quickly, I hope.

This process of editing, however, is not easy and takes far longer than I anticipated. For instance, I spent 3+ hours today editing just 7 pages while knowing it's still rough and will need at least 2-3 more rounds of editing. I don't really have the patience for this, but I'm not willing to let someone else take the reigns when its in such an unfinished form. Furthermore, there are so many nuances to the story and points I want to add that I know no one else will quite finish it like I would. This is not to say I'm a perfectionist or possessive of the story, but rather that I've lived, loved, and breathed these characters for most of my life. Nobody understands them or the story like I do. Therefore, it has to be complete and clean (to some degree) before I think it's ready for anyone else besides me to read it.

What I want to say above all else is that within each book the story gets better.

In the first book (Mage of Chaos), I focus on a man named Dohan, though I may change his name to Dogon for one specific reason, namely the last 2 words of the 9th book. Dohan is a powerful mage of questionable integrity who manipulates people and situations to his own goals.

In the second book (Priest of Chaos), I focus on two characters, those being Aman and Friar Jarum. Both of these men are seedy, cruel, and heartless, though for far different reasons. Their interactions, however, set up a major turning point in the books to come.

Now that I'm into the third book (Warrior of Chaos), I realize I'm focusing on Lord Storem, the dictator of a major city/province. What I'm coming to know about him is that, despite his public lust for blood, he's an honorable man with good intentions, though life has led him down a path he can't turn back from.

The books which follow these tend to focus on other characters, each just as important, though each one of them tends to evolve as the books reach their conclusion.

What I find amazing, even as I go through them now, is that each character is a product of their environment. Each person was given a choice, good or bad, and now they suffer or reap the consequences of that choice. This does not mean that they are either good or evil, but rather that some ruts are harder to get out of than others. This series tests those limits within each of us, within each of these few characters, because we all have decisions to make. And sometimes the simplest of decisions can have ever-lasting effects on who we are and who we become.