Down the Revision Rabbit Hole

I'm on Twitter. I'm on Facebook. I'm participating in March Madness (a wonderful way to keep writers honest - at least for the month of March) with daily check-ins. So, in March, I'm all over the place. But I'm not here, on this blog.

I have a mountain of revision to do on FIND ME after getting feedback (very different feedback, of-effing-course) from my two beta readers. There will be whiteboards. There will be Post-Its. There will be scribbling in the margins. But there won't be any more posts for the month of March.

What will you DO without me?



See you in April, friends.

My Least Favorite Part of Writing

Is stopping.

Now, I'm not one of those people who say that they can't live without writing. Believe me, I envy those people who say they'd die if they couldn't write (I envy them, and I suspect them of hyperbole.) To be so overwhelmingly consumed by your art that you think you'd expire without being able to do it, that seems like a level of passion I can only aspire to. I've lived just fine without writing. Yes, I've always been creative, whether it's drawing or writing or singing or other expressions of art. But I won't die if I don't write. I'd do something else.

Having said that, I hate when the writing stops. There's a natural life-cycle to writing, at least for me. There's the bloom of an idea - which is my favorite part of writing - then there's the excitement of starting the project followed by waves of elation and despair and hard work. I'd say that in the last 1/4 of writing a book, it's a job (you could argue that it's always a job, and I agree. What I mean is that it feels like a job.) But I like that part. I know that I have Monday/Wednesday/Friday from 9:30-11:30 to write my ass off. On those days, I'm raring to go. I'm Pavlovian on those days. I open up my WIP and say to myself, let's get cracking.

So when the last stage of a book's cycle - the stage when it's in the Beta's hands and from here on in it's revision, not drafting, the schedule changes. Today is Monday and I'm floundering. What do I write? Where's my writing? I'm still so mentally engaged in my book that I'm having trouble thinking of other works, even the reading I'm doing (I'm reading THE NEAR WITCH, by Victoria Schwab.)

So this is my least favorite part of writing. I need to wrench my brain and heart away from my last project and prepare for my next project. I have to decide what that will be. A revision I really need to get going on? A new, slip of an idea that might be a short story? A fully formed idea I almost developed last year instead of FIND ME, but then decided to shelve. Will it be her turn, or will I jilt her at the altar again?

I don't know. I wonder if I should do some sort of Bon Voyage party for the project that I finished.* I could invite all the characters, make a cake (Lemon Drizzle, maybe?) and mix cocktails. I can wish them luck with the strangers that will be reading and judging them in the months to come and I could make sure they pack clean underpants for their trip. I could wave my hanky at them as they sail off into the sunset. I wonder if that's a good idea or if it's just me prolonging the inevitable. It's not like I won't see them again, HELLO, REVISIONS?

What do you do when you finish a project? How do you move on to your next one?

*I say finished. I think we all know I mean kinda-finished.

R is for Robust

ro·bust/rōˈbəst/

Adjective:

(of a person, animal, or plant) Strong and healthy; vigorous. (of an object) Sturdy in construction.

I was still writing the first draft of BOOKEND last year, feeding chapters to my crit group that I'd only just finished. It was not the best way to handle the situation because it meant that I was drafting and revising at the same time. Not the way I like to do things, I found out. But there was one time where it did work out best.

I'd just written this scene in the woods. Two female characters are talking. Now, I'm not the best with dialogue tags at the best of times, but when Greg and Laura read the scene they both said. "I'm sorry, I couldn't figure out who was talking." 

It wasn't because of the tags this time, though. They knew technically who was saying what, but the character's voices, their personalities seemed interchangeable. This was a serious blow. Both girls are strong, but they're very different characters in my mind. The fact that my CP's couldn't tell was a big problem. When I looked back, I saw that I hadn't made one of these characters robust enough. You could throw a couple of adjectives around her but she wasn't sturdy. She couldn't withstand being close to another stronger character and not suffer by comparison. 

