Hi Everyone! So excited to revise with all of you!!!! I wanted to share a thought for the week, some rules, and a gift. AND... then the waiting continues. *twiddles thumbs* Yeah right, no time for that, I've got work to do!!!

The thought of revising 7 days straight might be a bit daunting. But don't let the pressure lock your creativity up. I'd like you all to take this week to get crazy and have some fun with your revisions. Anne Lamott says, “So go ahead and make big scrawls and mistakes. Use up lots of paper. Perfectionism is a mean, frozen form of idealism, while messes are the artist’s true friend.” Oh yeah!!! Let's get silly and messy and get that winning book down on paper!

And speaking of silly let's talk about rules... [Boo hissssss!] Ahhh, come on now! There have to be *some rules* because there are some (lots!!!) of fabulous prizes to be had!

ReviMo Rules for Prize Eligibility:

1. Register by commenting on this page (once only please!). Registration closes 10 pm CST 1/11/15.
2. Keep track of how many days you REVISE a picture book manuscript (you are on the honor system) January 11-17th. Those of you who revise 4+ days will be eligible to win fabulous prizes!! There will be a blog post with two Rafflecopters on 18th (one for 4+ days revised and one for 7 days revised), you can enter to win. There will be daily posts to motivate and inspire you, you can subscribe to my blog to receive the posts by email!

3. What counts as REVISING? Making significant and thoughtful changes to a Picture Book Manuscript. If you go through and change a few words that doesn't count! I want you to stand your manuscripts on their heads, twirl it around and get that outstanding story out! For more on this check out this blog post by Laura Ruby, she talks about what people think revising is and what it actually is.
4. Comment on the daily posts, say hi to our guests and let us know how your revisions are going!

And now, a gift! For some of you. Some of you may already have this (sorry! new prize for you next year, for sure! Hopefully...), but for those of you who don't, voilà a Revision Inspiration Sheet...

 

 

Okay, that's all for now. Hope you've got your manuscripts, critiques, writing craft books and are ready to ReviMo with me! 

Almost time for ReviMo 2015! What You'll Need with Linda Ashman

What You'll Need for Your Revision Journey

(reposted from 2014)

by Linda Ashman

Happy New Year! First of all, kudos to Meg for using ReviMo to focus attention on revision, often regarded as the ugly stepsister of writing. Lots of people ask me, “Where do you get your ideas?”—but rarely does someone say, “Tell me about your revision process.”

That’s not surprising. After all, ideas are glamorous (Inspired! Brilliant! Clever!). Revising, on the other hand, is painstaking, repetitive, and—yes—sometimes tedious. And yet, as one of my former bosses liked to say, ideas are a dime a dozen. Sure, they’re essential. But turning ideas into something tangible and usable, well, that’s where the treasure is.

And where the real work begins. It’s not easy to transform a scrap of an idea—no matter how brilliant—into a compelling and marketable manuscript, so it’s good to be prepared.

I’m a big fan of lists (they make me feel more organized than I am). So, as you tackle your revisions this week—and beyond, I hope—here’s my list of things you’ll need for the journey:

1. Stamina. Ideas often arrive in a momentary flash of inspiration. Revisions, on the other hand, require hours, weeks, months—sometimes years. Be patient with the process—and yourself.

2. A playful spirit. Carl Jung said, “The creative mind plays with the objects it loves.” Presumably, you’re a writer because you love stories, language and words. So play with them! Experiment with voice, rhythm, structure, point of view. What brings your story alive?

3. Openness. Sometimes the story you begin with isn’t the one that wants to be told. If your idea starts taking you in a new direction, follow it. You can always go back if it turns out to be a dead end (and don’t be afraid of dead ends—sometimes they point us in the right direction).

4. An objective eye. If, like me, you find that the revision process sometimes brings on a severe case of brain fog, it helps to step back. Go for a walk, clear your head, and ask: What is this story really about? What am I trying to say? How can I say it more simply, clearly, and concisely?

5. A sharp knife. (A metaphorical one, of course.) If you’re writing picture books, in particular, be merciless with those long, rambling descriptions, and anything that isn’t visual and doesn’t move your story forward.

