Welcome revisers!! The amazing Carrie Finison is our guest blogger for today with a post full of writing truth! Carrie has kindly offered to do a giveaway, so comment on this post (before midnight Monday Nov 16th) and you'll be entered to win a picture book critique (rhyming or prose, under 1000 words). Welcome Carrie!

The Seven Stages of Revision
by Carrie Finison 

 

I did something scary recently. (Writer scary, that is.) After a great critique with an editor I met at a conference, I cracked open a manuscript I haven’t worked on in two years.

Happily, she didn’t say it was terrible, or awful. It’s a good story. But could it be better? I decided it could. Mind you, it took me a while to come around to that decision. Getting a tough critique can spark something in me that is akin to grief. It’s grief for the loss of that dream version of the story – the one where it’s perfect just as it is, and the editor raves about it and offers me a contract on the spot. Letting go of that rosy vision and facing the tough reality is difficult.

Like grief, revision is something that must be worked through, and each stage comes with its own characteristics.

**********************************************
THE SEVEN STAGES OF REVISION

Stage 1: Shock or Disbelief
What? My story doesn’t hang together? My characters aren’t appealing? My prose isn’t perfect? My plot lacks surprise? That can’t be right!

Stage 2: Denial
Clearly, Ms. Fancy-Pants New York editor has no idea what she’s talking about. She must not have read my story carefully. She probably doesn’t work in this genre. What does she know?


Stage 3: Anger
I’m not going to do it! I’m not going to make any changes. It’s my story and I’m sticking to it, period, the end! Someone else will probably love it just the way it is.

Stage 4: Bargaining
Maybe if I just change this one little thing, the whole story will work much better and I’ll be done revising.

Stage 5: Depression
She’s right. This story stinks. All my stories stink, and I won’t be able to sell any of them ever. Might as well give up this writing thing.

Stage 6: Reconstruction
Wait.

She might have a point.

OK, I can see that this character’s choices aren’t making much sense. I’ll try one of the things she suggested and see how it works….

Hey, that actually does make more sense. And that gives me a great idea for an even better ending.

Stage 7: Acceptance and Hope
This revision stuff is hard work, but it’s actually kind of fun. My story is much stronger now. I can’t wait to send this to my critique group and see what they think!

**********************************************
Does this seem familiar?

For me, getting out of Stage 5 and into Stage 6 is the hardest part. I find that it works best to sidle up to a major revision, rather than trying to take it head on. For days, or weeks, I will collect ideas that I think might contribute to a stronger story. These might be suggestions from critique partners, new plot points to consider, words or phrases I’d like to include, or some way to twist one of the story elements into something else. When I finally do sit down to revise, I’m not starting from scratch. I also make sure I have coffee or tea and some baked goods on hand. There’s not much that can’t be made better by a cup of tea and a nice scone.

It takes a lot of mental energy to produce a good revision, one that goes deep and makes the story stronger, tighter, and better than ever before. But when you come through to the other side…it’s worth it!

So very true. Thank you Carrie!

 






Carrie Finison began her literary career at the age of seven with an idea, a box of markers, and her father’s typewriter. Some of her more recent work has appeared in Babybug, Ladybug, Highlights and High Five magazines, and in 2014 she won the SCBWI Barbara Karlin grant for picture book writing. In addition, she writes and develops content for educational publishers. Find her at www.carriefinison.com.

Petite ReviMo June with Deb Lund plus a Giveaway!

Good morning revisers!! :D We've got a fabulous guest AND a giveaway! Comment on Deb's post today and you'll be entered to win a deck of Fiction Magic Cards!

Revision Quest
by Deb Lund


What’s the difference between people who dread revision and those who love it? Is it experience, or strategy, or (yikes) personality?

Characters head out on quests, and revision is a quest of its own.

When I talk about revision in school visits, I tell them how I can always tell the difference between little-kid writers and those who are a little more mature (obviously I don’t say this to the youngest audiences). Then I ask what little kids say when their teacher wants them to write more, and someone always answers correctly. “But I’m done!”

