How Many Drafts?

Major Silva asks: How many drafts do you normally go through until completion?

My current editing process has evolved over more than ten years. It's a personal thing. Everyone writes differently. Everyone edits differently.

Here's how it goes for me:

1) After reviewing my outline I type out a rough draft. My spelling and typing are atrocious.

2) I used to spend two or three revision cycles making my rough draft legible. Recently I've started using speech-to-text software and reading back what I have written. This saves me a huge amount of time (and probably carpal tunnel syndrome, too!).

3) I read through and polish this draft once or twice.

4) I then print it all out and read the hard copy. It has a different feel than reading on a computer screen so it's fresh in my mind. Much of my larger scale editing gets done here.

5) I input these changes and reprint the file in a different, more final looking format. This gives me another fresh read which I edit.

6) Ideally I let this sit for a few weeks while I work on the next chapter--after which it gets another edit.

7) Then it's ready for my readers who give me their opinions, which I incorporate as I see fit.

8) Finally, I reread the entire novel and make sure everything fits the continuity and has the right pacing.

9) I send it off to the publisher’s editor who gives me their notes, which I also (usually) incorporate.

10) After that, I get a version from the publisher’s copyeditor, and I incorporate or reject their notes.

11) At long last, I am sent proof pages which are in their final book-ready-to-be-printed format. One more pass on this.

So that’s about seven serious drafts and about five lesser revision cycles.

This is just a general guideline. It’s dependant on many things like what my deadline is. When I wrote A Game of Universe (one of my earlier novels), that was a big stretch for me and I learned a lot while writing it. I probably did twenty or more drafts on that one!

Style and Voice

Jason writes: How has working on the Halo books changed your writing style? I read Signal to Noise, which struck with me as hard sci-fi while Halo is more space opera. I know that, to an extent, writing is writing--and I suppose I'll find out for myself how your style has evolved when Mortal Coils comes out--but I just wondered what your perspective was.

On the rare occasion I read my older stuff it strikes me how much my writing style has changed--but at the same time they also read like classic Nylund stories (what many people call “voice”).

Unless it's an ongoing series, style should change from piece to piece. I can't imagine writing a Halo book the same way I would a contemporary fantasy like Dry Water or even a hard science fiction novel like Signal to Noise. Likewise, if I were to write a detective novel, it better not sound like Fall of Reach. It just wouldn't fit.

Writers must change their diction, pacing, and characterization techniques to suit the project they are working on.

Voice however is different. It's what's hardwired into my brain--things that will never change in my writing...such as my flagrant overuse of dashes and ellipses.

When you pick up a Heinlein book no matter what decade he wrote it or what it's about, you know it was written by Robert A. Heinlein. Or if you read a graphic novel by Alan Moore or Warren Ellis--regardless of the genre—you can likewise tell who’s voice is telling the story.

And to a large extent--that's why you dig a particular author’s work.

Behind the Scenes: On the Spot!

The guys over at Gamespot’s On The Spot Live put together a behind-the-scenes look on how they make a show. Anyone interested in game journalism should check it out. (I also comment on the record why being a geek today is so cool.)

Writing Contests

Nikoda asks: How does the writing world feel about writing contests? The one that I get suggested to me most is L. Ron Hubbard's Writers/Illustrators of the Future but it has a gimmicky feel to me.

Everyone loves a winner, Nikoda. That goes double for agents and editors.

I would recommend you enter any major writing contest that doesn’t have a fee. Some of the more prestigious contests, however, have modest entrance fees, so do your homework. Make sure it's legit and not a scam.

Any exposure you can get--especially as an unpublished writer--is priceless. It sets you apart and makes you special. In many respects, winning a contest is even more useful on your resume than getting your short story published in a magazine.

With regards to the Writers/Illustrators of the Future contest, many people hesitate with this one because of its connections with the Hubbard’s Church of Scientology. My wife entered and placed many years ago. The prize money was great. The exposure was fantastic as they publish the winners in a paperback that goes into all the big retail stores every year. They treated the contestants like royalty. The judges were all well-respected science fiction and fantasy giants. Not once was Scientology mentioned. I’d say go for this one!

Good luck.

Writing Questions

If you have a question about the business or the process of writing leave a message or send me an email. If I have a good answer I’ll post it (all of which will eventually be collected into a writing FAQ section on the website).

No HALO-related questions please. Bungie is the only one authorized to answer specific questions about their universe. Thanks.

On The Spot!

I was recently on Gamespot’s live show On The Spot talking about the new mass-market release of Ghosts of Onyx, Halo 3, Gears of War, Galactica-Cylon Wars, and my day job.

To see it, go to the On The Spot site and steam or download the 04/05/07 show. My segment segments starts at 26:50. (It should also be on iTunes, but it might take a week or two to get up there).

Thanks to the entire On the Spot crew. They’re a cool bunch of guys.

Mass-market paperback GHOSTS

The mass-market paperback version of HALO: Ghosts of Onyx has been released today. Smaller (the same size as the previous three HALO novels) and less expensive. Yay!