My Harlequin editor has e-mailed me to say that I need to trim forty (yes, FORTY—do not adjust your screens) pages from my October book, Tender Secrets, on account of the new, reduced, word count. Oh, sure, I knew about the new word count, but I foolishly assumed it applied to books turned in after March. No dice. That’s what I get for assuming things, I suppose. And me, a former lawyer. You’d think I’d know better than assuming anything.
*Hanging head in shame*
And do you want to know the worst thing? Do you? Huh? I’d already trimmed and slashed about forty pages to get the book down to the old word count. Where’m I gonna find ANOTHER forty pages to trim? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
Pray for me, okay?
So now I’m sharpening my knives and getting ready to kill my babies, which is what Stephen King calls it when you have to go in and get rid of all the extraneous, though beloved, stuff in your book. It’s for the greater good, right?
And I’m thinking maybe I can turn this lemon into some lemonade. I think maybe I’ll add a members-only page to my site for readers to see all the stuff that doesn’t make the final cut. That could be good.
This snafu has got me thinking, writers … what’s the most painful edit you’ve ever made? Do tell so I don’t feel like the only one out here suffering in the wilderness.
I’ve had to do this a couple of times. The first time involved cutting 20+ pages to get my first American West historical down to the right length. I’d never written much in the way of action scenes before that book and had really struggled to get this great knife fight just right. I’m talking hours of work polishing that one. The advice my editor gave me about what to cut was to start with scenes that didn’t have the hero and heroine together and work from there. Cutting that knife fight (no pun intended) hurt SO much. However, it was the right thing to do.
by Alexis Morgan February 25th, 2008 at 11:20 amLots of sympathy heading your way about the forty pages.
Forty? Yikes is right. Not fun, but you’ll do it and do a great job.
I haven’t had to cut pages due to length. I have had to revise and for one book - VIVA LAS BAD BOYS - I re-wrote an entire novella because my editor thought the tone of the original one was wrong. I refrained from getting on a plane, flying to New York and screaming at her…but I thought about it. After two days of stewing, I realized she was right and got writing. Cutting out the old is painful but, as Alexis says, it’s usually the right thing to do. Good luck!!!
by HelenKay Dimon February 25th, 2008 at 1:29 pmAlexis, that’s a great idea. Start with the scenes that don’t have H&H together. Good. Thanks for the tip!
Two days of stewing is about right, HelenKay. And call me crazy, but I’m thinking going to NYC to yell at you-know-who wouldn’t have been the best idea you ever had.
by ann February 25th, 2008 at 5:05 pmAnn, I love the idea of a members-only site where we can read your deleted scenes. Sort of like the Special Features sections of DVDs. Love those.
I haven’t had to cut for length, but I have cut scenes during my revision phase to protect readers from the extreme drivel.
by Patricia Sargeant February 25th, 2008 at 8:50 pmAnn, I always over-write and have to self-edit. I was so emotionally involved in a reference book John Charles and I wrote about the suffragists that I kept writing, even after John pronounced the book finished. The final manuscript was 900 pages long. The publisher wanted 300 pages…
That was the hardest cutting I had to do.
by Shelley Mosley February 26th, 2008 at 10:30 amExactly! Good sense won out and I stayed at home…and did not dare pick up the phone to call her.
by HelenKay Dimon February 26th, 2008 at 1:48 pmPatricia, speaking on behalf of all your readers, thank you for sparing us from extreme drivel.
Thanks for the perspective, Shelley. I’m going to stop whining now…
BTW, best wishes with the new release, HelenKay!
by ann February 26th, 2008 at 6:29 pmOh, man….I feel your pain!
I’ve never had to slash and burn FORTY pages (yikes!) but I have had to ruthlessly cut scenes that I loved, usually during my own revision process–and even then, it’s painful. But I *do* usually find that stewing about it is worse than actually doing it. And I always save the cut bits into a new file, just in case.
You should definitely consider posting your ‘deleted scenes’ on your web site, once the book is released!
by Kristina Cook February 26th, 2008 at 8:01 pm