3 Things About Revisions
(or rather, Slowly Chipping Away Any and All Desire to Become Editor)
Well guys. How are you? I have to say I am super strung-out, awash with a ton of messy, mixed feelings and so deeply entrenched in a busy schedule that writing has not hardly happened this November. I know, it's NaNo month, yet I manage to fail miserably every time! Sigh.
To update you on the happenings of the month (since a Monthly Highlights post is being postponed til December-ish I think)...
- We finally got our proper snowfall and winter is likely here to stay - it was only a month late.
- I finished the first draft of Faithless right at the end of October for school (super stoked for that).
- I've been really trying to fix up The Sorceress and the Squid for an editor's eyes, but so far haven't found anyone to take the poor thing off my hands and pick out all the mistakes I keep missing on my 27th read-through (and this is what my post will be about).
- I got engaged. No biggie.
VERY VERY VERY BIG BIGGIE SEND HELP
Anyway, I'll tell you guys all about that happening some other time, this is a writing blog and we're here to talk about writing.
Or editing, more specifically I suppose.
So my novel, The Sorceress and the Squid (which I shall henceforth abbreviate as TSatS cause my poor fingers) though short was a year(ish) in the making. More because it wasn't meant to be a serious piece of work at the beginning and sort of morphed into that, kind of like all my writing. :P
It's been through beta-readers and about seven drafts of me now and it's beginning to take a shape that I am super proud of and actually really love. Rereading it and poring over it has been actually a terrific experience. It's so cool to half-forget what you wrote and then come back to it and remember it but have it feel almost like a reader experience - I love that.
I also think this story is super cute and fun and I really want to share it with people. I also really want to share some of what I've learned/am learning for those out there who are working through the tenth draft of their book. Whether you are getting all happy and excited about nearing the completion or you just want it to end already, I feel you. I've been both places *coughcoughFaithless* and I'm here to say, it definitely is worth it.
What I'm Learning Through Revisions...
#1 IT'S NOT THAT SCARY
Surprise, surprise. It's actually okay. Yeah, jumping into that big, messy first draft is a little daunting but hey, you created that big, messy first draft. You alone have the ability to master it, the duty to pursue it to be the best it can be. Only you can do that. Consider it your own personal quest and just dive straight in. Like Bilbo in The Hobbit, it only took him one night to decide on the adventure that would change his life. Have a dash of courage in you that pushes you just a little farther than you normally go and take the plunge into your manuscript.
#2 YOU GET MORE QUALITY TIME WITH CHARACTERS
Consider it a shaping time of sorts. You've got these guys back and you get to work with them; fix their flaws, soften (or sharpen) their edges, be with them through struggles. Of course depending on what the plot calls for. But honestly, this is my favorite part of revisions. I love being able to still spend time with my MC's, Estrella and Jalen, and develop them better. The act of fleshing out their characters more and more is almost therapeutic for me. I guess cause I love them so much. But if you're a writer with a strong connection to your characters, look forward to this! It's awesome.
#3 THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS PERFECT
This is the most difficult pill to swallow in all of this. As much as I don't like it, no matter how many times I go over this story it will never be flawless. Not even an editor will make it that. But it will be worthwhile. I believe that wholeheartedly. And let's be real guys, perfect things are boring. Nobody wants to be perfect. Leave room for a little bit of mess and don't sweat the small stuff. You've got this. Your novel is going to be great.
Stop looking at me like that, all this pain and suffering of editing isn't that bad - is it?
Now that I've got you all pumped up about your editing process (which is totally irrelevant to everyone's NaNo process!), what are some of the ways you get through editing? And what are some of your favorite things about it?
(Sorry this is such a short post, again, life has imploded because of the very big biggie mentioned above, keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I try to navigate the road ahead!)
Well guys. How are you? I have to say I am super strung-out, awash with a ton of messy, mixed feelings and so deeply entrenched in a busy schedule that writing has not hardly happened this November. I know, it's NaNo month, yet I manage to fail miserably every time! Sigh.
To update you on the happenings of the month (since a Monthly Highlights post is being postponed til December-ish I think)...
- We finally got our proper snowfall and winter is likely here to stay - it was only a month late.
- I finished the first draft of Faithless right at the end of October for school (super stoked for that).
- I've been really trying to fix up The Sorceress and the Squid for an editor's eyes, but so far haven't found anyone to take the poor thing off my hands and pick out all the mistakes I keep missing on my 27th read-through (and this is what my post will be about).
- I got engaged. No biggie.
Anyway, I'll tell you guys all about that happening some other time, this is a writing blog and we're here to talk about writing.
Or editing, more specifically I suppose.
So my novel, The Sorceress and the Squid (which I shall henceforth abbreviate as TSatS cause my poor fingers) though short was a year(ish) in the making. More because it wasn't meant to be a serious piece of work at the beginning and sort of morphed into that, kind of like all my writing. :P
It's been through beta-readers and about seven drafts of me now and it's beginning to take a shape that I am super proud of and actually really love. Rereading it and poring over it has been actually a terrific experience. It's so cool to half-forget what you wrote and then come back to it and remember it but have it feel almost like a reader experience - I love that.
I also think this story is super cute and fun and I really want to share it with people. I also really want to share some of what I've learned/am learning for those out there who are working through the tenth draft of their book. Whether you are getting all happy and excited about nearing the completion or you just want it to end already, I feel you. I've been both places *coughcoughFaithless* and I'm here to say, it definitely is worth it.
What I'm Learning Through Revisions...
#1 IT'S NOT THAT SCARY
Surprise, surprise. It's actually okay. Yeah, jumping into that big, messy first draft is a little daunting but hey, you created that big, messy first draft. You alone have the ability to master it, the duty to pursue it to be the best it can be. Only you can do that. Consider it your own personal quest and just dive straight in. Like Bilbo in The Hobbit, it only took him one night to decide on the adventure that would change his life. Have a dash of courage in you that pushes you just a little farther than you normally go and take the plunge into your manuscript.
#2 YOU GET MORE QUALITY TIME WITH CHARACTERS
Consider it a shaping time of sorts. You've got these guys back and you get to work with them; fix their flaws, soften (or sharpen) their edges, be with them through struggles. Of course depending on what the plot calls for. But honestly, this is my favorite part of revisions. I love being able to still spend time with my MC's, Estrella and Jalen, and develop them better. The act of fleshing out their characters more and more is almost therapeutic for me. I guess cause I love them so much. But if you're a writer with a strong connection to your characters, look forward to this! It's awesome.
 |
| LOTR gifs ftw |
#3 THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS PERFECT
This is the most difficult pill to swallow in all of this. As much as I don't like it, no matter how many times I go over this story it will never be flawless. Not even an editor will make it that. But it will be worthwhile. I believe that wholeheartedly. And let's be real guys, perfect things are boring. Nobody wants to be perfect. Leave room for a little bit of mess and don't sweat the small stuff. You've got this. Your novel is going to be great.
Stop looking at me like that, all this pain and suffering of editing isn't that bad - is it?
 |
| tbh i set this up for this gif |
Now that I've got you all pumped up about your editing process (which is totally irrelevant to everyone's NaNo process!), what are some of the ways you get through editing? And what are some of your favorite things about it?
(Sorry this is such a short post, again, life has imploded because of the very big biggie mentioned above, keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I try to navigate the road ahead!)
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