All-In-One Revision: Raise Stakes, Build Conflict, Setting & Mood

I'm really excited about my latest revision system. I only go through and revise once, but I'm going through 3 phases to prepare for that, leaving myself notes on what to change and how.

Right now, I have one index card for each scene. At the top of each card is a sentence that summarizes the main conflict. I've used this system before, and it's great for focusing each scene on the conflict and for reorganizing the structure of the novel. But I've added something new this time.

On each card, I have:

1. The scene number (so I don't get confused)
2. The one-sentence summary for the scene
3. The time of day
4. What my main character wants
5. What's keeping her from getting it
6. How she feels
7. Why she feels that way
8. The overall mood of the scene (if different from how MC feels)
9. How the setting intensifies/contrasts the mood
10. How I can possibly raise the stakes

While I write out these cards, I'm creating meaninful scenery. The setting interacts with my characters and really comes alive. I've always heard that the setting needs to be a character, that it needs to create conflict. I never really understood that until now.

This method also helps me to create an primary mood for each scene and helps me to intensify the feelings of my characters. I think it'll lead to some pretty awesome subtext, too.

And who doesn't love high stakes? I mean, I thought I had some awesome conflict, but now... every card has some brainstorming on the back for how I can make it better.

Doing all of this takes time and brain power. I'm often tempted to skip one or two of these, but when I give thoughtful answers to each one, it's so rewarding. I'm getting really excited about this revision!

RePost: Revising and Editing Part 3

Great advice on editing your novel (more or less) from people who know what they're talking about:

I try to leave out the parts that people skip. ~Elmore Leonard

To get the right word in the right place is a rare achievement. To condense the diffused light of a page of thought into the luminous flash of a single sentence, is worthy to rank as a prize composition just by itself...Anybody can have ideas--the difficulty is to express them without squandering a quire of paper on an idea that ought to be reduced to one glittering paragraph. ~Mark Twain

The personages in a tale, both dead and alive, shall exhibit a sufficient excuse for being there. ~Mark Twain

An author should
... Say what he is proposing to say, not merely come near it
... Use the right word, not its second cousin.
~Mark Twain

Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass. ~Anton Chekhov

Substitute “d***” every time you’re inclined to write “very;” your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be. ~Mark Twain

Quantity produces quality. If you only write a few things, you’re doomed. ~Ray Bradbury

You have to know how to accept rejection and reject acceptance. ~Ray Bradbury

Vigorous writing is concise. ~William Strunk Jr.


Parts 1 and 2 on Revising and Editing have more practical resources, if you're interested.

Getting Nit Picky with Your Manuscript

So, when you think you have your basic plot nailed down and everything is in its place, what's that last step? Line editing! (Oh joy. Rapture.)

To help out with this oh-so-fun task, I have a few links to share. (Hey, it's what I do.)

The Infinite Checklist of Writing Tips has all those things you tend to forget, like eliminating "felt" and "started to". Excellent source to keep on hand.

Something I struggle with (especially when I write present-tense) is Cutting the Passive Voice, courtesy of Jennifer Walkup.

And you know those annoying words and phrases that everyone gets wrong? Altogether vs. all together, adverse vs. averse, bemused vs. amused. Yeah, here's a list of them: More Commonly Misused Words. Thank you to people like Meghan Ward. You keep me sane.

Revision Tips and Tricks

What do you look for when you revise?

As a start, here are The 4 Most Common Mistakes Fiction Editors See. This post stressed me out a little. There's just so much in there that I need to be doing!

Sarah Enni has a terrifying suggestion for revision: delete everything! Okay, save it first, but then delete it. I can vouch for this method. I've tried it. I hate it, but it works. Not only do you get better words when you start over, but you get over your fear of the dreaded blank screen!

Oh, and did you know there's a Golden Rule of Writing? I didn't think it was possible, but there is one rule that applies to all writers, no matter when or how you write, no matter what you're writing. There is one rule you must follow. (But I won't tell you what it is. You have to click the link. Sorry.)

And I just love this post by Ginny Wiehardt on Cliches and Description. Sometimes we as writers forget to be original with our descriptions.

Next Post: The nitty gritty!

Revising a Novel's Structure

Speaking of revision, look at the goodies I found!

My last post mentioned the importance of revising your novel structurally. Guess what? Kitty Bucholz posted a four-part segment: How to do a Structural Edit on Your Book. In it, she shows what she learned in her Master's class taught by editor Nicola O'Shea. Also, here's Part 2, and 3.

In response to this series, Stephanie Shackelford added: Write yourself a review or revision letter. She makes some great suggestions, step-by-step.

The next posts will be more of the nitty-gritty, microscope-not-telescope problems that first (and second and third and fourth) drafts tend to have.

