A Writer's Experience with an Editing Sprint

 

Last week, I was frustrated with my current work in progress. I finished the first draft of the novel in November 2021 as my National Novel Writing Month project. When I have hard and fast deadlines (and when I blab to everyone I know that I’m writing a book in a month) the work gets completed. When I don’t have any sort of accountability, I fail. 

Last fall I left my full-time editing job, telling myself I would focus on my true crime podcast and finishing the revisions on the 2021 NaNoWriMo book. It is now seven months later and while I’m producing bi-weekly episodes of the podcast, the book revisions have stalled. I have scribbled a few notes about changing the family dynamics about the original characters, but that’s about it. In early 2023, I started reading over the pages again and got to around page 50. Then my progress came to a screeching halt.

This brings us to early last week, one of my “off” times when I don’t have a podcast episode to research or write. I pulled all the post-it notes for my book (a suspense thriller novel) off the wall and put them beside my computer. I told myself I was going to focus on going through the book chapter by chapter (note by note) and making revision notes and see how far I could get by Friday. 

I started at the very beginning. The manuscript had around 64,000 words and 227 pages when I began. As I read and made notes, ideas for new scenes came to me. Instead of stopping the flow of the editing, I made a post-it note with a brief scene description and added it in the wall timeline. (I added an asterisk to those notes, so I’d remember I still must write the scene). I worked as much as I could for three days, fitting in time to exercise, walk my dogs and other chores around the house I had. By Friday, I had gotten to page 158, added about 500 words, and planned five new scenes. (I noticed most of the new scenes fall into the area we writers call “the muddy middle”). 

The experiment helped me understand the way I write best. It’s the same when I’m writing podcast scripts. I have a notebook full of ideas, and on a podcast production week, I spend three to four compressed days researching, writing, and recording one 30-minute episode. I need to schedule time for my fiction the same way. I know others here have shared methods of writing sprints, and NaNoWriMo encourages them, but I’d never immersed myself in an editing sprint like this before. I felt like I got a lot of work done in those three days, by only focusing on edits and not working on specific scenes, and next week I plan to spend most of my time on WIP Editing Spring #2! 

Have you ever worked on a writing or editing sprint? What did it help you learn about your writing style?

Renee Roberson is an award-winning writer who also produces the true crime podcast, Missing in the Carolinas. 

Read More »

4 comments editing sprints, NaNoWriMo, novel revision, Renee Roberson, writing sprints

Thriller Writing Tips Gleaned from a Netflix Parody

I enjoy writing thriller/suspense and true crime, so it stands to reason those are the programs I’m drawn to when I’m in the mood for a good binge. Netflix presented me with a show suggestion called “The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window,” and once I saw Kristen Bell was the star, I decided to check it out. Here’s the synopsis: 

When a handsome neighbor moves in across the street, Anna, a heartbroken woman for whom every day is the same, starts to see a light at the end of the tunnel; that is, until she witnesses a gruesome murder. Or did she? 

Satirical in nature, watching the series also gave me some revision ideas for my own thriller I’ve been working on revising. Here are some tips I picked up: 

Watch your protagonist’s vices. Anna is an alcoholic, which reminds me that so many protagonists in thrillers are a little too into their cocktails and wine. Or anxiety medication. I deliberately made my main character, a podcaster whose sister went missing a few years earlier, a woman who struggles with sleep issues. Medication may come into play, but at least it’s something a little different, and there’s the additional element of dreams and other sleep mishaps I can add in. 

Add in the tragic backstory. In “The Woman in the House Across the Street . . .” Anna is struggling to get over her divorce and an event that broke up her family. In my story, not only does the protagonist have a sister who may have been murdered, but she also has generational trauma stemming from other familial relationships.

Don’t forget the twist. In the Netflix series, you’d better believe there’s a twist at the end. This one was so shocking, and almost humorous (it was a parody, after all!) that as my daughter wandered into the room, she asked, “What in the world is going on here?” In my novel-in-progress, there are several different characters that could have devious intentions. This requires leaving breadcrumbs throughout the book that a reader might not pick up on right away. It’s a challenge, but one of the things that makes writing fun! 

Have you watched “The Woman in the House Across the Street from a Girl in the Window?” What did you think of the formula? What are must-have elements you look for when reading or writing thriller and suspense? 

Renee Roberson is an award-winning writer, regional magazine editor, and host/creator of the true crime podcast Missing in the Carolinas.

Read More »

6 comments novel revision, Renee Roberson, The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window, thriller writing tips

Should You Use a Book Doctor?

