Edited a lot

I didn't really have a surge of inspiration tonight but I did force myself to do the things I should have done last night.  I posted two new rings to my jewelry shop.  One of them is two fingerprints forming a heart on a ring and the other is an infinity symbol ring.

Infinity

 

Two Fingerprints Form a Heart

 

So I was happy to have gotten them listed. 

I also edited more than normal.  I did a chapter and started the next chapter (worked as far as a page into the next chapter).  The reason for my overachieving was because I saw that I only have two more chapters (now one chapter and about 2/3rds of another chapter) before I catch up with where I made notes on my PDF version.  So when I catch up, I can recompress the manuscript with all the updated edits and start from there on my iPad again with a stylus and my Goodreader app.  I'm just looking forward to the change.  It has felt good to have a mixing up of editing methods.  Keeps me looking forward to shorter term goals instead of just the overall goal.

So I'm at...
Page 65 of 155

Yay...Getting this thing polished up...FINALLY.

Woohoo, a whole chapter!

So I'm pretty psyched about how well this is going.  Knowing I need to report the amount of pages I've edited each day keeps it in the back of my mind.  So when I have a free minute or two, I try and dedicate it to editing.  Not only that, but now when I'm reading a book or listening to an audiobook, I'm constantly thinking about my own manuscript and feeling a desire to quit reading and continue editing.  It's like that feeling that drives you to finish reading a book, but my mind is putting that desire toward my own manuscript.  What an awesome way to feel motivated.  Like it isn't a chore, but an actual hobby and something to feel proud of/excited about. 

Anyway, today I edited FIVE pages.  A whole chapter (which is about 10 book sized pages...like I've said before, the pdf I'm editing from fits a lot more words per page than a printed book would).  So I'm at:

56 of 155

And I think I stopped the handwritten edits around Chapter 16 or 17, so I'm only about 5 chapters away from catching up with myself (I made edits and sometimes they're easy 'missing comma' type edits, and other times they're more time consuming and general 'fix' type edits, which take way more time).  Once I catch up with myself, I need to:

• Compress the whole file again with the edits from Scrivener into a new PDF. 
• Upload that PDF back to Goodreader.
• Start reading/editing the actual manuscript again.
• Send that back to Scrivener and open the PDF side by side with the actual manuscript to type out the edits.
• Finish this whole round of edits (I can't wait).
• Make a kindle file of this draft of the book.
• Reread the whole book from start to finish while taking just general overall notes. 
• Reedit (hopefully with much less tedious fixes).

That is, unless Scrivener comes out with an iPad version of their program before I catch up with myself.  I can't wait until that day comes!  No more converting to PDF, editing, then putting files side by side...just make the edits directly to the manuscript on my iPad...the convenience factor there makes my mouth water.

I'm feeling good about this though! 

And I've started working on ideas for a new YA Dystopian (I don't care if publishers don't want dystopian right now...it's such a cool theory to consider...especially with all the changes technology brings to cultures...imagining what our future is going to look like is fun).  I'm using the Index Card app for that, and I'm really enjoying it.  It also syncs with Scrivener (but only through the Mac version of Scrivener, which is a bummer, because I'm using my PC far more often lately).  I have the app on both my iPhone and my iPad and, annoyingly enough, the files don't automatically sync between the apps.  If I upload them to Dropbox, I can then make sure the files stay constant between both, but I have to do that manually, and it's frustrating.  So I am mostly just using this app on my iPhone and jotting down ideas when I think of them.

I guess that's enough for this blog post...I made a short story long.

Edited a Page

I edited one page this evening.  So I'm on...

Page 43 out of 155

I swear, sometimes I do a whole chapter in a day.  Obviously, that's not typical, but even if I only do a page a day (ish) I'll be finished in a few months.  Ughh...that doesn't sound ideal at all, ha.  Oh well...it has to be done.

