So, I’ve been absent for a while. Not sure if many people noticed, but I went into one of my: don’t want to talk to anyone modes. And yes, Skyrim definitely helped with that š and we don’t need to mention the plague of headaches/migraines lol. Yes, I’m seeing my Dr.
Still, I digress.
In mid October one of my alpha readers uttered very wise words: Just because you wrote the books in four months, doesn’t mean you need to revise them as fast.
Sadly, I didn’t listen to her. If she’s reading – Jami, you’re a legend and you’re right. P.S. you owe me chapters.
See my revision is done on a paper copy. For some reason I seem to work much better with highlighters, colored tabs and red pen. After leaving my book for at least 2- 4 months I started on my first pass of edits/revision.
In my first pass, I covered the following:
- deleted superfluous lines/scenes
- rewrote awkward areas
- added sensory details
- inserted backstory in small amounts where needed
- deleted and condensed info dumps
- expanded dialogue
- foreshadowed elements I remember from books 2 & 3
- gave characters more emotion in sections where they felt flat
- reinforced motivations
For ages I was stuck at 45% through the transfer from paper to digital. I didn’t do any editing for just over 2 weeks, because (and let’s be honest here) I was burned out.
Yesterday I restarted revisions. I just dug my heals in and typed. Now I’m 63% through and feeling good about the changes. I’m hoping to have it finished by the end of the week so I can put it aside until sometime in January for the second pass.
While I leave it for a month or so, I’m going to do a first paper edit pass on both books 2 and 3 to make sure the first book isn’t missing anything huge that it needs to foreshadow. But I think I’ll leave those at the paper pass for now. It’s the transfer to digital that kills me. This way I can make sure TDP 1 is consistent and polished, without killing myself in the process š
And in February? Well, in February I’m hoping to sit down and write a story that’s been brewing in my mind for about 3 weeks now š
How does your revision process work? Do you take a step back and leave the book for a few months and then attack it with gusto? Do you concentrate on one thing at a time and do multiple passes? Do you paper edit or work with digital? (I still can’t get myself to do my own edits digitally… Paper mmmmmmm yum). Do you have any tricks to deal with burn out?
Anyhu, now I’m out of my funk, I hope to be back regularly again. Hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving!
KT! I’ve been wondering where you have been. You just seemed to disappear. I’m glad to read that you are getting back into the revision chair! It’s a fun yet pain in the ass kind of trip. I wish all the best on your migraines and hope many pain free days come your way. š
My revision process starts after I have left a story sit for at least six weeks, sometimes even twice that depending on what else I have going on. I clean up sentences, make things flow better, then try to flush out parts where they seem rushed, which I’m discovering I do a lot when it comes to writing novels, and try to put in more emotion and make the MC as round as possible. I want the read to feel connected with the MC.
A lot of this of course has come with revising short stories. I’ve got a novel I’m revising and there’s a lot I’m learning. Keep in touch! I want to hear how your trilogy comes out! GO KT!!
Yeah I just sort of… didn’t really tweet or talk to people for just over two weeks lol.
Revision is really hard on me haha. I just want to write lol.
Six weeks sounds like a great interval to leave it. I don’t think we can be objective enough going back straight away.
Yay for the novel š I look forward to hearing about your revision learning process. And of course – I’ll be around lamenting about the uglies of revision haha
I have been wondering where you were, for some reason I thought you were doing NaNoWriMo and that’s why you were MIA.
glad to see you back.. I’ve been waiting for more posts about your gorgeous dolls, LOL
I was going to do NaNo, but was then going to focus on revision, and then didn’t want to focus on anything at all lol.
I’m back and I’ll post more about my dolls soon š
Aloha KT,
Welcome, and glad to have you back on board, ma’am!
I’m also working on a first book – a memoir about an opera singer who loses (and finds) his voice – and I *struggled* for ages trying to get past a certain stage.
I was constantly editing and rewriting, but never moving forward. Now, I see the light, and am powering through to the end, and will come back to edit chapter by chapter.
Thanks for the tips/advice, it was interesting to read, but I don’t think I could go down the highlighter road…I’d spend too much time just color coordinating my pages š
Hi Mark š Great to be back.
Ack an opera singer losing his voice? That sounds sad š I’m glad you’ve found the right balance. Good luck with the revisions.
Yeah the highlighter route isn’t for everyone. But I don’t miss too much when I do it the old fashioned way. For me, it works š
I have to step back for a while before revising. But it seems to work well!
That’s great. Finding a system that works for us is what it’s all about.
*loves* You should listen to me more often, yes you should! *nods sagely*
‘Course, I have to take my own advice too.
And you have a chapter in your inbox. š
Shush Miss: I can give the best advice but won’t listen to it myself :p
Woot – chapter. I’m going to read it now. Mwuah hah hah
Glad to here you’re feeling better – or are you actually feeling better with the migraines and stuff? Good luck with the editing. I’m trying to figure out how to weave in another storyline after the fact in my WIP without messing up the flow right now.
Thank you š Yeah, I’m trying to get help for the migraines, but it looks like I’m going to have to change GP’s… My appointment today cemented the fact.
Good luck with weaving in another storyline – you can do it!