As writers, we talk endlessly about revision. Probably because we’re always working, one way or another, on a revision. I mean, even when we’re not working on the manuscript, we have other people working on it…beta readers, critique partners, editors, book doctors.

Wait. Book doctors? Are you thinking—as I did once upon a time—that a book doctor is just a cute name for an independent editor? Yep, I thought a book doctor was a clever marketing title but one day, a writer friend and I were discussing the latest release of another writer friend, and she mentioned that said author had used a book doctor. I learned about book doctors that day, mostly that it had been a wise use of time and money for that author. And maybe a book doctor would be a wise choice for you, too, but first, know what you’re getting into.

Independently contracted editors can give a writer all kinds of services. He or she can give in-depth notes on the first fifty pages or an entire novel. A writer then takes those notes and revises, and sometimes, an editor will work back and forth on the revisions. It’s lots of re-writing for the would-be author, and it can be a time-consuming as well as costly process.

An editor can also do line-editing, which is basically proofreading your fully-revised novel, making sure that your grammar is spit-spot and names don’t change in the middle of the book. Publishing houses do a line edit before sending off the manuscript to be printed; writers planning to self-publish should get a line edit, too, but it’s probably a lot cheaper to ask that friend of yours in the critique group who’s a grammar nerd (and then treat him or her to a nice lunch).

And then there’s the book doctor. Remember when I said that writers had that secret dream of sending off a manuscript for a professional critique and really, we just want somebody to fix it? There’s a way to make that dream come true: hire a book doctor.

A book doctor is not playing around with all that revising back and forth. A book doctor will take your novel and fix those plot holes, clean up the character mix-ups, shore up the settings, tighten the tension and perfect the pace. And a book doctor might do all that and have a relatively quick turn-around. So why doesn’t everyone use a book doctor?

For one thing, a book doctor can be very expensive; doctoring a manuscript is a serious workload, even for a professional. And though a reputable book doctor will get permission from the writer before making massive changes, a manuscript can turn out quite differently. That sort of revision is not for everyone.

Still, there are times when a writer has revised a manuscript so much—either through critique partners, beta readers or paid professional critiques—that the idea of one more rewrite can cause dry heaves, not to mention hair-pulling. It’s that point of hitting a brick wall and maybe a book doctor can punch a way through to make a manuscript sellable. Not that anyone can make a guarantee that a manuscript will sell, but an expert book doctor can certainly push it closer to publication.

And then there’s the writer who’s self-publishing a book to enhance a business; it might be a more cost-effective use of time and money to use a book doctor. But like all writing services, do your homework first. Ask writer friends, check for any “write beware” notices, before committing to a pricey contract. It’s all well and good to invest in yourself but don’t break the bank in the process!

(How about you, dear writers, have you used a book doctor? Inquiring would-be published authors want to know!)

~Cathy C. Hall

Read More »

4 comments Book Doctor, book editing services, Cathy C. Hall, editorial critiques, novel revision, self-publishing

Revision: A Whole 'Nother Story

Once upon a time, I had a tagline on my website that read, “Cathy C. Hall…Writing and Re-Writing. But that’s a whole ‘nother story.” I changed it up when I used the fishing template but I didn’t change what I do. I still write and re-write, and depending on what I’m writing, I can still end up with a whole ‘nother story from where I started. Such is the drill when it comes to revision.

Recently, I completed the final—well, final for now—revision on my latest middle grade novel. And for me, the final revision is my chart; it helps me to check continuity but it also allows me to see instantly what elements need a quick fix. Invariably, I will think I am done before this final revision, that I’ll just do a run-through in a jiffy, but I am always surprised to find glaring omissions or holes or even name changes, for crying out loud. That’s the beauty of the grid with its sparse details. There is nowhere for the errors to hide!

So here are the elements to give you some idea of what’s important in writing (or re-writing, as it were) a MG novel for me. Maybe you’ll find something to help you in your next novel revision:

CHAPTER: I always give my chapters a title and this is where I double-check to make sure the title fits and also gives a little tease as to what’s coming. Because I write humorous MG, my chapter titles often have a funny twist. But it’s not until after I read the chapter and fill out the rest of the grid for that chapter that I will go back and make changes here. I also will note whether there’s action or talking; I’m looking for balance here and though I hate to take out my funny dialogue, I do get a little carried away at times and have to cut. Ugh.

SETTING: I include the setting to make sure that I haven’t made sudden switches in locale, or mixed up settings. Yep, that happens, but the grid allows me to see this instantly and make the fix. It also shows me the flow of the story and so helps with the continuity.

