Whizzing

[Hermit the frog]

Anybody else suffer from this. On my sixth redraft, started fine, then 30,000 words in starting speeding up and rather that checking 300 to 600 words in a sitting begin whizzing through 4,000 – 6,000. Now I have to go back and restart at the whizzing point.

Also, choice of words; I think I’m still trying to find my writers voice. I thought of this when looking at the first few pages of my MS (for the hundredth time) and realised how many times I’d changed certain words or phrases. It seems to me as I’ve developed as a writer (hopefully), my choices have changed something like this;

1st obvious clichéd
2nd not so obvious clichéd
3rd out there at an attempt to get away from cliché
4th trying to be clever
5th staring to feel relaxed with

At this point when re-reading I can go two ways. Delusionally happy or totally confused.

Still learning I suppose and more importantly, enjoying the process. (most of the time).

 

[Boneman]

Actually, I'm not aware of how many words I cover, I just go on until I stop. But I'm in complete agreement with you on the choices. My 6th would be: find another person who will point out all the things I'm too close to the work to see, and then start over again and point 1. (Actually, I typed pint 1... which can be another starting place!)

 

[prizzley]

On my sixth redraft, started fine, then 30,000 words in starting speeding up and rather that checking 300 to 600 words in a sitting begin whizzing through 4,000 – 6,000. Now I have to go back and restart at the whizzing point.

This happens to me all the time. I try to work in chapters, so that on my Chapter Control (brief content details, word count, dates) I can note to re-review.

Has anyone out there a tip for maintaining concentration for more than 5 minutes when faced with this?

 

[Montero]

Read aloud - it will slow you down and also highlights wrong words that your brain skips over, when not reading aloud. It will also give you a feel for how well your text flows - the rhythm of it, not just the grammatical correctness. It is (more) difficult to fall asleep while reading aloud.
Practice is the other one. Sorry. But it is. I've been proofreading text for quite a few years now, and particularly when in the middle of proofreading, rather than writing, I am very sharp on picking up on typos. Including the odd minor one in professionally published books that I am reading for relaxation. These can be books I read some years previously, and didn't spot the typo the first time around.

Other than that, take regular breaks and get some fresh air. I tend to work for 40 minutes, break for five or ten for a brisk walk round the garden, make a cup of tea, back in again at that point.

And finally, when you have done all the proofreading etc, put the manuscript to one side for at least a couple of months and start a new project. Then re-read the manuscript once you are less familiar with it. See what you find in it.

Having other people read it at that point, when it is really polished, is the final step. Ideally someone who reads in the genre and is on the ball for being critical. Friends like that are a treasure to be cherished.

You can also pay for proofreading/editing - John Jarrold offers excellent advice. It is extremely instructive sending a manuscript to him that you think is perfect.

 

[Bowler1]

Do editing and reviewing in small bite sizes, single chapters or whatever suits best. If your shooting through thousands of words then to my mind you can't be editing with a hard eye. Everytime I look over old stuff, I always find something I'm unhappy with. I'm lucky if I get through a few hundred words before stopping to fiddle with the text. The most critical reader of your work should be you; it's the only way you can make sure what you do is the best you can do.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

A number of published writers I know work backwards which stops them getting into the story they just focus on the piece they are working on in hand.

I do it like Bowler. I pull the work out of the document paragraph, by paragraph and work in small bite sized pieces. I also change the font and colour from the one I've been writing in it keeps me in edit rather than write mode.

 

[Abernovo]

I find yWriter useful for editing, as you can break each chapter down scene by scene for that. I never use it for the initial writing, but for editing, I find it helps me to focus. Which is pretty similar to Bowler's and Anya's advice.

There's also Scrivener and the awful-named but actually quite well-designed Write Your Own Novel Pro, both of which cost money, but are worth considering. Both are similar to yWriter, although not identical.

 

[Biskit]

Read aloud - it will slow you down and also highlights wrong words that your brain skips over...

Read aloud… and then do it all again. I know there was a recent(ish) thread with a post containing a sentence where only the first+last letters were in the right place. Just read it, and it seems fine... your brain fixes the problems. Read aloud, and you read what's there, not what ought to be there.

It also forces you into the other major tricks - small chunks, regular breaks etc. Not many people can sit and just talk solidly for long periods.

 

[Hermit the frog]

Thanks everyone, great advice. I'll try the reading aloud and taking small chunks out into another document.

The leaving it alone for 2 months will be strange. Hardly a day has gone by in the last two and a half years without me playing with it.

 

[Boneman]

The leaving it alone for 2 months will be strange. Hardly a day has gone by in the last two and a half years without me playing with it.

It's very hard, that. Like leaving a child alone, almost. Start another project, even if it's just a joke one (one of my jokes has become a really good story...), and it's not that you forget it, it's that you step back from it, and don't read it, and when you step forwards again, you see all kinds of things.

Good luck with it, it's damn difficult to do!

 

[AnyaKimlin]

Now that's my problem. I leave it alone and start a new project. Reread it and my writing has improved, I see plot errors that can be tightened, changes I want to make in character development and I go and rewrite it.

 

[Ursa major]

Read aloud - it will slow you down and also highlights wrong words that your brain skips over, when not reading aloud. It will also give you a feel for how well your text flows - the rhythm of it, not just the grammatical correctness. It is (more) difficult to fall asleep while reading aloud.

This.

Note that you may still start racing, but your mouth likely won't be able to keep up, so you immediately know what's happening and so can stop yourself. And because you are reading aloud, your mouth gets dry. Taking a sip of water (or from the pint Boneman's inspired us to use), will refresh you and let your brain slow down.

Practice is the other one. Sorry. But it is. I've been proofreading text for quite a few years now, and particularly when in the middle of proofreading, rather than writing, I am very sharp on picking up on typos. Including the odd minor one in professionally published books that I am reading for relaxation. These can be books I read some years previously, and didn't spot the typo the first time around.

Other than that, take regular breaks and get some fresh air. I tend to work for 40 minutes, break for five or ten for a brisk walk round the garden, make a cup of tea, back in again at that point.

And finally, when you have done all the proofreading etc, put the manuscript to one side for at least a couple of months and start a new project. Then re-read the manuscript once you are less familiar with it. See what you find in it.

Having other people read it at that point, when it is really polished, is the final step. Ideally someone who reads in the genre and is on the ball for being critical. Friends like that are a treasure to be cherished.

You can also pay for proofreading/editing - John Jarrold offers excellent advice. It is extremely instructive sending a manuscript to him that you think is perfect.

Oh, and all this as well.