Writing is rewriting. You have to mine through lots of rock to get to the gems, and it’s in revision that you arrange those gems, polish them, and show them off in a setting you’ve designed. You might string them together like a necklace, revising the placement of each stone until it’s the perfect combination.

Two of my editors have told me I was their best reviser. I didn’t always fit that title. As writers (or creators of any art), we have these quirky voices in our heads that tell us we can’t do it, or it’s going to take too long, or it’s just too overwhelming to begin. And then those same voices have the audacity to tell us that we’re the only ones who struggle with revision. We look at the completed work of others and know it’s beyond us. We have a vision, but it doesn’t come out of our heads the way we see it before it lands on paper.

Guess what? That’s true for everyone! Nothing creative ever takes shape exactly the way it’s planned. We’re so busy judging others from the outside, not realizing that they may have the same insecurities as we do on the inside. We believe we’re doomed to fail the revision quest. Revision is where the line is drawn for some of us. We hand over our power, quaking, tiring as we near the finish line. We’re scared. We think this is where we find out if we are worthy or not. So we put it off until it becomes a big monster, a worse adversary than any villain we could create. It’s time to transform that monster.

Do you like jigsaw puzzles? Exploring new hiking trails? Are you a collector? Do you hit thrift stores looking for finds? When you read your favorite books, are you willing to go to the ends of the earth with those characters just to find out what happens? You need to kindle that same kind of passion when revising your own writing.

Revision doesn’t have to be the dirty work. Turn it into play! Host a revision party, dress up as your character, act out scenes, or dream up a handful of “What If…” questions for each scene that doesn’t trigger an emotion for you. Use your Fiction Magic card deck! Replace your judgment about revision with curiosity toward it. Tell yourself a new story about revision.

But yes, it’s true. People who like revision are neurotic. I know. I get downright obsessive with revision. And I love it—partly because of experience, maybe because of a few strategies I’ve learned, and (yikes) my quirky personality. But you can develop a love for revision, too. It just takes energy. A boost in passion. A willingness to let go of misbeliefs. And then you’re unstoppable.

The experience will come. There are strategies galore on this blog. Oh, and that personality thing? I lied. Personality has nothing to do with it. It’s something even quirkier than that. But it’s something you can change.

It’s attitude.

You’re a writer, and as I always say (and you can quote me on this), “Sometimes the stories writers most need to revise are not the ones they write, but the ones they tell themselves about their writing.”

Change your story = change your attitude = change your outcome.

Best wishes on your quest…

Deb Lund is the creator of Fiction Magic: Card Tricks & Tips for Writers, a popular tool for revision, now 50% off. She just finished a wilderness quest to (among other things) help her revise her writing life. She knows her brain needs a little play and get-away time, and she knows yours does, too. That’s why she’s using her gifts as a teacher, author, and creativity coach to facilitate a Kidlit Creativity Camp at a New York state park where play will be your work as you transform your current stories—the ones you write, and the ones you tell yourself—and create new ones. Learn more from Deb at www.deblund.com.

Link for “Fiction Magic…”:
http://deblund.com/debs-services/fiction-magic/

Link for “Kidlit Creativity Camp”:
http://deblund.com/debs-services/for-writers/sept-15-18-writers-retreat/

ReviMo Day 7 with Kara Lareau

Last day of ReviMo!!!! You can do it revisers!!! I'd love to hear how it's going, what have been your challenges, where you've had great breakthroughs, etc.

The ReviMo Shop is chock full of cool stuff, so be sure to peruse it. Proceeds for this week go to RIF, Reading is Fundamental, a wonderful cause. Let me know if you don't see what you'd like!

Don't forget we've got special deals for ReviMo participants! You can find the link in the Facebook group or drop me a line if you can't find them. 