CHARACTERS: This is also a way for me to double check continuity, make sure there’s balance for everyone involved in the story. Also, it’s very helpful to see when a minor character’s name has changed (several times). Ugh again.

PLOT: In this particular novel, there are three storylines. By giving each plot a color, I can see if I’ve weaved the three together. It’s only in the first few chapters that the main mystery develops and soon enough, the second emotional story comes in, and almost as quickly, the last bit of mystery and romance (which is actually the main plot of the next book) is introduced. If I’ve done my job right, I don’t have a lot of revision here but the color coding helps me to see at a glance where the manuscript needs work. I don’t have to have all three plots in each chapter, but again, I’m striving for balance and pacing.

CHAPTER HOOK: This is an element that’s important for me, and I think, for MG readers. I want to make sure that the last paragraph and/or sentence of the chapter is compelling enough that the reader doesn’t want to close the book till the very end. I also want to ensure that the transition from chapter to chapter works so here is where I do a lot of revision. Almost every chapter ending has been tweaked, and often the beginning of the next chapter will have to be tweaked as well.

I know some writers who will use Excel sheets for this sort of grid, and they’ll have more elements (or fewer). It’s whatever works best for you and what you want from your revision. For me, filling in the grid by hand works better, lets me thoughtfully see the whole picture. When all is done, I don’t have a whole ‘nother story, but I do have a better story. And here’s hoping that an editor feels the same way!

(P.S. Have any revision tips? Questions? Want to argue for what you think is more important? I’m all ears. Or eyes. Or whatever. UGH.)

~Cathy C. Hall

Read More »

5 comments Cathy C. Hall, chapter titles, Characters, hooking the reader, novel revision, novel revision strategies, plot grid, setting

Are You Delivering?

While scrolling through my pile-up of emails last week, I screeched to a stop at a YA title. I don’t recall the writer, but this self-pubbed author had done the first right thing. She’d grabbed my attention immediately with an intriguing title. Yay!

In fact, she’d done several right things, from a marketing standpoint. She’d gotten her new and intriguing title out there in the right places, and, I noticed, she’d already garnered quite a few reviews.

Which is great from my standpoint. When I don’t know an author’s work, I’ll read a couple of reviews. And my favorite place to skim reviews is Goodreads. I feel like I get a fairly balanced bunch of reviews and the reviewers tend to be savvy readers. So when I saw a similar criticism showing up in several reviews, I passed on this YA novel.

The book had a great title, and it had a compelling blurb. But the book itself wasn’t what was promised in the title and the blurb. Time and time again, reviewers complained about expecting a story on a certain topic only to find that the book wasn’t really about this topic at all.

Unfortunately, this author had done one big wrong thing: she hadn’t delivered on what she’d promised.

It’s possible that the author made an innocent mistake; perhaps she didn’t really understand what her book was about. But it doesn’t matter. The bottom line is that she pulled the old bait-and-switch on her target audience. And in doing so, her readers felt duped, and she hurt her marketing strategy. And that was a shame, because she managed to get her book into the hands of an impressive number of readers.

You’re probably thinking that this doesn’t happen very often so you don’t need to worry about your book not delivering. But take it from someone who’s received way more than one critique along those lines. It’s pretty common. In fact, I’m avoiding a revision right now because I know that it requires a major rewrite. I didn’t write a story about what I promised in the title and first chapter.

So how to make sure that you are delivering on what you’ve promised? First, make sure you know what your story or novel is about. If you can sum it up in one good sentence, then you’re off to a decent start.

Next, read your story with that sentence in mind. When or if the story veers too far off the rails from where it began, it’s probably time to stop and get things back on track.

And last, get feedback, either from your critique group, beta readers, or a professional editor. If you hear, “I thought this book/story was going to be about…” then prepare to take notes. You haven’t delivered on your promise.

And please, do this work before you put your book out there. Revisions may not be fun, but they can fix a whole lot of problems. On the other hand, if you’re facing a whole slew of bad reviews? There’s no easy fix when you don’t deliver the goods.

Cathy C. Hall is a kidlit author and humor writer and she will get to that rewrite right after she finishes revising her latest middle grade novel. (She does finish stuff, honest, and you can find out what if you check out Cathy here! Um, check out her blog. Her blog!)

