tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111268153034999272.post3200632172366347150..comments2024-01-15T19:42:35.437-08:00Comments on The Secret Archives of the Alliterati: GUEST POST: The Cutting TableMatthew Delmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11452378192874048547noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111268153034999272.post-71949296129106147242010-05-21T23:20:40.019-07:002010-05-21T23:20:40.019-07:00Thanks for having me Alliterati folk!
And thanks ...Thanks for having me Alliterati folk!<br /><br />And thanks to all of you for the great comments. I really cutting too ;) *whack*whack* (that's me chopping away) ♥ali crosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13023009704454279645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111268153034999272.post-32068791349520035662010-05-21T22:49:41.087-07:002010-05-21T22:49:41.087-07:00Okay, I got a sick little chuckle about the Lizzie...Okay, I got a sick little chuckle about the Lizzie Borden reference. <br /><br />I'm twisted- I'd rather be revising and cutting fat than writing the first draft. They're the most painful part of the writing process for me.Stephanie Thorntonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17437077559099315853noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111268153034999272.post-88283679898939458372010-05-21T11:36:42.942-07:002010-05-21T11:36:42.942-07:00Great post. Sometimes cutting is the hardest -- an...Great post. Sometimes cutting is the hardest -- and best -- thing for our stories.Elana Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05877856005992028912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111268153034999272.post-9864623600624247882010-05-21T11:03:47.652-07:002010-05-21T11:03:47.652-07:00Great post, Ali. I actually like cutting the exces...Great post, Ali. I actually like cutting the excess, but I have to get a little distance from the manuscript first. It also helps to have someone who is brilliant to show you were to cut. :)Angiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01445455787485222068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111268153034999272.post-40787028935560662792010-05-21T10:49:59.913-07:002010-05-21T10:49:59.913-07:00Cutting is fun, mostly because it looks so pretty ...Cutting is fun, mostly because it looks so pretty all trimmed up.<br /><br />And you're a MG and YA SF writer?? Yay! I'm hopping over to your blog now. :)Susan Kaye Quinnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07348197999397141067noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111268153034999272.post-49536654035503447522010-05-21T10:09:34.871-07:002010-05-21T10:09:34.871-07:00Thanks for posting for us Ali! Great post, and ver...Thanks for posting for us Ali! Great post, and very true-- I actually don't mind cutting all that much; my problem is ADDING words. I know, right?<br /><br />My first drafts tend to come in at about 55-65K and I have to add 20K or more sometimes to smooth out the story and get it into the ideal genre zone (I write for adults).L. T. Hosthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12448176940211118898noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111268153034999272.post-63631110614890025372010-05-21T09:06:04.459-07:002010-05-21T09:06:04.459-07:00Great post, Ali! I liked your example!! Do you cha...Great post, Ali! I liked your example!! Do you charge for editing? Nice job!Valerie Ipsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15958210886138097232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111268153034999272.post-73946701397011201822010-05-21T08:47:37.146-07:002010-05-21T08:47:37.146-07:00I'm a big-time cutter, perhaps even too much (...I'm a big-time cutter, perhaps even too much (at least according to agent feedback I've received), so I'm actually trying to work at fattening things up without clogging the arteries.Joshua McCunehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17367262185912463258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111268153034999272.post-6159338104050876432010-05-21T08:37:03.849-07:002010-05-21T08:37:03.849-07:00No! My precious wordses! Precioussss worddddssses!...No! My precious wordses! Precioussss worddddssses!Andrew Rosenberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09215333688753781447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111268153034999272.post-19572304007948010152010-05-21T07:41:15.763-07:002010-05-21T07:41:15.763-07:00A great example, though "mousy red hair"...A great example, though "mousy red hair" sounds contradictory!<br /><br />I just discovered that it can actually be kind of fun to cut! I took my first page and started editing it make it more active (remove passive wording), which then forced me to restructure it, which ultimately brought it down from 249 words to 211 words. Me thinks I could get it down even more.Margo Berendsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03476308235642890474noreply@blogger.com