Luckily, I was still writing the first draft and I could change course easily. It taught me a lesson, though, not to take characters for granted - especially the secondary characters that are so vital for moving plot along. Each character needs to be vigorous enough to stand next to your MC and not wilt.

Not what you want in a character

No, You're Wrong OR Agreeing to Disagree

Before I wrote my book I wondered how the hell I'd ever survive a critique.

I mean, I was the kid in elementary school paralyzed by scrutiny. Standing at the blackboard, 46 eyeballs burning into my back, my sweaty hand clutching a stick of chalk. I'd pray for the answer to the math problem to pop into my head or the bell to ring early, or the earth to swallow me up. Then there was college where I'd sit through excruciating art critiques, convinced that I must be bleeding somewhere from the verbal savaging I'd just gotten.

I'm not good at critique.

For sensitive people like me, critique can feel like wearing all your organs on the outside of your skin.

But I'm (pleasantly) surprised that a) all the feedback I've received on my writing has been respectful and b) that I can say, "No you're wrong."

I guess I was afraid I'd be swayed by opinion. If someone (or worse, sometwo) says "You know, this is a middle grade book." I think about it (a lot) and come back with "No." From some magical font or just from bloody mindedness, I've gotten the strength of conviction.

That doesn't mean that I disagree with all feedback, of course not. But, dammit, I've got a bell in me  that I can sound. And if it rings true, I know it. Even if I don't want it to be true, I know. Same with feedback that doesn't ring true. What the hell is this bell thing anyway? Is it confidence? Authority? Stubbornness? I don't know. But it's my frigging bell.

This is a very long way of saying that, I've learned to not be reduced to jelly by feedback. I've learned how to rely on my vision for the book and not be sabotaged by others opinions.

Can you tell I'm in deep revising again? But it's good! I am understanding things I didn't fully understand before. And the story is getting tighter and tighter.

So, how do you stand by your convictions in the face of critique? How do you say "No, I won't change that." to crit partners, beta readers, your mom?

Conference Secrets - Revising from Critique

For the next four Thursdays I'm going to be reporting on some of the awesome workshops I attended at the Pennwriters Conference in Pittsburgh this past weekend. Make sure you also check out Laura Campbell's conference blog post on Four Truths of Character

Revising From Critique
Becky Levine lead this incredibly useful workshop, taking us through the process she uses to revise after feedback from her crit group. She made the point that this is what works for her and that everyone learns/writes differently. Having said that, I think that the plan of action she lays out is an excellent strategy. It's designed to make the overwhelming task of revision (one that is before me as we speak) seem less daunting.

Check out Becky's book. It's indispensable.

The Writing & Critique Group Survival Guide: 

How to Give and Receive Feedback, Self-Edit, and Make Revisions

1) Join A Group
A group is important, if you don't have one get one, because 'fresh eyes see clearly.' Pennwriters is getting members together for 'round robin' email crits for people who can't access writers' groups. If you're in Pennsylvania check Pennwriters out. If not, look for a meetup.com group in your area.

The way we get feedback at BCWG is once a month we all submit and comment on each others work, about 20-30 pages each time. Since there are only three of us this means that we each contribute two crits and we each get two crits, which is great. One thing that Becky suggests from the get go when giving a crit is to both include comments in the margins of the submission AND to give a summary of your criticism. That's not something we're all doing, but I'd love to change that in our group. I find the summary so useful, especially since I'm not always sure what the margin notes are referring to and that I can never take as many notes as I should when hearing a crit, too busy cringing I guess.

Another important point Becky makes about getting 'fresh eyes' on your manuscript is that, because you live in your book every day, you see all the details. You might be convinced that something is coming across that just isn't. In other words, something you think is there might not be there. Your crit group is your proxy reader. If they don't 'see' or 'get' something, it's not there, or not there enough.

Lastly, ideas spark ideas. Talking about writing is second only to sitting down and doing it. It's a great motivator.

