I FINALLY finished typing the first draft. (this is the part I ALWAYS underestimate how long it will take) I was about 15K short, which I expected. NOW I can start putting in the edits from my first read. I have done 'first round edits' (just cleaning mostly, but also catching a few things I intended to do, but didn't) through chapter 13 (of 21). I have four pages of bullet points of things I want to weave in on the real edit now—likely to be six by the time I get to the end.
I have ENTERED the first four chapters of these (which were small, as these are the four chapters I had to polish for the audition).
I know from feedback (thank you Natasha) that I've been too heavy-handed with the clues in the middle, and I'm not altogether pleased with the final string of clue collection, but as a first draft, and my first mystery, I think it's not bad.
So right now I am typing in those edits made to hard copy, and am including some highlighted notes on where to add some of the bigger stuff I have in my notes...
Editing is not my favorite activity, but it should be a little less painful now that the typing is done.
One of the things I think will definitely be worth the time is to do the 'at a glance' section thing—one sentence for each section, so that the bigger editing can find their lovely new home more easily. I think I will also list the clues dropped on a separate list to see how my pacing and distribution of them is.
That is all I have for today... Keeping it short because I really want to work on this (and I have a basement full of boys—and not the kind of boys I NORMALLY try to keep in my basement) so I will need to make pancakes shortly.
Hope you all have a FABULOUS Labor Day!