Stuck In Revision Land

I've been thinking about revision a lot lately. It's no surprise, I guess. I'm revising Ivy's novel.

The first thing I do when revising is find out what's wrong with the book structurally. There's no sense in tweaking syntax when you have scenes missing or scenes that need to be cut or rearranged.

Take my book for example. (The working title is Roses and Mirrors.) Ivy gets trapped in three different fairy tales. (The reasons for her entrapment are explained in the novel.) The first fairy tale is Beauty and the Beast. (It's very different from the Beauty and the Beast on the blog.)

...Anyway, Ivy is in Beauty and the Beast and I'm marking changes that I need to make to plot, character, setting, etc... As I'm going along, I realize my plot is... lacking. The stakes aren't high enough. The more I read, the more frustrated I get with myself. There are entire scenes with little to no conflict!

I think about what I can do to raise the stakes, to make the conflict more agonizing, but I can't come up with anything horrible enough.

So I ask a friend. He writes thrillers, so I figure he must have some idea on how to torture characters. I send the following email:

Beauty and the Beast is a complete do-over, plot-wise. There are some great one-liners and descriptions in there that are keepers, but I won’t get into that until the final stages. There just isn’t enough conflict or risk. No real stakes. Just a confused girl living her new life in a fairy tale with a few minor changes to it.

This is your strong point. How would you throw a wrench into Beauty and the Beast if there were two girls in the castle? I’m already considering pipe bomb.

He replies:

Well, we're in fairy-tale land. You want conflict. My first thought was to have Ivy accidentally cause some great catastrophe. Have her inadvertently cause the death of either [Beauty] or the Beast.

Excuse me while I finish cackling.

Okay, so talk about disaster. It seems obvious--killing off a character is supposed to be a go-to strategy for shaking things up. The thought never really occured to me, since there are only three characters to speak of in this segment.

Of course, I can't ACTUALLY kill one of them. At least... not without some serious magic. But maybe a more metaphorical death, or death in a different sense?

As of now, I have BIG plans for the revision. I'm so excited about this.

This is why it's important to make friends with other writers.

Revision Helps

Ah yes, revision. It's a broad topic, with tons of techniques. Here are some of them:

First, if you're not familiar with The Oatmeal, you have to read these. The Oatmeal uses comic strip humor to demonstrate some things that should be common knowledge. Here's one of my favorites about How to Use an Apostrophe. It's basic grammar stuff, but presented in an oh-so-funny package. :)

Books Are Like Ogres. They have layers. Author Janice Hardy shares how she revises by going through her story layer by layer.

Roz Morris has some fascinating techniques. This is a girl who knows what she's doing. She has what she calls The Beat Sheet and uses it to measure the high points, low points, and plot points of your book by marking all the important aspects. She even has a nifty little example of how to use it starring Harry Potter.

Revision Part 4

This week, I'm giving you more links and advice on revision. I've covered this topic before in a three-part series. Here's a link to Part 1 of Revising.

But these are new links--so much better than the ones posted way back in December. (Okay, maybe not. You be the judge.)

I'll start off with the YA Highway's Survivor's Guide to Revisions: A step-by-step process for taking your manuscript apart and putting it back together.

Then there are the Dames. They've provided a great checklist for your manuscript. This is a great post if you *think* it's ready to send out into the world.
Also, one of the dames gives her personal take on revision with some interesting humor--how revision is like being in a cave.

Finally, when all is said and done, you think you're ready to submit. You research agents and *carefully* read their submission guidelines only to discover that your novel isn't the right word length! (Oh no!)

You can get advice from all over the place, telling you how long your book should be. But very few explain the why. Here are the Economics of Word Count by Lucienne Diver.

Pacing Your Novel

I recently blogged about pacing your novel, spilling everything I had found (to-date) on the subject. Then guess what? It seems to be a popular subject.

First, @DocumentDriven posted on Twitter: Conflict should escalate, & when the big moment arrives, pace should slow to give reader full scope of scene they've waited for.

This tweet really spoke to me. It was hard for me to express in 140 characters just how much of an impact it made.

As I go over Shadow Bound, I'm noticing how almost all of my "big scenes" are rushed. It's been so unsatisfying, but I couldn't figure out why. Then it hit me: I've been foreshadowing and hinting and building up to this pivotal moment. When I finally get to it, it's over before I really get to enjoy it. The scene just fizzles. Now I think I know how to fix it.

And I can't believe I didn't post this last time, but the Blood-Red Pencil has a post that covers pacing. Great site, by the way.

And finally, Scott Eagan tells writers to keep the pace moving. Because whe wants to read a book When the Only Action is Me Turning the Page?

How to Revise Your Novel (And Live Your Life)

Okay, so I think I have a revising system that works. It's not as fast as previous revisions, but this run-through is more intense and demands a lot more time and care.

