Category Archives: Revising

The five phases of revision.

I had a phone call with my wonderful editresses last night and we went over some things that essentially mean I will be rewriting 3/4 of Sing, Sweet Nightingale. We were on Skype, so I could tell they were kind of waiting for me to start going crazy. The fact that I neither started crying nor tried to jump through the computer screen to maul them seemed surprising, so that got me thinking about the way authors handle revision suggestions. The psychology major in me was intrigued and thus we end up with this post.

Kind of like for parents, it is necessary for a writer to love her book. NECESSARY. I will accept no arguments on this point, kay? Good. Now that we have that established, let’s talk about what happens when someone tears into your work for the first time and points out all the holes, inconsistencies, pacing problems, character issues, and generally sucky spots.

Sad Snot-Nose Kid (c) Mike Gieson

That’s right. You end up looking like this child. Either that or you turn into rabid lioness and try to shred anyone stupid enough to get to close. The problem is, neither of these reactions are productive! They can be, however, the first phase of the revision process.

1- Hurt
“WHY DOES EVERYONE HATE ME?! HOW COULD THEY SAY SUCH MEAN THINGS?! THIS IS MY BABY! THEY JUST DON’T UNDERSTAND!!”

This reaction, while overblown, is completely natural. Someone is telling you the idea you nurtured from infancy and shaped into this beautiful thing called a book isn’t working. It’s flawed. Maybe heavily. Feel it, live through it, and then let it go so you can move on to:

2- Denial
“They signed me and read it in one sitting and they’re supposed to be my best friend, but they don’t actually know anything about book. They have to be wrong. They THINK they’re being helpful, but if they hadn’t absolutely loved the book they wouldn’t have even read it. SO THERE.”

Nothing is perfect. Ever. There’s no such thing. We just have to try to get ourselves and our work as good as we can get it and chances are you’re not going to do that on the first try. And maybe not even on the tenth. The sooner you accept that, the happier you’ll be. And this applies to both writing and life in general.

3- Bargaining
“Well, what if I sent so-and-so to Sibera?! That would fix the plot problem, right? And then I would get to keep this little shiny section I love so much that doesn’t really fit here, right? RIGHT?!”

You might come up with some crazy ideas and try to pass them off as good. Maybe you’re stuck and maybe you’re trying to save a particular part of the story you adore, either way if you’re getting weird looks when you explain your ideas you might want to reconsider actually putting them in writing.

4- Slow Acceptance
“I finally reread the book and I guess, MAYBE, I can see what they mean about this one part told in second person totally distracting from the rest of the first person narrative. But it seemed so quirky and original at the time!”

This step is arguably the most important. This is when you once again become capable of rational thought and are able to look at your book through the editor’s eyes and see what they’re seeing. Then you can look at it again through your knowledge of the world and hopefully end up hit with:

5- Inspiration
“OMG! I just had this brilliant idea! What if A and B went to X and did Y?! It would fix everything and it’s SO MUCH BETTER than what I had before! How could I have been such an idiot? Why didn’t I think of this the first time around?!”

All the pieces have finally come together! You see the editor’s changes and raise them a rewrite of four other chapters that suddenly you’re absolutely certain you can make shinier. YOU ARE AUTHOR! Nothing can stand in your way. Now go lock yourself in a room and start typing. 😉

If you ever get stuck on any of the phases before Inspiration, just try imagining how shiny and wonderful and compelling and three-dimensional and addictive and beautiful your book will be once your editors are done with you. Then, suddenly, you feel like this:

Happy Young Woman (c) Vera Kratochvil

And that, friends, is a very great place to be. 😀

Update: Why I Disappeared

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So last summer a friend of mine was visiting. He borrowed my laptop and accidentally busted the screen. Suck. And when I went to get it fixed they told me that the screen wasn’t my only problem. Apparently my video card had fried too. And since my video card was soddered to my motherboard, that meant a $500 repair. Which, after I looked into it a little, was more than half the price of a new computer. So I said screw it and started saving for a new computer. My pretty new PC (a desktop this time) arrived last week and OMG so happy!

So, in short, look for updates every so often now that I have constant access to the internet. Fun times for all! 🙂

Writing: Critique Groups

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Some people are incredibly private when it comes to their writing. Even some of those who are on the path to publication (or have already been published) eschew showing anyone other than their paid editor their book before it is in printed, bound, saleable form. There are a variety of reasons for this, but the most common is fear. And of the most prevalent fears is the fear of a story being stolen.

I can’t say I am completely immune to this particular fear. I have shied away from putting my stories up in online critique groups and writing communities in response to stories about authors suddenly seeing their stories in print under someone else’s name. The problem is that no one I’ve spoken to can point out even one particular case of this happening. Where is the evidence?

Eventually, I got over my fears–part of that had to do with the fact that I actually joined a wonderful online critique group (Critique Circle, for anyone interested)–and recently I even created a group of my own.

But the point of this post isn’t fear, it’s why critique groups are incredibly awesome.

Have you ever worked on a math problem for a long time and gotten so turned around by the numbers that you can’t figure out where you went wrong? But then someone comes along and points out your mistake in two seconds? Sometimes that’s what a good critique can do.

You are God in your character’s universe. Both omnipotent and omniscient, sometimes it’s hard to realize that not everyone sees your world the way you do. By bringing in an outsider, you get a whole new set of questions you have to answer, different expectations to meet, and a different reader to satisfy. By bringing in several, you’re getting a sampling of your future audience and you learn ahead of time which points of the story some readers disagree on. By bringing in a critique group instead of a paid editor, you’re saving money. I know I’m totally broke. 😉

Besides, it’s fantastic to have someone to talk to about the characters, what’s working, and what they want to see.