6. Small rewards. Writing is hard work, so it helps to have some carrots to keep you motivated. My own carrots? Cookies. Yep, a couple of cookies, or maybe a scone or muffin—along with a good cup of joe—keep me going through the afternoon lull. Walking, gardening, and trips to the library help too.

7. Commitment. There’s always a point in my revision process where my manuscript looks so messy, convoluted, and ugly that I’m ready to abandon it and move on to something “easier.” After many years of writing, I’ve come to accept that it always gets worse before it gets better. And I know it won’t get better unless I keep slogging through the morass. If I’m not willing to do that, I’ll never finish anything.

8. A touch of perfectionism. Save this one for the end of the process, after you’ve gotten all your ideas on paper, experimented, trimmed, and essentially completed your story. Now is the time to be a little bit obsessive—to clarify that slightly confusing passage, find exactly the right word, trim anything extraneous, fix typos, make sure your meter is flawless (if you write in verse), and polish, polish, polish.

9. Faith. I’m not talking higher powers here, although if you’ve got those connections, by all means, use them. I’m talking about faith in yourself. It’s tough when you’re struggling with a story. What’s the point? Who wants to read this? No one’s going to buy it. Chances are, no one’s pushing you to write this manuscript—or any manuscript, for that matter—so the motivation’s got to come from within. No one can guarantee that you’ll sell your story—but you can guarantee that you’ll do your best work and finish it.

Above all, as you pull out those scraps of ideas and half-finished manuscripts this week and beyond, remember why you’re a writer. Because you love words, perhaps. Or love stories, or art, or books, or writing as a form of self-expression. When you’re struggling through your manuscript for the fiftieth time, it’s good to remember the “love” part. Yes, revision can be a slog. But, for me, it’s a joyful slog. Enjoy the process.

Thanks for inviting me, Meg. And happy revising to all!

Thank you Linda!If you haven't read Linda Ashman's The Nuts & Bolts Guide to Picture Book Writing, I highly recommend it!

Linda Ashman is the author of more than 30 picture books including, most recently, Little Baby Buttercup, illustrated by You Byun (January 2015). Her books have been named to the “Best of the Year” lists of The New York Times, Parenting, Cookie, and Child magazines, the New York Public Library, and others. She's also the author of The Nuts and Bolts Guide to Writing Picture Books, a "how-to" ebook for writers, and regularly contributes to www.picturebookbuilders.com, a blog about writing and illustrating picture books. For more information, visit lindaashman.com.

ReviMo 2015 Is Just Around the Corner!

ReviMo 2015 - January 11-17th

Come and revise picture book manuscripts with us!

I'm so pleased to announce the ReviMo Guest Bloggers for 2015:

*Renee LaTulippe
*Rebecca Janni
*Kara Lareau
**Wednesday Pause with Meg**
*H. Joseph Hopkins
*Joe Berger

*Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen

Wanna connect with ReviMo Revisers? Join the ReviMo Group on Facebook!

Looking forward to revising with you all!

Petite ReviMo November with Kidlit 411

It’s time for PETITE REVIMO! So that means that it’s time to break out those manuscript drafts that you’ve written and look for that diamond in the rough! We all know that revising can be a daunting task, but if you revise using the proper tools, it can be less so.

The team at KidLit411 has some tools to make your revision task a little easier.

First, check out our page on Revisions, which gives great links to self-editing and revision articles and checklists.

Do you have a manuscript that needs non fiction research? KidLit411 has a section that has everything that you may need regarding your nonfiction revisions, with one simple click. Try here.

Are you revising a picture book manuscript? We’re sure you have plenty of ideas from Tara Lazar’s PiBoIdMo! Any resource you may need from picture book word count to help with formatting your manuscript before submission can be found here.

But what if you’re revising that novel you started during NanoWriMo? We’ve got lots of resources that you can use for your Middle Grade novel right here. (Don’t forget to check out our YA and NA pages, too!)

