Monday Madness: One More Time!

You know how to tell when a writer is lying?

When they say, "Oh, yes, I'm on my final revision."

Or maybe it's just me.

I SWEAR that it's not just the perfectionist in me changing my mind halfway through said revision. Sometimes, it's not until you fix the little things, that you see that something bigger might need a polish. Or a rewrite. Love the rewrite. Embrace it. Buy it flowers.

I seriously did think that DRAGON QUEEN was almost ready; that I had finally reached the "final revision stage". And then in the process of changing one thing, I toppled the dominoes and got myself into a huge MESS of rewrites.

I'm at the dizzy, passionate phase of revising right now (as in, it's actually been gratifying and fun and exciting to see how much stronger my story is getting), but I know soon that I will tire out and be whimpering for mercy. But for now, it's great. Flowers everywhere!

For those of you who are rolling your eyes and muttering, "She's never going to be done with this story!" let me assure you that I'm doing the revisions correctly this time. I am not making significant plot or character changes, I am just amplifying what was already there, but was perhaps glossed over in an attempt to get the story out the first time (or second time, or third time) through. Relationships and characters are being fleshed out. Foreshadowing is being utilized. It's, really, just awesome how much these "little" things are making such a big difference.

And MAYBE after this, I will honestly be able to say that I'm on my final revision. And that makes me all tingly inside.

Monday Madness: Revising with a Purpose

Writing a novel is the easy part. It's also the fun part.

Revising? Not so fun.

I'm one of those freaks who actually enjoys editing and revising, however. I like taking something good and making it great. Sometimes, however, I go too far. I fix things that don't need to be fixed. Add things that don't need to be added. And in my zeal to produce the perfect manuscript, I make it a garbled mess.

So I now make myself take revising/editing in baby steps. I edit with a purpose.

First Revision: Plot

I make sure it's strong and cohesive. I add a bit of foreshadowing (since I tend to be a pantser and things "just happen" as I write, this is very important). This is usually the most involved revision and takes the longest.

Second Revision: Focus on characters.

I make sure their personalities stay true and realistic, their voices are distinct, and their physical appearance stays the same (unless it's supposed to change). I make sure that their dreams and values remain consistent.

Third Revision: Realize weaknesses and correct them.

Every writer's weakness will be different. Mine is that I tend to be more focused on my characters than the setting at times and it can leave a reader adrift. I also tend to not trust my reader and so I state things that don't really need to be stated. So, I try to weed out as many of these as possible.

Third Revision Part II: Strengthen weak scenes, sentences, dialogue, etc. 

This is the stage that I'm currently at with Dragon Queen. This is just one small step beyond the third revision, so I didn't really think it warranted its own step.

Fourth Revision: The final polish.

After you're done with the Third Revision, let your MS sit for a while. A week is good. A month is even better. (I have a really hard time doing this.) Then I suggest printing out a hard copy, grabbing a pen in a bright color (I like pink) and reading through. Mark any place that bugs you, but DON'T STOP READING until you've read the entire thing. Then go back and reevaluate those places. Sometimes these things are just items that you've overlooked from a previous revision. Other times they are complications that have risen from changes you've made. Correct them. Spit shine them and then...

Let it sit for another few days (or weeks). Pick it up again (or if you're lucky and have a beta, send it to them and ask for their opinion). If you (or your beta) can give a thumbs up after re-reading it, then you're ready to start your synopsis and write your query (if you haven't done it already).

Happy revising!

A Return to Me

It's amazing what a couple hours with your girlfriends will do for you.

Here lately, I've been feeling a bit out of touch with the real me. I've been thinking: you know, I used to have a sense of humor...I used to be all chirpy and crazy and silly...and now I'm just boring. And then I had some of my girlfriends over for a Mary Kay party and VIOLA! A return to me. I felt like myself again. Quirky. Girly. Hyper.

It was nice. Refreshing. We giggled and teased each other and then told each other we all were beautiful. Then we had strawberries and pineapple and fresh veggies with dip. It was fun. It was nice. I really enjoyed it.

My cousin invited me to go to the Renaissance Fair with her the upcoming weekend, and I REALLY want to go. Unfortunately, that bleh thing called adulthood is looming before me, demanding I pay bills. So...I'm not sure if I can go. :(

Sunday I went fishing with my fiance again. We walked the creek and I got sunburned. But only on ONE SIDE. So my left side is bright red and my right side is normal. I look like a female version of Two-Face. It's pretty funny, but also pretty sad. People have been asking me if I fell asleep on my side outside. Lol.

I've less than 50 pages to go with my revising of DRAGON QUEEN. I'm excited and nervous. I have it out to a beta reader right now, and hopefully she likes the edits I've made. :)

The Woes and Wonders of Revising

There are a few tricks to revising that I’ve learned now that I’m on my second novel. First, and most importantly, keep a clean copy of your first draft. And I mean clean. No grammar/spelling corrections. No notes in the margins. The thing should look as if it’s going to be submitted to agents/editors (pray, don’t, however).

This is something I neglected to do with FURY, and therefore I lost my reference. It might surprise you, but you never know how many things will change and then be changed back to the way they were. If you have a clean first draft, it’s easier to notice those changes.

Secondly, if you use Microsoft Word, “Track Changes” is your friend. Use it. Love it. Yes, all that red can be a bit distracting (especially if you’re like me and have deleted and rewritten entire scenes), but if you change your mind about changing that sentence/word/passage, you have it right in the margins and can hit “Reject Change” to get everything back the way it was. Plus, it also provides you a visual reminder on just how much you HAVE changed. Nothing like a whole big page of red to make you feel like you actually accomplished something.

Third, edit with a goal in mind. I tend to read the chapter/scene first and then decide if it’s perfectly good the way it is, or if it needs some changes. I make a note (another tool in Microsoft Word is the handy “New Comment” tool) of what those changes should be or things that aren’t working, and then I go through and try to make those changes. Only do this for the big things, though, like character development and plot arc. If you do this for every sentence that doesn’t read well, you’re going to have a big mess of red. Fix the big things first, and then go back and polish up your sentences.

Another thing to remember when revising is to have fun. I, personally, have forgotten about this part more than once. (You’ve heard me whine.) Revising shouldn’t be a chore; it should be viewed as transforming coal into diamonds, because it will pay off. Trust me. Also, you never know where your characters might decide to take you, what twists you will uncover, because, by revising time, you should have a better idea of what your characters want and who they are, and your story will probably be stronger for it. Possibilities will abound (just make sure you don’t let the characters run away with you. Put your foot down. (Yes, I’ve had to do this, too.))

On that note, back to revising DRAGON QUEEN!!