Doing major rewrites -- Oy vey
Today I'm answering another of your questions. By the way, keep those writing-related questions coming. I love getting them. : )
Revisions and rewrites -- they sort of sound the same, but they're not. Not by a long shot. In my opinion, revisions are a step or two above tweaking. A rewrite is just what it sounds like -- taking the editing chainsaw to your work to fix some serious issues (aka screw ups). If you're a writer, you've experienced that moment when you realize that your precious project is a skanky, stinky pile of tripe. Believe me, I've been there and had to fix that. It ain't pretty, but it's intensely satisfying once the dust settles. So let's put on our haz-mat suits and wade in.
Sometimes your agent or editor will find where your plot train derailed, but it's best if you discover it yourself to avoid the embarrassment of either your agent or editor having to bear witness to your author "duh moment." Your gut will usually tell you if your plot derailed. Big clues are characters behaving uncharacteristically and more than a few chapters that don't propel your story forward. In the past, this was what has clued me in that all was not well. But sometimes that observation comes from a trusted member of your critique group, beta reader, or just a good friend who will give you an honest assessment, even if it's brutal. Those friends are good friends -- keep them.
Once you realize that you've screwed up, don't dive in immediately, even if you're on deadline. Your subconscious needs a few days to work on the problem. I've generally gotten feedback from my editor on a Thursday or Friday. I think they do that on purpose. It gives the author the weekend to absorb and ponder the suggestions -- and to get any freaking out done by Monday morning, so they can respond in a sane and professional manner when they send that email or make that phone call.
Once you're past the freakout stage, it's time for you to do your own brutal assessment. Sometimes having a friend/beta reader/agent/editor point out where the mistakes are is enough to make you immediately see the big picture, know what you have to do to fix it, and generally just smack yourself in the forehead for being so dense as not to have seen it in the first place. Sometimes major surgery isn't necessary; sometimes it is. Regardless, you have to get your emotions out of the way, look at it from a dispassionate point of view (I know it's not easy), and disect the work to find the best way to fix it -- not the easiest way, the best way. The way that is going to give you the best book possible. Then you roll up your sleeves, make a big pot of coffee, and fix the problem.
Coming up tomorrow: Cool book news (it's something a lot of you have been asking for) and a Cafepress store update.
Lisa
Revisions and rewrites -- they sort of sound the same, but they're not. Not by a long shot. In my opinion, revisions are a step or two above tweaking. A rewrite is just what it sounds like -- taking the editing chainsaw to your work to fix some serious issues (aka screw ups). If you're a writer, you've experienced that moment when you realize that your precious project is a skanky, stinky pile of tripe. Believe me, I've been there and had to fix that. It ain't pretty, but it's intensely satisfying once the dust settles. So let's put on our haz-mat suits and wade in.
Sometimes your agent or editor will find where your plot train derailed, but it's best if you discover it yourself to avoid the embarrassment of either your agent or editor having to bear witness to your author "duh moment." Your gut will usually tell you if your plot derailed. Big clues are characters behaving uncharacteristically and more than a few chapters that don't propel your story forward. In the past, this was what has clued me in that all was not well. But sometimes that observation comes from a trusted member of your critique group, beta reader, or just a good friend who will give you an honest assessment, even if it's brutal. Those friends are good friends -- keep them.
Once you realize that you've screwed up, don't dive in immediately, even if you're on deadline. Your subconscious needs a few days to work on the problem. I've generally gotten feedback from my editor on a Thursday or Friday. I think they do that on purpose. It gives the author the weekend to absorb and ponder the suggestions -- and to get any freaking out done by Monday morning, so they can respond in a sane and professional manner when they send that email or make that phone call.
Once you're past the freakout stage, it's time for you to do your own brutal assessment. Sometimes having a friend/beta reader/agent/editor point out where the mistakes are is enough to make you immediately see the big picture, know what you have to do to fix it, and generally just smack yourself in the forehead for being so dense as not to have seen it in the first place. Sometimes major surgery isn't necessary; sometimes it is. Regardless, you have to get your emotions out of the way, look at it from a dispassionate point of view (I know it's not easy), and disect the work to find the best way to fix it -- not the easiest way, the best way. The way that is going to give you the best book possible. Then you roll up your sleeves, make a big pot of coffee, and fix the problem.
Coming up tomorrow: Cool book news (it's something a lot of you have been asking for) and a Cafepress store update.
Lisa
posted by Lisa Shearin at
8:37 AM
2 Comments:
Thanks!
My first draft has a lot of problems, and I'm not sure how I'll fix them, while still salvaging the good parts of the story. For now, I decided to let it rest for a long time, to get my emotions out of the way as you put it.
I decided to write the sequel first, so I can improve my writing further, and to flesh out my world and characters more. i hope that'll benefit my rewrite.
I'm curious about the book news.
Actually, putting the story aside for a "cooling off period" is the best thing you can do. When you go back to it, you'll be able to read it from a fresh perspective. A lot of the time I find that what I thought were problem areas weren't problems at all. Either that or the fresh perspective allows me to see exactly where the problem is and how to fix it. Good luck! And keep me posted on how it works for you.
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