First thing in the morning, my toddler wakes me up and I make her breakfast. While she's eating, I can eat a granola bar and get maybe three pages of revising done. Then we go through our morning play routine and she goes down for a nap right around lunchtime.

I get an hour of revising done as soon as she goes down. Usually 10 pages. Then I take a short break--mostly eating lunch, doing stuff on the computer, etc...

If she's still asleep at that point (not likely), I revise some more.

Sounds pretty efficient, until I realized that this only happens three times a week. The other days of the week are abnormal--I run, lift weights, do stuff with my husband, go grocery shopping, visit family, and probably some other random things I haven't thought of. Some of those days, Rebecca doesn't even have time to take a nap.

Any revising on abnormal days is a good day.

All in all, I try to get at least 50 pages a week edited. I say that's pretty good.

As far as technique goes, I'm using Holly Lisle's How to Revise Your Novel. (FANTASTIC method, by the way.)

But I also found a great post by author Keli Gwyn about how she revises a novel. It's pretty involved--sticky notes, poster board, a yardstick--but I like it.

New Fire

Something is changing. I think I wrote (a while back) about how I can't seem to be a writer and a runner at the same time. I don't know why, but if I'm good at one, I lose interest in the other. So I'm either going to be a fat writer or ... a non-writer. Both of those options suck.

But I recently took on a new project. I never thought I'd be doing non-fiction, but ... I am. I'm working on an e-Book that's part of an established series. I have no experience with this sort of thing, so I have no idea what to expect. But it's getting me interested in looking over some of my past work. I really need to get editing again. I don't feel like I can move on or start a new project until I have at least one of my two manuscripts revised (or re-revised).

Anywho, I'm putting Shadow Bound through the ringer. Holly Lisle's How to Revise Your Novel. Yup. It's going to take forever. Yup. I'm going to want to kill myself. But it's better than the alternative.

**shudder**

I'll take deliriously sick of a manuscript over non-writer any day.

Still Editing? Here ya go.

So, I'm still editing the first draft of Song of the Muse. I've barely put a dent in it. Embarrassing, I know.

But I did find a couple of great links to help you, if you're in the same stages of your journey. (If not, just bookmark it. )

Author Natalie Whipple was kind of enough to compile a list of her common first-draft mistakes.

and here are 6 Ways to Ensure All Your All Your Scenes "Play". Basically, a short checklist to make sure each scene in your novel doesn't put the reader to sleep. Always a good thing ;)

Revising a Rough Draft (Really Rough) Part 4

Okay, I found one more link to help with revising. It's actually ten links wrapped all into one. Ten authors give their tips for revising. Some say to start small and then do big revisions, others say the opposite. They're all good tips, if for different reasons. I think you just have to find what works for you.

Right now, I'm struggling with big stuff in Shadow Bound--reworking the voice mostly-- and EVERYTHING in Song of the Muse. Man, NaNo's are hard to edit!

Easy Revising - How to Fix a Novel Before Submission

I've had a request to post about revision. As I progress in the editing process, I'm finding that I can't possibly remember all those tips and tricks at the same time. If I remember to show, I forget to build character. If I remember to use strong verbs, my dialogue fall apart. Anyone else having this problem?

But I'll continue to post the most helpful advice I can, and just hope that the right words reach you at the right time.

I'm not sure if I've posted this one or not, but it's pretty darn helpful. I use cliches all the time and cringe every time I spot one. It takes real thought to push past cliches and come up with something that 1) is original and 2) still conveys the message I want to send and 3) doesn't jerk the reader out of the story--all while maintaining voice and character! Anyway, here's an article on Cliches and Description.

And I may have also shared this one too (Let me know if these look familiar.) but again, it's fantastic and I needed to be reminded. More on Show Don't Tell and how specificty is your greatest weapon.

And finally, Holt Uncensored has put together a lovely post on the 10 Mistakes Writers Don't See (but Can Easily Fix When They Do). Like every author I know of, I have a few favorite words. They pop up all over my manuscript. For Shadow Bound, one of those words was "moment". I used it more than 20 times! Little things like this can ruin a story for a reader, and these are the kinds of mistakes covered in this article. This would be particularly good if you have finished a story, edited it, and you THINK it's ready for submission.

Extra Post: My Swift Kick in the Pants

Okay, I needed this. Olivia, my friend, thank you for your perspective. I think you're right. She wrote:

seriously, you keep talking about Shadow Bound like it's dead! RIP THE THING APART! Every time you edit it will get better, I promise you. Having an agent say they'll look at it again if you edit it some more is a BIG DEAL, especially now. I don't understand why you haven't started editing it yet. Seriously, if an agent told me that, I'd chain myself to the computer until certain that every word was golden and ready for resubmission. Take your two weeks (or more) and get that first book ready and back out there. Give it a pass, then send it to two or three readers, then take that feedback and give it another pass, then send. That's my advise for you.

