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.

Contest: Book Give Away!

I have a confession to make:

I'm a really slow reader. A big problem is that I don't set aside large chunks of time to read, but even when I do, I'm lucky to finish a book in two weeks.

As a result, I have a HUGE pile of books next to my bed. My immediate to-read pile. (Some of them are on the reading list scrolling in the bottom left corner of the blog.)

So, to get my butt into gear, I'm going to hold a contest. I'm about to finish The Ruby Key by Holly Lisle.

If you would like to have my copy, fill out the form below. COMMENTS DON'T COUNT. You have to fill in the form to be counted.

You get points for...

Twitting about the contest (+2)

Posting about the contest on Facebook (+2)

Blogging about the contest (+4)

Follwing this blog (+2 for old followers, +1 if you join now)

Putting this contest on blog roll/side bar of your blog (+5)

For being referred (+1)

Each person who says they referred you (+2)

Remember, if you use twitter or facebook or a blog, please include the URL in the space provided. Otherwise, I can't verify and it won't be counted.

Enter by January 21, 2010.

I'd like to hold a lot of contests like these. We're planning on moving in the spring, so it would be nice to get rid of a bunch of books that I've already read.

Revising a Rough Draft (Really Rough) Part 3

How do you know if your book has one of those dreaded sagging middles? A place where nothing seems to happen for pages and PAGES. Tons of NaNoers have this problem. Well, I found some advice from published author Scott Westerfeld. He says to make Pace Charts. (Brilliant! I'll definitely do this.)

And to get some perspective on revising, here's a post by my favorite children's author, Gail Carson Levine, on how she revises. She has some things that are the same and a few things that are different from the way I do things.

Here's a link back to Revising a Rough Draft Part 2 and Part 1.

Revising a Rough Draft (Really Rough) Part 2

What's a common word that does little to enhance your story?

It.

So, Get Rid of It and replace it with something useful. Remember, every word in your book needs to pull double or even triple duty if you can manage it.

For example, an easy way to do this is through dialogue. With good dialogue, you can 1) further the plot, 2) increase tension, and 3) show character. Here's an excerpt from a draft of Shadow Bound (you may have seen this before):

"Rachel?" Lisa raised an eyebrow. "What are you staring at?" She turned, dragging one leg over so she straddled the bench. "Ooh, he’s cute."

I braved another look. He was attractive, but his stare made me uncomfortable.

"Too bad he’s taken," she added, twisting back around.

"What do you mean?"

She snorted and gave a sarcastic half-smile. "Well, I don’t think that’s his sister."

I peeked at him again. There was no one with him. On the next bench though, a couple was making out. "No, not him."

Lisa scanned the park again, this time pointing to a man walking his dog. "That old guy?" Her eyes narrowed. "Rachel, are you okay?"

Here, we have dialogue. It pushes the plot forward by showing that Lisa isn't able to see what Rachel sees. (Trust me. It does.) This snippet is needed in order to move the story in the right direction. But what else does it do?

We see that Lisa is curious (nosy), and we here her voice. We see her wry sense of humor. There's also conflict here for Rachel. She has to decide to either explain what she sees, lie, or come up with a way to change the subject. We also get a little bit of setting (which I hadn't intended, but hey, I'll take it.)

See what I mean by double duty? Any time you can get two (or six) birds with one stone, do it. Look for opportunities like this. It makes for a page-turner.

Here's a link back to Revising a Rough Draf Part 1 and Part 3.