And now.... our 7th guest for ReviMo 2015... Kara Lareau. We love Kara's books Mr. Prickles and No Slurping, No Burping. On with the show, heeeere's Kara!

Hello, friends! I’ve been asked to talk a little bit about my revision process. So without further ado…


HOW I REVISE

1. To get myself in a positive frame of mind, I eat some chocolate.

2. I fix myself a cup of coffee in my favorite mug. 

3. I make sure I am wearing something comfortable. (I am LIVING for cotton ragg socks right now. Highly recommended for chilly writing nights.) 

4. I settle into my workspace. (I know it seems strange, but even though I have an office, I almost never work there. It’s upstairs in our house, and it feels too remote to me. I’m trying to make some changes up there, to make it seem more inviting, but for now, I find I do my best work sitting on my bed.) 

5. I put in my headphones. I do listen to music while I work, but I find I can’t listen to any songs with lyrics or anything too percussive, as they distract me and my sense of rhythm. I have a CD called Bach for Book Lovers, and I swear by it. I also NEVER play it unless I’m writing, so my mind knows when it’s time to get Bach to work (heh heh). 

6. I read through the piece, and whatever supplemental material I have (an editor’s letter, my own jotted down ideas), and make a list of objectives. And then I set really, really small goals for myself, goals that are easy to reach, so I can keep up my confidence. With picture book revisions, sometimes it’s just a page a day — a chapter a day if it’s a longer piece. 

7. I take at least one break. I always make sure to get up and leave my work area when I’m taking that break, as changing the scenery is a good way to reset the brain (sometimes I can solve problems in the time it takes to walk from the laptop to the coffeemaker). 

8. If I get stuck and need a fresh perspective, I work on something else for a while. Another revision, a new idea, a blog entry, whatever, as long as I keep the momentum going. I find I get my best ideas on a project when I’m trying to focus on ANOTHER project. So I allow myself to jump around a little.

9. When I’m done for the day, I write in my journal. I keep a writing journal to jot down how I’m feeling about the work I’m doing. Sometimes, just writing out my feelings or problems helps me to discover new solutions. And then I make sure to jot down some goals for my next session. (I’ve obscured my entry here to protect my “brilliant” ideas. Ha!)

10. I reward myself. I watch a TV show I like, play around on Facebook or Twitter or Pinterest, or catch up on whatever book I’m reading.

Hope this is helpful! Happy revising!


Thank you Kara! I think I need to model your process, it sounds mindful and cozy! 

Thank you revisers! Be on the lookout for Rafflecopters in the post tomorrow. Be sure to take your time and read the instructions so you get your votes properly cast!

Kara LaReau was born and raised in Connecticut. She received her Masters in Fine Arts in Writing, Literature, and Publishing from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts and later worked as an editor at Candlewick Press and at Scholastic Press. She is the author of Snowbaby Could Not Sleep, illustrated by Jim Ishikawa; the Rocko and Spanky stories, illustrated by her sister, Jenna LaReau; Ugly Fish, Rabbit and Squirrel, OTTO: The Boy Who Loved Cars, and Mr. Prickles: A Quill-Fated Love Story, illustrated by Scott Magoon; and NO SLURPING, NO BURPING! A Tale of Table Manners, illustrated by Lorelay Bové.  Kara lives in Providence, Rhode Island with her husband and son and their two cats.

Day 6 with Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen

Day 6, just one more day to go. Hang in there everyone!

Sudipta has written lots of fun picture books. Chicks Run Wild is a big favorite of ours, perhaps because of our own silly chickens. Take it away, Sudipta!

To Be? No! Not TO BE!

As writers, revision is a part of our lives. A totally unwanted yet unavoidable part of our lives. Like ear wax or belly button lint.

Or maybe…maybe ear wax and belly button lint aren’t like revision. Maybe…revision is more like the removal process of ear wax or belly button lint.

(At this point, someone should award me a trophy for the use the phrase “belly button lint” repeatedly in a writing-related blog post. Thank you. Thank you very much.)