Make sure you find critique partners to look over your work and give additional revision notes. We have a page on Critique Groups and a Facebook page where you can connect with other writers looking to swap manuscripts, our Kidlit 411 Manuscript Swap.

The bottom line is- don’t revise alone! Let’s gather in the ReviMo Facebook group for revision support and guidance and also head on over to KidLit411 for resource help!

Happy Revising!

The KidLit411 Team

Thank you so much Elaine! 

More about the Kidlit411 Team: 

KIDLIT411 founder, ELAINE KIELY KEARNS is currently chasing the dream as a published author. Armed with a master's degree in Education and working from her home office, she spends her time perusing the internet for golden nuggets of information about children's writing and creating her own picture book and middle grade stories.

SYLVIA LIU is the other half of KIDLIT411, keeping the site running, adding links, and overseeing the illustrations and ILLUSTRATOR SPOTLIGHT. She is a writer and illustrator. She is the winner of the 2013 LEE AND LOW NEW VOICES AWARD and her winning manuscript, A MORNING WITH GONG GONG, will be published as a picture book. 

Petite ReviMo October - Revising through Research

by Carrie Charley Brown

Revision. When it boils down to it, we all have slightly different approaches to revising our crappy drafts. Sure, there are common threads…all the components that go into good writing. There are tons of awesome checklists and resources for revision that certainly make our task a bit easier. (Here’s a new favorite of mine developed by Elizabeth and Gregory Cowan.) But, none of that matters if we don’t have a stand-out concept with emotional resonance. I’m sure you’re wondering: How can I revise that?

LET RESEARCH LEAD YOU

Your research can lead you down many different avenues. I’d like to cover three of them today.

Picture Books with Similar Concepts or Themes

Identify what is at the heart of your book, and look for similar themes and concepts at the library. What are you writing about? Perhaps your story has the theme of overcoming fears. What kind are they? Are they specific to starting school, meeting new people, or interacting with dogs? While looking up subject titles on Goodreads and Amazon is a great start, you will want to delve into them more. Bring them home and get to know them. Analyze plot, concept, theme, structure, character, and voice. What works for these books? What doesn’t? How is your manuscript different? What makes the books stand out? How can you make yours differ even more? How can you mix it all up and create something that has not been done yet?

Picture Books with 5 Star Concepts

These are books that may not have the same theme as your manuscript. They are simply books that you immediately think: “This idea is so unique!” or “There is nothing else like this out there!”

Analyze the concept in depth:
What about it do kids relate to? What makes it different than anything else out there? Does it remind you of another story? If so, how did the author create something unique? How does the author use voice to enhance the concept? Does the main character drive this story in a unique way? How did you personally relate to this main character? Apply what you learn to your own manuscript.

Picture Books that Speak from the Same Point of View (POV)

When analyzing this category, it is important that you first know the point of view basics. Ann Whitford Paul covers this well in, WRITING PICTURE BOOKS: A HANDS ON GUIDE FROM STORY CREATION TO PUBLICATION. If you have not read this book yet, it is a must. Even if you have, Chapters 3-5 would be an important revisit during your revision experiments.

From which POV did you write your story? Third Person Narrative Voice, First Person, Second Person? Furthermore, which voice and tense did you use?

Now look at some of your favorite picture books. Even better, look at your current favorites. What works in today’s market is very different than what worked 10 years ago (and in many cases, even 3 years ago.) Which POV, voice, and tense do your favorites use? How can you use the “mentor text”, as Marcie Flinchum Atkins calls it, to help you with your current work in progress?

After analyzing your point of view, you may discover that you need to try writing it from a new POV. Don’t let that drag you down! Revision is the ONLY thing that will lead you to your final draft. Happy revising!

Thank you so much Carrie! Love your take on this. :)

 

Carrie Charley Brown juggles ideas every day as a children’s writer, teacher, blogger, and mom. She believes success is possible with the next best idea. She is constantly researching by reading TONS of picture books, and currently serves as a CYBILS Fiction Picture Book Panelist. You can learn more about Carrie, and many other amazing authors, on her website: Carrie On…Together!, or follow her on Twitter and You Tube.