So how do you go about forming a critique group? Here are some tips that may help.

Keep it relatively small. If more than four or five writers are involved, individuals receive minimal attention.
Find people whose work you find interesting. Critiquing a 500 page novel that you hate isn’t good for anyone, honestly.
Work with people who will be honest but constructive. Vindictive or hurtful comments are not going to help you revise, they’ll just shatter your self-confidence.
Lay out the ground rules early. How much time does each story get? How long do readers have to respond? How often will you meet? Will the meetings be in person, on the phone, or online? In what format do writers expect to receive their comments?
Stick with it! You’ll only benefit if everyone in the group is willing to put in the time to make it work.

Do you think a critique group is for you? There are plenty of ways to meet writers interested in forming one. Online forums, conferences, flyers in college English departments, local writer’s clubs (check your local library), coffee shops, book stores. The possibilities are limitless. So, go! Find those who share your passion and help each other make it toward the finish line. I have a feeling you’ll be glad you did.

Writing: Messy First Drafts

Update: Looking back on 2008

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Last December, I posted this list of goals:

Sign a contract with an agent.
Go to the gym three times a week.
Sell a short story to a magazine.
Complete rough drafts of books two, three, and four of the Fallen series.
Begin work on a new book project.
Sell Fallen to an American publishing house.
Completely reorganize my house.
Start printing pictures and putting them into albums.
Develop a writing schedule.
Post in Incandescent at least twice a month.
Buy a good laser printer.

In that post I also promised that I would come back around the same time this year and go over how well I did. Accountability and all that. So, here it goes.

I have been working on several stories outside of the Fallen series, so number 5 has been taken care of. The first draft of Guardian is complete, which means 1/3 of number 4 can be checked off. Every month has a post in it, so number 10 is partially complete. And I did manage to reorganize my house (mainly in the last month), so number 7 was knocked out just in time. Unfortunately, that’s where my successes end.

Although I came close to a contract with an agent, I am not yet represented. I definitely didn’t make it to the gym, like, at all. My short stories have been sadly neglected and haven’t made it into any printed media. And the rest of these goals… well, weren’t even thought about, honestly.

You know, looking at it like this is almost depressing.

But, on the bright side, a lot of good things have happened this year, too.

So the purpose behind this post, to completely redo my goals for the next year. Here it goes:

Complete rough first drafts of the final two books in the Fallen series.
Sign with an agent in January or revise and resubmit Fallen.
Continue working on various side projects.
Develop my editing services.
Continue with at least one post per month on Incandescent.
Diet.

So there it is. It’s a lot less ambitious than last years, but I think there’s a chance of actually completing all or most of these. Wish me luck. I’ll check back with this list same time next year!
Oh, and, by the way. Merry Christmas! 😀

Revising: Striving for Perfection

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Some days, I feel like falling asleep on my desk. Usually this happens right around the time I realize I need to do another edit of my book. And the time may have come once again.

As I start the eighth major revision of my novel (and keep in mind that eight is a number at which some writers might cringe and others might scoff–“Pff. Only the eighth? Wait till you’re labeling your twenty-fifth.”) I find myself wondering at the whole process of revision and how little most new writers think about it when starting out. I know that, for me, revision was an inevitable part of the process, one I figured I’d deal with when it came. I guessed I’d have to do a handful of revisions before sending it off to agents, another major revision when it got into the hands of an editor, and then be at peace with a finished copy of my first published book.

Ha. Hahaha. Ha. Ha.

And another HA just for good measure.

As I mentioned in a previous post Writing: Series Issues, writing is constant revision and nothing is finished until you’re dead. And even then I’m sure God negotiates. (10 cool points to anyone who can tell me off the top of their head what movie that came from.) This is a fact, but the reality of it doesn’t sink in until… well, until you’re labeling your eighth revision sometimes.

So, in honor of this occasion, I have a list of tips for the new writer. Read them. Digest them. Decide for yourself whether or not they work for you.

1. Take everything your readers/critiquers tell you into consideration, but don’t jump the gun. Carefully look at their suggestions and then decide if their ideas/criticisms are consistent with the direction you want to take the book. If you’re writing a fantasy epic and they’re wondering why the soldiers don’t have guns, that might not be a complaint you want to incorporate. However, if someone mentions that they don’t empathize with one of your characters, stop yourself from screaming that they’re just inconsiderate and don’t appreciate your art, take a step back, and listen to that nagging voice in the back of your head saying, “Well, we might be able to fix that.”

2. Invest in a laser printer or become incredibly familiar with Track Changes on Word.

3. ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS (and, I don’t think I can stress this enough) ALWAYS save copies of previous drafts. You never know when that little scene that didn’t work in draft three will suddenly find a home in draft nine. You may not be able to replace it if you didn’t keep the old manuscript.

4. Keep your edits and your revised drafts. Sometimes you may want to look back and go, “Why exactly did I change that again?”

5. Don’t dive into revising immediately after you’ve finished the first draft or immediately after a revision. A month or so away from the book is crucial to both keep you from getting bored and to give you the distance you need to read it objectively and say, “Geez. That sucked. I can totally rewrite that part.”

6. Multiple colors of pens are your friends. I use one gel ink black pen, one red pen, and a pencil when I revise on paper. The black pen is for crossing out major sections, the red pen is for small editing marks I might miss if they weren’t a different color, and the pencil is for actual text I want to add. It’s a process that works for me.

There are thousands of possible revision techniques and hundreds of suggestions I could give you to help you out along the way, but what troubles have you run into while revising?