From Manuscript to Book

My novel, Ile d'Or, will be published in May, 2010. It was accepted for publication by Inanna last fall.

I have been asked by friends about the difference between editing my collection of short stories, One Day It Happens, which was published in 2007 and editing a novel. Well, I found it much easier editing a short story collection, especially since the stories weren't linked by character and time frame. With the novel, one has to recall time lines, ages, characteristics through the length of a long manuscript/book. If one gets any of these wrong, it is not only likely, but certain, that a reader will discover it.

Likely there are other differences, but the challenge of maintaining consistency is the main one. At least for me. It was also true when writing and revising it. I could create charts and cards with descriptions, but after a period of time away from the novel, it was always difficult to go on without glitches. Perhaps these are the ones I am finding now as Luciana asks me to confirm that one character is two, three or four years older than another. Etcetera.