2) Wait to Revise
Look over your notes from your crit partners right after the crit to make sure you understand what they're saying but RESIST the impulse to revise immediately, especially before the ms is finished.
Polishing is easy, but bigger changes are coming. Give yourself the chance to marinate the feedback you've gotten and to develop your story. Most importantly, don't write backwards, as in go back before you're finished, write forward through a draft. You'll be learning more about your story if you write to the end. Plus you'll be able to see how the end changes the beginning when you go back to revise.

3) When You Are Ready Start SMALL
So you don't start breathing into a paper bag when you drag your stack of critiqued submission out of your drawer, start small.
a) Work chapter by chapter
b) Re-read your critiques, it's a great way to get yourself back into your story.
c) Working from the critiques you've received, use check marks to tick off the easy changes first. These are the little fixes you can easily clarify. For example if you've forgotten some dialogue tags, or if a dog you introduced in the first chapter as a poodle ends up as a doberman in subsequent chapters. Every time you hit one of these easy fixes, use a big check mark to give yourself a sense of accomplishment - you're doing it!

4) The Highlighter is your friend
Use a highlighter to call out any crits/suggestions you aren't sure about. You don't have to agree or disagree, and you don't have to decide just this minute how you feel about something. Highlighting the passage will make sure it doesn't fall through the cracks. Let the comments simmer. You may find that when you come back to it you know how you feel. Or, it might be something you chose not to address at all, your choice.

5) Think through the big stuff
Now that you've been through the little stuff, you see that there's not as much initial revision as you first thought. Now you're in the 'heart' of things.
a) Go through all the comments that you haven't already checked off, this is the big stuff
b) Make sure you understand all the feedback - and if you don't there's no shame in reaching out to the person who gave it to you and asking for clarification.
c) Consider the impact the proposed change will have on your story. How will this suggestion improve or change the story? How do you feel about that?

6) Make the decision
a) When considering a suggested change which isn't obviously a 'yes' or a 'no' to you, consider the source. Every crit group member has strengths and weaknesses. One member may love elaborate detail and may be telling you to add much more detail. But is that in service of your story, or is it really because that's what this person enjoys?
b) If you are really undecided, put it to a vote. I actually did this not too long ago on something I was thinking about. I asked if my group thought I should change the gender of my main character. They both overwhelmingly said NO!
c) If there are some in the group that don't 'get' or understand something your trying to do, consider that this may be something your reader won't 'get' either.
d) There will be comments that you've given careful consideration to that you just decide don't need addressing. That's ok.

7) Revising Beyond the Critique
It's important to realize that people in your group aren't super heroes - they miss stuff. Just addressing their comments isn't enough. You need to go through it again and again, to catch what they might have missed, like:
a) Inconsistencies, spelling/grammar errors
b) Need to tighten character consistencies (so the characters act 'like themselves' throughout)
c) Weaving the changes through the whole plot
d) Tying subplots together so that plots are integrated, not just parallel
e) Deepening character motivation, so it seems inevitable
f) Build a full world, so it's believable and 'visible' to the reader

8)When all else fails
Manuscripts need to simmer and stew in your subconscious, during writing and revising. When you need to give yourself the time and space away from your ms, do it, don't beat your head against the wall.
a) Walk away from your computer
b) Open a new file and write it fresh. Save the old file of course, but try writing it differently just for the heck of it. You'll be freer.
c) Take a walk, listen to music, read eonline.com (that was my suggestion, not Becky's!)

Becky's most important take away for me? Revision is Magic. It can be as fun and transcendent as writing that first draft when it comes together. Have fun!

The First 101 Words

Perri at Lesser Apricots has a neat contest for readers of her blog to celebrate her 101 follower (which, in the days since that post, she's surpassed). It's a simple contest - just post the first 101 words of your WIP and she'll randomly pick a winner by April 12. The prizes include lots of lovely yarn, and a one page critique and some other goodies. I'm all for contests, especially small, intimate ones like this that are really a 'getting to know you' community builder. Go check out the contest and the blog.