My reply:

I appreciate you getting onto me. I don't think Shadow Bound is dead, but it still feels... raw. I've torn it apart two or three times and part of me thinks it still needs some healing time before I dig in again. But you're right. I really need to get on that.

I'm signed up for Holly's How to Revise Your Novel, so it'll be 5 months before I finish that. >:(

But I don't think that should hold me back. You're right. I should go with Shadow Bound. I need to work on the voice, flesh out the scenes, build up realistic characters, and even out the tone. Shadow Bound deserves it. I'll do another edit, starting next week, then dig into Song of the Muse.

Thanks Olivia!

She's absolutely right. I've been too afraid to delve into Shadow Bound again. The little voice in the back of my head keeps telling me that I only have one more shot at making this book perfect. But there is no perfect. I need to make Shadow Bound the best I can make it. And then do it again.

END!: What to Do After NaNoWriMo

Congratulations! You lived through November!

So where are you now? Do you still have 10,000-50,000 words left to write in your first draft? If you've finished your first draft, are you moving on to revising? Or are you ready to collapse in a heap and breathe for the next few days?

Once you finish your first draft, you should choose the latter. Seriously. The best thing you can do as a writer is put your completed first draft aside and not look at it--that's right, don't think, look, touch, or peek--for two weeks (give or take). Enjoy some time off and forget about your book. Like a good roast, it needs to settle before you start slicing into it.

So, for the next two weeks, I'll be hunting for articles that help you 1) revise and 2) write beautifully. Because we all know first drafts are ugly.

So let's start of with an article from this writer's life on getting the hook. A simple concept, but one you should keep in mind while you go through your manuscript in a couple weeks.

By the way, if you haven't signed up to receive updates about Holly Lisle's How to Revise Your Novel class, now would be a good time for that. It's going to start soon.

Revising Your NaNo Novel

I know it's still a little early to think about this, but I found a course called How To Revise Your Novel. The teacher, Holly Lisle, has published over 30 novels, including a couple of young adult books, and several fantasy (though she has covered other genres, too). I've taken some of her other courses and she's very thorough.

The course doesn't start until the end of November, but if this is something you may be interested in, you can sign up for the priority list so you know when it's available.

Your NaNo tip for the day comes from this article tha gives some techniques for reaching your writing goals faster. I use some of these. They're awesome.
(I break up my writing into 20 min-1 hr segments and can get 1600 words for an hour of writing!)

What Now? Life after the manuscript.

I think the manuscript is ready for submission. So right now, I'm nervous. I don't want to get my hopes up and then be let down, but I really think this one has a shot. It's ten times better than my last novel.

I've already sent 7 queries--my top picks. I'm on edge, expecting a reply any day, though it could take months. I'm still researching queries and agents and all that good stuff. I think I'll write another post on the subject, since I've found some good stuff.

So for the rest of the month, I'll submit my story to a few agents a day until I've exhausted my list of potentials. Starting October 1, I'll begin planning my phantom novel :) I'm excited about that. I may not be able to wait.

Most Productive Day. Ever.

Sometimes, the Muse sings. Sometimes, you have a really good work day and you get a lot done. Sometimes they both happen at once and you get a massive amount of genius. Yeah, I don't mean to brag, but today was a massive amount of genius.

As I edited my first draft today, I found that a few scenes were missing. So I added those. I typed up the pages I had marked from my hard copy pass, too. Overall, I edited 36 pages of manuscript and added nearly 4,200 words to the original work!
Thanks to Liquid Story Binder, I know that it took me all of six hours of actual work to do it.

I have never written that many words in one day before. Ever. Not in first drafts, not during NaNoWriMo. 4,200 words is a lot. To put it in perspective, if I wrote this many words every day, I could finish a novel in 12 days.

So, bear with me as I bask in my own glory. **sigh** ;)


**Just a side note, I'm not that into myself. It's supposed to be funny

Question & Answer: Where are you in the process?

I thought I'd do a short update post in response to a comment on my post How to Submit and Query Agents, Part 3:

Wow, Emily. I like your blog. It has a lot of useful information. I have a question for you: Have you actually started the Query process? Or are you working on your Query letter? Have you gotten any bites? I'm interested to know what you are going through right now with your novel and if you think you spent enough time revising it or not.

Reply:
Thanks, I'm glad to hear my blog is helpful! I queried for my last manuscript (a lot). No bites on that one.
For my current project, I'm compiling a list of possibilites (I have about 20 so far). I'm also working on my query letter in between editing sessions. I think it's pretty polished up at this point and may be done.
I think Holly's one-pass is working really well, but I think I'll print it out when I'm done and read through it (maybe out loud) to catch any little things I may have missed.