Editing a Manuscript-Using Scrivener and Goodreader

I know I've written about this before, but I have to reiterate.  Saving my manuscript from Scrivener into a PDF, opening it on Goodreader on my mini iPad, using a stylus and the freehand writing tool and making edits directly onto the page, then flattening the file and sending it back to Scrivener is the easiest and most efficient way I've found to edit my manuscript thus far.  I then can open the edited version in Scrivener (having saved it in the "Research" section), split the screen, and type out the edits right in the actual manuscript like so:

So today, for my 'work on Earths Project' task, I finished editing and polishing up to chapter five, made sure I was happy with the synopsis, and sent a query to another agent.  The agent requires the first 50 pages, synopsis, and query.  I like the idea of sending more in the query, even though I was grumpy about it when I first realized it was a requirement for so many agents.  The reason I've warmed up to the idea is because if the query itself catches an agent's eye, they can easily read more and decide what they think.  And since I've obviously got confidence in my work (or else, why would I be working so hard on its behalf), I feel like my chances can only get better the more they read.

That's all for today...I'll continue with my 1996 journal tomorrow.

Editing a Manuscript, Saturday, and Journal from 8/7/96 and 8/8/96

I'm having a great day.  This morning I got semi-caught up on my jewelry making tasks for the weekend and afterward I folded 3 loads of laundry and started a new one. I even went for a run with the dog right after I woke up...the run was more of a walk because I feel like I've got lead legs lately when I try to jog, but it was still worth the effort.  After the laundry and jewelry, I still had some time while the hubby was out with our daughter running errands, so I used 15 minutes to voice record another chapter of my book.  Doing the voice recording has really made me think about how well or poorly the story I've tried to create flows.  And when I have a bad chapter, I get red in the face while I'm reading out loud...but when I have a good chapter, I get a surge of confidence that lingers for hours.  It's still lingering now and I feel really confident that my writing (up until chapter 4 at least) is sounding the way I want it to sound.  It is getting me more excited to do the second round of editing.

I can't wait until Scrivener releases their iPad app.  I know I still have a while to wait, but it's nice to know it's coming.  Hm...maybe I shouldn't be so hasty to say that it's good to know I have it to look forward to...because I've lately been using that as a crutch and excusing myself from editing because I know it'll be easier when that app exists (my whole book is written in Scrivener, so to be able to read chapters and edit right on the page with my iPad sounds so convenient).  But getting this resurgence of desire to see this thing through and get an agent and (oh god, it's like my go-to fantasy daydream) sign a book deal needs to start somewhere.  And polishing this book to the point where I feel confident on every chapter instead of just every other one is what I need to focus on now.

So the editing must continue.  I'm still following through with my daily writing regimen, but I haven't actually gotten back into editing the manuscript.  I've decided though, that I'm going to pick up where I left off...the edits I've made so far are still marked in red all over the pdf of the whole book I've been reading through Goodreader on my iPad and, for the most part, they're legible, so I just need to continue making those edits.  Typing them out on the actual computer is the scary part.

Back to the journal...

Diary, I don't think David likes me anymore.  I went ******** and he only talked to me once!  Than he asked my ************** to watch a movie!  Didn't even ask me to go to so I had to sit ****************** :'(
                                         Millie

PS The worst part is, I think ************(someone I didn't like had a crush on me)**************

8/7/96
Diary, last night I was watching "Little Rascles" and the one kid said all these names of people that make a team. ***************** I know it was just a coinsodence, but it could come true!

Also, yesterday night I was helping my sister clean her room and she gave me something called a "monkey's fist" and a pez dispencer, a lot of clothes, and a really neat pen! llllllllll <--it ran out!
Oh well!

                                          Millie

PS This morning me and my brother and sister went for a run.  My brother beet me and I beet my sister.

8/8/96
Diary, I think he likes me again!  Yesterday when **************************** but he asked me instead (which he never does)

I ran again today!  and I kind of ran with my sister so no one really won.

***************
                                         Millie

Diary, I haven't been hearing the footsteps outside anymore.  Maybe the ghost decided to go haunt someone else for a change.  I really wish I could tell you something more exciting But there's nothing else to write about but boys!  I know that's the most boring thing I could write about but oh well!  I guess I just have as normal of a life as it can get!