Read More »

6 comments book blurbs, book reviews, book titles, Cathy C. Hall, goodreads, novel revision

The Mundane Doesn't Belong in Your Story

Our lives are filled with wonderful events, lively conversations, and meaningful relationships. But every day, we also encounter the mundane. In real life, there's routine. There's "hello" and there's  "good-bye". There are conversations with strangers that don't mean anything to our lives. Sometimes, these mundane occurrences show up in our manuscripts.

If you're writing a draft (especially a first draft) of a novel, short story, or memoir, you most likely have some mundane-ness in there. But in fiction (or your memoir), there's no room for mundane events, words, or conversations. If you include these, your pacing will be slow, and your reader may put the book down somewhere in the muddy middle.

Think about a well-crafted novel you've read or even a movie or TV show, where you think the writing is fantastic. Everything that happens in that story has a purpose. The main character does not have a random encounter with a man in the grocery store while picking out fresh produce unless something about that scene is important to the character's overall story and growth.

Where to Look for the Mundane in Your Writing:

• Dialogue: If you're anything like me, your dialogue is full of lines and words that don't move your story forward. Even if you're a natural at writing dialogue, yours might still be full of greetings, everyday questions like: how are you, "inside jokes" between characters that are clever but don't move the story forward, or a conversation your characters have had more than once.
• Life routine, especially getting ready and going to bed: When writing, we often take a while to get to the story we need to tell, and that's okay. I believe that it's better to delete 25 percent of what you wrote the day before than to have nothing on the page to delete. But we often start stories and chapters in the wrong place, and this is where everyday, boring life can slip in. We don't need to hear about a character's daily routine of waking up and getting ready for work. Readers understand that your character did not go to bed in chapter 2 and show up at the gala at the beginning of chapter 3, without nothing happening to her all day long. We don't need to read about her getting ready unless something happens that is purposeful, that adds to her overall story and character growth. If, for example, she is OCD, and it literally takes her twelve hours to get ready for the gala and readers need to see this to understand the character--then these events would NOT be mundane. 
• Transitions: Transitions are places where your characters are going somewhere, like a family gathering, or getting ready to do something, like participate in a protest. Usually there's some needed preparation in the novel, but we also include how the character got to his car or the bus, drove to the event and had a conversation with his family or a stranger, and walked up to the event. Look at these sections carefully. Do you need them? Or will your novel work better if you put one transition statement like: After rushing through traffic and jamming out to the Rolling Stones, Freeda finally made it to the protest, now more than ready to stand for what was right. She grabbed her sign...

When revising your draft, look at every scene you wrote carefully. You need details to set the scene. You need dialogue to reveal your characters. But, you also need to look objectively at what details and dialogue you chose and make sure they're not slowing down your novel. Sometimes, this is hard for us to see in our own writing. So, remember, a good critique group or content editor can help you with this task and get rid of the mundane.

Margo L. Dill is a writer, editor, and teacher, living in St. Louis, MO. You can read more about her on her blog at http://www.margoldill.com. Consider taking her next WOW! novel writing course, which begins on November 3. More details here. If you would like to find out about Margo's personal writing coach or editing services, please see http://www.editor-911.com.

Edit photo above on Flickr.com by Matt Hampel. 

Read More »

4 comments dialogue, fiction writing, Margo L. Dill, memoir, novel revision, pacing

To Open Today, or Wait Until Tomorrow... THAT is the Question

When I was growing up, my family started the tradition of choosing just one gift to open on Christmas Eve... the rest of the presents had to wait until the next morning.

It was a dilemma. I loved surprises--still do--so whatever I opened on the 24th lessened the surprise awaiting me in the morning.

The element of surprise (along with the hunt for gift boxes so I can finish wrapping)  made me think of writing... and what surprises (and obstacles) we face as writers.

photo by pexels.com

It's amazing--every time it happens--when I get surprised as a writer. For example, my latest two big projects both had aha moments as I was working on them.

In my adult manuscript, I had the ending for over a year. Set in stone. All plotted out.

Then the characters swooshed in and took over. They evolved during the course of the story, and they demanded the ending evolve as well. I had no choice but to listen.

Another surprise:  my most recent WIP for children began as an informational piece. A nonfiction book. I had the beginning down, proud of the descriptive language, the rich images. When I shared it with a writing critique group, one of the writers, a middle-school language arts teacher, said, "I think this story needs to be told by a kid. It would make readers relate."

Duh. Of course. So a nonfiction piece (surprise!) morphed into historical fiction.

And when I'm trying to cram a present into a too-small box 'cause that's the only box I have, I think about the problem I had during the last week of NaNoWriMo. I was stuck.