Maybe it is the words that we need to trim off that are like ear wax or belly button lint, and revision just leaves our manuscripts cleaner, fresher, and more sparkly. And less waxy.

Maybe revision shouldn’t be so unwanted.

There are many ways to revise manuscripts to get them submission-ready. It would be impossible to point out all the strategies in a single blog post (in fact, I’ll be teaching a whole class on picture book revision this year at Kidlit Writing School! www.kidlitwritingschool.com). So, instead, I wanted to share one important, universal, deceptively simple yet incredibly powerful way to revise your work to make the writing stronger:

NO MORE TO BE 

No, that’s not some Yoda-speak wisdom that you need to mull and decipher. Very simply, I want you to go through your manuscript and try to remove every form of the verb “to be.” So that means go look for the following words:

be, am, are, is, was, were, been 

When you find these words, think of them as ear wax or belly button lint and get rid of them. Because almost every time you use one of these forms of “to be,” you are telling, not showing.

When you write, “She was mad,” you’ve told me what your character is feeling. When you revise it to, “Her jaw clenched and lasers practically shot out of her eyes,” you show me her feelings without having to tell me.

“We were terrified” is a tell. “We trembled like leaves” or “Our hearts pounded so loud it sounded like a bass line” is a show.

“She’s been sad all day” is a tell. “She cried until there were no tears left” is a show.

Obviously, you will never get rid of every instance of “to be” in a manuscript (just like you will never get rid of every last bit of ear wax or belly button lint!). There are many, many times when be, am, are, is, was, were, and been are essential. But as a place to start in the revision and tightening process, looking for “to be” can help you quickly identify parts of your manuscript that could use a second look and a bit of a makeover.

Show, don’t tell is the mantra of our industry. Even experienced writers have moments when they struggle with this (I know I still do on a daily basis). But I’ll bet you’ll be amazed at how this simple trick – getting rid of “to be” – will take your writing from telling to showing.

Happy Revising! 

Thank you Sudipta! One lucky reviser will win a critique from Sudipta! Watch for the Rafflecopters so you can to win on the 18th! 

 

Sudipta is an award-winning author of over 40 books and the co-founder of both Kidlit Writing School (www.kidlitwritingschool.com) and Kidlit Summer School (www.nerdychickswrite.com). Her books include DUCK DUCK MOOSE, TYRANNOSAURUS WRECKS, ORANGUTANGLED, and over thirty more titles that have been acclaimed by the Junior Library Guild, the California Reader’s Collection, the Bank Street Books Reading Committe, the Amelia Bloomer list, and many more. Find out more about her by visiting SUDIPTA.COM or her blogs NERDYCHICKSRULE.COM and NERDYCHICKSWRITE.COM. 

Starting on January 26, Sudipta is teaching a course on Character Building in Picture Books at Kidlit Writing School. For more information, visit this link: http://www.kidlitwritingschool.com/picture-book-a-to-zs-character-building.html

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SudiptaBardhanQuallen

Twitter: @SudiptaBQ

ReviMo Day 5 with H. Joseph Hopkins

We love Joe's book, The Tree Lady! AND Joe has LIVED on a houseboat. How cool would that be??!! :D  And now, here's Joe!

When I write I describe the pictures—images—in my head into my MacBook computer. I look for words that will provoke the reader to create similar pictures—images—in his/her head.

That’s what I strive for:

Hence the saying,

That goes for all kinds of writing, essays, poems, shopping lists, and this post.

I came to writing for children late in life, after decades of writing professional reports and a bit of newspaper work. As a newbie I have only a few ideas to suggest.

For me writing is re-writing. Even shopping lists have crossed-out items.

SCENES:

Let scenes tell a story. I’m at my best when I describe a scene. In my head I often picture a cartoon, stick figure drawing, or diagram that illustrates what I want to write. All around my messy house you will find backs of envelopes and sticky notes with my little cartoons or diagrams.