I wish I can write to Kathy but its her turn to write to me!  I guess she just got bored writing to me!  Diary, should I write to her and remind her to write to me?  I'll give her 2 more weeks then I'll write to her!

      I have to go feed my chameleon
                  Millie

Sorry about all the blued out words.  I really censored these ones a lot.  They're just as embarrassing as before.  I am getting numb to it.  I just don't want any identifying information showing up...you know, in case I become a famous author some day and people actually read this blog.  I guess by then an editor or agent will probably force me to take this blog down.  Ahhh, there I go, daydreaming again.

Anyways...we're all just trying to avoid the crazy heat here in Arizona.  It's expected, but this is my first summer in the desert, so I feel like I'm allowed to complain for a while.  Plus, I'm pregnant, so that gives me double reason to complain.

Off to writing the paragraphs for my Synopsis in Six Sentences :)

Back to Work

I've finally been offered a job! I don't want to go too far into details but it'll be with the Arizona Hemophilia Association and everything about it seems amazing. I start April 22nd so since I only have a little over a week left of the unemployed life, I'm catching up on crappy TV shows and over cleaning my house so I'm ahead of the game when I'm adjusting back to the 40 hour workweek lifestyle. For the first time in my life, I only have a few extra things on my plate when I'm back to work. Used to always have graduate school on top of everything else (which was definitely a huge extra time burden), but now it's just the jewelry shop and the time I'll put toward getting the book edited and queried (until it's published). Along with spending time with the toddler and husband, I'm going to be busy, but very very fulfilled and happy. I can't wait to get this next chapter of my life started!!

As far as the jewelry and book goes...I've been busy with the jewelry and taking a longer than comfortable break with the editing. I NEED to get back into the editing and making it a major priority again. Like always, I'm the only thing standing in my way.

As for now, my baby girl is napping (for another hour probably), I'm feeling achy from a mild cold but my house is clean and I'm looking for that renewed motivation to edit, edit, edit. That's sort of what brought me here...my other neglected outlet.

Time to lay down, try and overcome the achiness, and maybe crack open the Goodreader app to do some editing.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Litchfield Park,United States

Save Trees...Use Technology.

So I'm officially going through my second round of editing...I have three points of view other than my own on my book and I've been mentally deciding what I want to change after hearing my three test-readers' advice.  I added a chapter in the beginning after hearing my sister's advice, I've changed a little bit of who I want my main character to be based on my friend Dan's advice, and I'm trying to add detail in areas where I feel it's lacking after my Aunt's advice.  Otherwise I'm working on catching minor errors and making awkward sections sound less so.  The reason for the title of my blog post...I FREAKIN LOVE TECHNOLOGY.  I was trying to decide the best way to do these edits without killing five full trees and since I already own a Mini iPad and a new inexpensive netbook type laptop, I wanted to make sure I could come up with the easiest, most pain free way of editing without having to go back and forth or use the laptop the entire time (Scrivener, please come up with an iPad version so you can solve all my problems!!).  Here's what I came up with:

1.  I compiled my manuscript from Scrivener (where I've already written the whole thing) and saved it into Dropbox in a PDF format.

2.  I opened it in Goodreader on my iPad.  It's an amazing app.  I can write edits directly on the page, like so...

3.  I uploaded what I edited into Dropbox (up to chapter 8 so far...my goal is to do edits everyday and then fix up the manuscript one day a week...it was supposed to be yesterday but I slacked..my parents are coming to visit tomorrow and I have a lot to do)

4.  Opened up Scrivener and added my edited version into the 'research' area of the program, then opened it so it was side by side with the actual manuscript and Viola (spelling?)...I can scroll each down as I go and edit my thoughts in a very user friendly and completely simplified way, all without killing a single tree.  In fact, none of my entire 80,000 words has ever seen a piece of paper.

And that's all for today :)