While getting my 101 words ready, something unexpected happen. I'm on word 69,000 or so of my WIP - so close to the end that I've written about being on the road to Damascus before - I can see the finish line but I can't get there. Going back to the very first 101 words was illuminating. 

First I selected word count from tools (this is on MS Word) and figured out what 101 words looked like. It came out to a short paragraph. I looked at the paragraph hard, squinting at it, even. I found lazy words in there - words that were just standing around doing nothing. Then I found words that were confused - that I'd meant to be doing one thing, but were actually doing something different. There were even a few words that didn't make sense, like those clean cut crazies on the subway that look fine until you realize they're mumbling the black mass under their breath.

All these words came out. A very few words came back in. the process didn't take too long, it wasn't about agonizing about each word. It was just tightening up, making the words as aerodynamic and as serviceable as they could be. I'm proud of the results, that was the unexpected part. Just revising this concentrated small bit of my WIP made me feel positive, eager to get back in the fray. Revision is a terrible, terrible thing. But it can be beautiful.

So, if you are interested,read the first 101 words of BookEnd after the jump.

Writing Tip Thursday! #5 - First Revision: Steps One - SPELLCHECK THE FRIGGING THING

Last May I went to my first writing conference at Pennwriters. I didn't attend the whole weekend, money and mommy duties being what they are, but I did attend a one day intensive workshop with Timons Esais. He's a writer and a teacher and people, he's just good. I admit I was quaking in my boots when I turned up, having never faced the inquisitorial power of the writing conference before and - did he make me feel warm and fuzzy? Did he tell me I was a genius just waiting to be discovered? No. He made me work and think hard. But, for the effort of sticking your hand up and your neck out to answer a question or read from your WIP, he did give out candy.

He gave us advice on how to revise after the messy business of birthing the first draft. I pass it on to you in the hopes that it helps. It helped me get to stage two editing (where I linger, likely because of fear, on my first book)

1) Spell check the entire manuscript with a notepad and pencil in hand. Every time spell check brings something up DO NOT hit ignore like I do. Write the word down. There are so many words, especially in a book like mine where I've made up names for things, that I just ignore in spellcheck. Fair enough, but then how do I know that I'm consistent with my made up cosmology? Keep a log of the words that are coming up as misspelled. Later you can go back to that handwritten list and see how many different ways you spelled the name of your made up country.

2) Using that same hand list, check the spelling of names. You'd be amazed how many times I come across misspellings (or creative spellings) of my characters names. Jen, Jenna, Jenny, Jennifer - how could a reader know if it's the same person or four different people? This goes triple for creative names like Story (Storey, Storie). Creating a bible, or series bible in my case, is a good way to have a fixed reference for character names, nicknames and spellings.

3) Start looking for words you use a lot. 80K words is a tonnage for someone to spew out and some of those words, lots of them, are repeats. That's all well and good, but writers have favorite words that they use when they are being lazy. Words that are fine on their own in a paragraph, but when read as a whole 'clang' that is, they stand out as being repeated too often. This can cause the reader to come out of suspension of disbelief and that is big trouble. Watch out for these lazy words that are used as filler. Write them down and then keep a tally of how many times they appear. Some software programs do this for you. It's an eye opener.

4) Read your work out loud. This is a great way to uncover those 'lazy words' in #3, because you'll remember just hearing a word a few minutes ago, whereas sometimes, when we read, we don't 'register' every word, especially as the writer who knows the words so well. I think we unconciously polish and edit, making it sound better than it is when we read it to ourselves. Read it out loud, no matter how much you hate the sound of your voice. You'll hear clangers and awkward places immediately. Again, don't stop and try to fix it on the spot - write it on your 'revision' list for later.

Pennwriter's Conference is in Pittsburgh this year so I'll be missing it unfortunately, but I definitely recommend it. It's a great group of people and a great starting point for newbie conference goers.