After I have a picture on paper or in my head, I use words to describe that drawing or design.

While writing I repeatedly ask myself,
 

One big value of re-writing—or “revising”—is:  

 

 

Or, the scene in your head may change and you realize that what you really want to say is different than what you originally thought.

In this way you clarify your thoughts by writing. Some writers call this process, “Letting ideas percolate.”

Note: you may have to ask old uncle Jigs what “percolate” means. 

Or, others say,

 

I know of only one writer—

only one! —

who did not depend upon re-writing:

Robert Louis Stevenson

(1850-1894). Stevenson wrote

“Treasure Island,” 

“Kidnapped,”

“The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.”

and other action packed adventure

fantasies. Stevenson’s books were

popular in his day

and remain so today.

 

I am told that Stevenson would sit or

pace for long silent periods, deep in

thought, and then proclaim with the

mighty voice 

of a Pentecostal preacher,

complete sentences of fully developed

descriptive prose. A secretary copied

Stevenson’s literary utterances, and thus 

his works were written.

 

Everybody else—including all the

geniuses—depend upon re-writing.

So, re-writing is not an admission of guilt or a badge of shame. Re-writing is a proclamation that you are doing the work of writing.

The fun of re-writing is discovering the exact words to express the precise idea that is in your head.

Discovering the precise word brings joy.


PUSHING WORDS AROUND:

Your computer lets you push words around on the page. So easy!

Two processes occur while you push words around on a computer screen:

• First, you glory in the freedom of being liberated from crossing out, writing in a crimped hand above a sentence, or squeezing notes in the margin. 

• Second, when I push words around on the screen I develop a deeper, richer understanding of my major ideas and the minor ones. So I get a deeper understanding of what I wanted to say.                                                               Then I keep pushing words around until I get the combination that satisfies me. 

Thus, by re-writing and revising I get to a place in which I understand my topic more deeply and clearly than ever before.

And note: I get to that place of understand by writing.

It’s true what they say:

Have fun!

Joe Hopkins

Thank you Joe!! I wish I were like Robert Louis Stevenson, but since I'm not... good thing I get lots of great revision advice from great peeps! :D 

 

 

H. Joseph "Joe" Hopkins lived for many years on a houseboat on the Columbia River in Portland OR. Joe came to writing through a series of happy accidents after retiring from life as a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP). Joe's picture book, The Tree Lady, illustrated by Meg McElmurry, was published by Simon & Schuster in 2013 and has won numerous awards from librarians and groups interested in biography, sustainability, environmental science, and the lives of independent women. The Tree Lady is a picture book biography of Kate Sessions, an independently minded woman who spent her life bringing plant color to San Diego and Balboa Park in Southern California. Reactions by reviewers children and parents have been uniformly positive and passionate. Sales have been brisk and The Tree Lady has reprinted three times.  Contact Joe at Josephhopkins65@gmail.com

ReviMo Day 4 with Meg, the Megster, the Meganator...

Okay, today is going to be GRUELING. Get ready to WORK!

Just kidding! 

Today we are going to get in touch with our "broccoli" as Anne Lamott calls our intuition, that small voice inside you [Bird by Bird: Part Two: Broccoli]. "You need your broccoli in order to write well." You need your broccoli to KNOW what your character will do. Anne says we lose our intuition as kids. If not, I'd guess we lose it as adults, when we live by to-do list, with little time to daydream. 

To reconnect with your intuition, "stop the chattering of the rational mind." Then give your intuition some room to breathe. If you give it some space it "wafts up from the soul", but crowd it and it "becomes a fitful little flame." Too much "manic attention" and it will be blown out.

image from http://www.explodingdog.com

"So try to calm down, get quiet, breathe and listen." "Stop trying to control your mind so much," let it wander and wonder a bit.

To this end, I'd like you to take paper and a writing utensil, find a cozy quiet spot and relax for a half hour or longer . . . And then write. 

Happy broccoli hunting! 