The story had flowed easily. I was building the story towards the climax. The characters, the plot, the dialogue--it was almost effortless.

But when I got to the build-up to the horrific events (and they were horrible), I felt bored, like I was just going through the motions. Oh, I was moving things along with vignettes, but I knew it was going to need serious revision later on.

And then it hit me. I had infused so much of the main character's life into the story earlier, and now it was if all I was doing was listing events, one scene at a time. When I focused back on the main character and kept him in mind, my writing came easier.

Don't try to cram plot events into your story. Make sure there's enough room for them. If you need some bubble wrap, some "cushioning," try remembering what the heart of your story is...

... and repackage that part of your story. (And now I'm off to find a bigger box to wrap this pesky gift.)

Happy Hanukkah! Merry Christmas! And may your words flow fast and effortlessly in 2017.

Read More »

6 comments novel revision, plotting a novel, revision

Dear Work-In-Progress

Dear Work-In-Progress:

Before I begin the heart of my letter, or what my English teachers liked to call "the body of a friendly letter," I want to get a couple of things straight. First, I'm going to refer to you and your friends as WIP(s) (because typing work-in-progress is just too time consuming); and second, I'm not sure how friendly this letter is actually going to be.

I'm upset with you, dear WIP. Since I created you, I've been trying not to blame you and place all blame on myself. The problem is I can't seem to finish you. Yes, I did write "the end" last summer, and yes, I did pay to have someone critique the beginning of you, and yes, my critique group says: "Send it out," after I've revised you a couple times--but you keep telling me you're not really finished.

Now it's been several months and I haven't even touched you. All I really need to do is revise your first 10 pages and read the rest to make sure I didn't miss any changes.

But I can't seem to do this, so I'm finally admitting that it is, well, ALL YOUR FAULT.

Why can't you just fix yourself? We both know what you need to do. We need to move the inciting incident closer to the beginning of you. Then we need to take the blasted backstory and make sure that just enough is sprinkled throughout your middle that readers can understand why the characters are acting and reacting how they are. Can you please get this accomplished in a timely manner?

I really am tired of your excuses. "I don't have time," you say. "I am just tired of working on myself." "What difference does it make? No one buys books any more." The very worst one I heard you utter just over the weekend: "I am out of wine and chocolate."

Please, for both of us, for our livelihood and sanity, could you please help me fix you? I will show you how to turn on the computer and use the Microsoft Word toolbar, if you are confused. I will keep my butt in the chair and do what you tell me to do, if you will just aid me in revising you this one last time and finding the perfect agent to represent you. (What is the perfect agent? Well, someone who wants to help me sign at least a three-book deal--and thinks you and I are brilliant.)

I'm so glad I wrote this letter, and I will wait for your response. Please keep it brief because really, you need to get to work on you.

Sincerely,

Margo
(frustrated, but still your friend)

PS: Yes, a three-book deal would mean I have to create two more manuscripts. Yes, I know what you're thinking. But I will always love you best, if you would just get to work.

PSS: Yes, all writers feel this way. I am not being mean.

Margo L. Dill is a writing teacher and novelist. To check out her WOW! Women on Writing classes, including Writing a Novel with a Writing Coach (where she will not make you write a letter like this, although it is therapeutic), please go to this link. To find out about her books, please visit her website. 

photo by Guudmorning!  (http://www.flickr.com) 

Read More »

7 comments manuscript love, Margo L. Dill, novel revision, novel writing process, WIP, writer humor

How to Revise a Novel

For NaNoWriMo 2012, I started writing a novel. After two and a half years of a start-and-stop writing process and two rounds of professional workshops – The Gettysburg Review Conference for Writers and The Kenyon Review Novel Workshop – I am pleased to say...drum roll please...I finally have the first full rough draft of the novel!

I have 245 glorious word document pages glowing on my laptop screen. But I’m not finished yet. I need to revise, which is where I believe the true craft of writing takes place.

I prefer the revision stage over the drafting stage because I like having a mold to work with, to bend and shape and chisel into a piece of art. But I know from working with hundreds of composition students that many people resent and recoil from this stage, especially when it’s with a piece of writing this long.

So I’d like to share with you my revision process. I revise differently with different pieces of writing, or even with the same piece of writing on different days, but it generally looks like the process outlined below. I don’t suggest you follow my process exactly, but I do believe it’s helpful to hear other writers’ processes so you can pick and choose what will work for you.

