This weekend I finished my revisions on my third
book (yey!!!). Now I only have one step left-which is something I wanted to
share with you. When I finish a book, I
go through it one last time, kind of like a copy editor would. Only instead of
scanning for grammar issues and typos, I’m doing a feeling check. I’m reading
each scene and asking myself how I feel- is it what I was going for- is there
tension where I wanted it- is there sadness, joy, love, heartbreak? As soon as
that feeling stops within me, I go back and see why. Was I reverting to telling
not showing? Did I gloss over something? Was I true to the character? In
essence, I’m looking for what it was that pulled me out of the emotion. Most of
these should have been corrected during the revision process, just like most of
the grammar problems, but I don’t think any of us doubt the value of a
copyeditor for one last go-over.
Do you do feeling checks?
I never thought about a feeling check. I might have to rely on someone else's input for that.
ReplyDeleteGlad you are at the end now!
I haven't really done feeling checks before, though that's a good idea. I do have a problem with telling vs. showing, though; description's always been difficult for me, so that sometimes it's like my characters do nothing but talk or obsess about stuff.
ReplyDeleteInteresting- I hadn't thought to do it- but I think I will start. Great post.
ReplyDelete~Summer
I've never done a pass just for feelings, although I do look for it. That's a smart tip.
ReplyDeleteI have never done a feeling check. I think I might have to start doing that.
ReplyDeleteI don't do them nearly as often as I could. I tend to postpone them to the end of a project, or until scheduled downtime. Sometimes we need more maintenance, don't we?
ReplyDeleteTotally. They drain every emotion and all the energy I have out of me by the end of the book, but I definitely do them.
ReplyDeleteFeeling check--I like that name. I don't really write serious fiction anymore but I definitely go through my writing to make sure it has what I'm going for, which is usually humor.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea.... That is very clever of you Melanie...
ReplyDeleteSomething like that - I think it's a great idea to read each chapter aloud after walking away from it for awhile. I like your term feeling check!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment on Alex's blog. I'm no flirt either - naive though, yeah! :)
I've never really considered this one, but I guess it is something I do. I've just never called it a 'feeling check'. But I think I'm going to steal that term from now on...
ReplyDeleteAwesome. Yeah, I kind of do that. I look for scenes to be at the complete opposite emotional level from the beginning to the end. My recent mantra has become "tension all the time," and as long as I'm thinking like that, the scenes shape up without focusing specifically on the emotion.
ReplyDeleteI do! But what I usually feel is: this will never be completely done! Ha!
ReplyDeleteI've never had a name for it but I'm using yours from now on.
ReplyDeletefor me, if i get emotional myself on a part im reading, be it pissed or sad or wanting to cry...then i know i'm spot on.
ReplyDeleteTrusting your gut which they say is 99.9% spot on... makes sense!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this smart idea!
Writer In Transit
I do more than just a feeling check. When I initially go through and edit, I stop a lot because I'm correcting things. But I go back afterwards and read straight through, without stopping, to make sure everything fits together as a whole. You'd be surprised how differently things sound in chunks when you keep stopping, and how it sounds as a whole when you go all the way through.
ReplyDelete