ReviMo Day 3 Interview with Rebecca Janni

My 5 year old daughter REALLY wants a horse, so we can relate to (and love) all the Nellie Sue books! Welcome Rebecca!

 

Can you give us a little background about yourself?

Revision landed me my first book contract.

I know, I know. Every author could say that, right? No editor pulls a rough draft out of the slush pile. (At least I hope not!)

I'm talking about revision mojo here. When I brought that early manuscript to an SCBWI conference, it had been revised several times already. But when Jane Yolen spoke about revision, about the benefits of seeing again, I knew there was more work to do. In a critique session, she encouraged me to keep revising and saw enough potential in the story to suggest a home for it.

I kept revising and submitted the story as she suggested. When a call came from Steve Meltzer at Dutton Children's Books, I almost fainted. (That wouldn't have turned out well, since I was potty training my toddler at the time.)

He called to say that Dutton's editorial team liked the story a lot, BUT . . . would I mind revising it once more for their consideration?

Of course, I said yes, and just like Nellie Sue, I kept getting back in the saddle, and that revision of my revision of my revision became my first book, Every Cowgirl Needs a Horse.

And there was much rejoicing!




How do you determine if a story idea is worth pursuing/revising?

For me the question is rarely whether an idea is worth pursuing or revising, but rather how to find the space and time to do it. With five incredible kids in the house (my four children, plus an exchange student from China), sometimes I just have to hide.

  

What is your revision process?

I make a book dummy. (Note that there is no comma after book in the preceding sentence. I'm not calling anyone a dummy!) But I do make a book dummy, which is to say I lay out my story page by page, even though I'm not an illustrator – especially because I'm not an illustrator. The editors never see this stage of my writing, but it helps me to work through pacing and plot and story arc. I use book dummies at every stage of the revision process.

To revise well, to really see a manuscript again, I also have to put it aside for awhile. That's one reason it helps me to have multiple projects going. When I've been working on the same project for a period of time, I become too close to it and can't see the cuts and changes that will make the story stronger. So I trade it for another. When I've walked away for a while – a week, a month, or more – time creates a healthy distance, and I can read my own work more objectively.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If that doesn't work, thank God for my Writers' Bloc – Sharelle Byars Moranville, Jan Blazanin, and Eileen Boggess – three talented writers who help keep me honest and mostly sane.

Sometimes when I'm revising, I look at past editorial letters to help take a story to the next level. Usually, those notes tell me to

add conflict,
add humor,
add character,
and cut words.

It may feel impossible to add, add, add at the same time as trimming words, but this is a great exercise to make sure

Every. Word. Matters.

Because every word really does matter. In stories, and in life. It could be my mantra.

Every word matters.

Every word I say to my children matters. Every word I say to my husband matters. Every word I say to my friends matters. Every word I say to myself matters. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Any other thoughts for fellow writers?

Sometimes, you just need to listen to the voices in your head. One morning, I was in revision muck. I knew my story needed revising, but I couldn't figure out how to make it better. I might have pitched a fit if a school visit hadn't come to my rescue. While presenting Every Cowgirl Goes to School to a smart and receptive group of second graders, I had an AHA moment. One of the students pointed out that Nellie Sue's day doesn't change at all, but that her attitude changes. I couldn't believe it. In a round about way, my fictional character was reminding me to have an attitude adjustment! And really, that was all I needed.

That, and a little chocolate. Always chocolate.

Thank you for your insight Rebecca! 

Rebecca Janni learned early on that biking was the best way to get around the neighborhood and reading was the best way to get around the world. Rebecca Janni is the author of Jammy Dance, and the Every Cowgirl series. She has an MAT in English and enjoys teaching composition and creative writing. Today, she divides her time between volunteering, adjunct teaching, and writing -- all of which take a back seat to motherhood! She lives in Iowa with her husband, four children, and a dog. She loves to read and bike with her family, but not at the same time. Visit her website at rebeccajanni.com