My Revision Process

Take a break. Admittedly, this is the hardest part of the process for me. If I finished a draft, then I’m on a roll and want to keep going. But I become too close to the manuscript. I need to give myself time and distance so I can return to it with fresh eyes. I put the manuscript aside for a few days, minimum.

Reread the manuscript from start to finish. During this reading, I am checking the logic of the story. Does it make sense? Does it flow? Do I use the character’s names consistently throughout the novel and not accidentally change Jane’s name to Jenna halfway through? Did Dannie’s baby, who was born in July, suddenly become 18 months old by February? Does the opening page or chapter set a precedent for the tone, style, and content for the rest of the story? Does the ending make sense with the preceding story, and does it leave the reader feeling satisfied without tying everything with a neat little bow?

Reread the manuscript from start to finish. Again. One of my writing weaknesses is showing the setting. I get so involved in my characters’ appearances, actions, and speech that I forget to fully create the world in which they live. So after I have everything in place and well-organized plot-wise, I will go through the story again and fill in the descriptors that make the setting come to life.

Reread the manuscript from start to finish. Round three. This is where the revision process turns into the editing process because I will now search more carefully for typos and the quality of the line-by-line writing. As much as possible, I eliminate passive voice and the overuse of “to be” verbs because they often make the writing clunky and weak. I pay attention to the rhythm of sentences: are there too many short, choppy sentences in a row for no reason? Why is this one sentence nearly a page long? Does the rhythm of the sentence match the pacing and action at that point of the story?

Give it to someone else to read. Even if I believe I have done a thorough job of revising and editing my manuscript, it is essential that I let someone else read it before I send it to an agent or a publisher. The story makes sense to ME, but that doesn’t guarantee it makes sense to everyone else. Other people bring new perspectives to the story and can help spot plot deficiencies or character flaws you may not have noticed on your own. Likewise, they may find some deep meaning in your story that you hadn’t noticed, which you can use when you pitch your story for publication.

Reread the manuscript AGAIN. This time, focus on the feedback from your reader(s) and decide what you’d like to revise based on the feedback. Learning to solicit the “right” kind of feedback and how to revise based on that feedback is a tricky process if you and/or your readers are unfamiliar with it, but that may be a post for a different day.

Were any of these steps helpful for you? What does your revision process look like?

Happy writing and revising!

Written by Anne Greenawalt, writer and writing instructor

Other Resources for Revising:
Writer’s Digest
Writer’s Digest Workshop
Huffington Post

Read More »

2 comments Anne Greenawalt, novel revision, novel writing process

Closet-Cleaning and First Drafts

I’m sure there are many of you still shivering, despite what the calendar says. But here in Georgia, lawn mowers are running and daffodils are swaying and I’m cleaning out my closet.

See, I don’t have room in my closet for all the seasons of clothes. And so this week, I carried all the winter clothes—the sweaters, the flannel shirts, the heavy slacks—to another closet, to make room for the cotton skirts, linen blouses, and shorts. It takes longer than you might think because I cull the clothes as I go.

Did I wear this at all in the last six months? Does this really fit or am I just kidding myself? Can I finally throw away this robe I’m keeping because I wore it when I brought my first-born child home?

Yeah. It’s pretty time-consuming. And a little psychologically taxing. But as I sorted and tried on clothes today, I started thinking about writing. Mostly, about the draft I need to revise. And specifically, I considered that maybe I should be as ruthless with my manuscript as I am with my clothes.

Take, for instance, a minor character I’ve stuck in the opening scene of the very first chapter. There she is, along with my protagonist, hogging the spotlight and making a promise I have no intention of keeping, the promise that says to readers, “Ah, this secondary character must be pretty important if she’s in the very first scene.”

Er…I like that character, but she’s not that important. So she needs to go.

And what about this chapter I love and squeezed into the first act? It’s pretty and well-written and definitely interesting. But does it fit in the first act?

Uh…no. It has to go, too. (But I might find a better fit for it later in the story.)

And finally, there’s my weak spot.

Those are the funny bits in my stories, the jokes I’ve included that make me chuckle. But I know (because it’s been pointed out to me a lot) that my funny bits don’t always move the story along. I hate cutting funny bits, but if they want to stay, they have to earn it.

It’s not always easy, taking a good long look at a first draft. But I’m sure you’ll find, like me, that there’s plenty of good writing to keep. That helps when the psychologically taxing moments come along and you have to let go.

(But just to be clear, I will never give up that robe!)

~Cathy C. Hall

Read More »

6 comments Cathy C. Hall, first draft, novel revision, writing advice