Welcome, everyone! May your revisions be amazingly good and plentiful during ReviMo 2015. Join us in Facebook group, if you'd like. Hopefully we'll get some revision sprints/stampedes going in there...

And now on to our first guest for 2015 - Renee LaTulippe. Take it away, Renee!

Revision Tip: Enrich Your Text with Poetic Techniques
by Renée M. LaTulippe

As an editor and teacher, there is nothing that lights my creative fire more than analyzing a text at the nitty-gritty language level and discovering where I can punch that baby up.

If your text feels listless or is suffering from a general malaise, it probably needs a shot of poetry to get it on its feet again. Throughout my Lyrical Language Lab course, I share many examples of how poetic techniques are used in lyrical prose in picture books, MG, and YA fiction. 

 

 

 

 

What is lyrical prose?

Lyrical prose…

• is rich, layered, and descriptive, but not overwrought or sentimental 
• conveys images with fresh but natural language 
• is poetic, rhythmic, and musical 

The passage below is the opening of the marvelous Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech. As you read, be aware of

• the author’s craft 
• when and how the poetic techniques of imagery, simile, metaphor, and other figurative and sensory language are used and how they support the story 
• when and how poetic sound devices are used 
• the use of specific diction and how it supports the story 
• the rhythms, cadences, and pauses within the passage 

I also encourage you to read this excerpt out loud so you can better “live” the literature and hear the sounds and rhythms crafted by the author.

Click the image to enlarge and zoom for reading.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So what’s going on here? Lots of poetic technique! Let’s take a look:


• RED = Figurative language and imagery. Every simile, metaphor, and image is true to the MC’s voice. We know she is a country girl, and this is held up by the use of such phrases as “a caboodle of houses roosting” and “like a filly trailing behind a mare.
• FUCHSIA = Diction. The author’s choice of specific words and expressions also supports the setting and tone, and helps define the MC and other characters. On page 4, Gramps uses the phrase “a hill of beans,” a phrase that in regular writing would be avoided because it’s a cliché. But it’s perfect as dialogue for Gramps, because it’s authentic to what a real grandfather — or any of us, really — would say in everyday speech. 
• PURPLE = Repetition. Creech uses a lot of repetition and parallel structure (as in the list of reasons on page 5) to add emphasis and create a certain rhythm and musicality. This technique also gives us more insight into the character and what is important to her, and sets up the “style” of this character’s voice. From the first few pages, we know what to expect in terms of how this character expresses herself. Repetition also adds to the humor.
• GREEN = Sound devices. Creech uses some alliteration and assonance throughout, but here she goes for onomatopoeia to give voice to the wind and the darkness. She could have easily written this sentence plainly, without the use of poetic technique. Why might she have chosen to write it this way?
• BLUE = Hyperbole (exaggeration), which is a form of figurative language. Along with repetition, hyperbole can heighten the humor and give insight into how the MC feels. It is also an authentic choice for the MC, since children are given to exaggeration and drama.
• Although Creech uses many poetic techniques in her writing, it is not overdone, nor does it call attention to itself. She has found the perfect balance between lyrical language and story, and one does not detract from the other.
• It would be very easy to point out the beauty of every line in this passage, for there are many more riches to mine here than what I’ve listed. I again encourage you to read it out loud to hear the rhythm and feel the flow of the words. There is not one stumbling block or clumsy phrase, or at least none that I found. 

Your Revision Mission: Read your manuscript (or a portion of it) out loud. Look for places where you can use poetic techniques to punch up your text and make it more vibrant, concise, and musical. Consider all poetic techniques: imagery, figurative language, metaphor, sound devices, specific diction, and so on. I guarantee that adding a bit of poetry to your text will help you whip that sucker into shape and make it SING.

*****

Would you like some more sneak peeks into The Lyrical Language Lab lessons? Check out Renée’s contributor posts at Michelle Barnes’ blog, Today’s Little Ditty:

Sound Bites: Making Writing Musical

Mood, Effect, and Emotion: Sentence Transformation  

Thank you Renee!

One lucky winner will get to take Renee's Lyrical Language Lab Course for free, so be sure to revise all seven days if you'd like a shot at it! And check out the fabulous prizes here, if you haven't seen them already. Happy revising!

 

Renée M. LaTulippe has co-authored nine early readers and a volume of poetry titled Lizard Lou: a collection of rhymes old and new (Moonbeam Children’s Book Award) for All About Learning Press, where she is also the editor, and has poems in several editions of The Poetry Friday Anthology series as well as upcoming anthologies. She developed and teaches the online course The Lyrical Language Lab: Punching Up Prose with Poetry and blogs on children’s poetry at NoWaterRiver.com. Renée holds theater and English education degrees from Marymount Manhattan College and New York University, and taught English and theater in NYC before moving to Italy, where she lives with her husband and twin boys.
Facebook: NoWaterRiver
Twitter: @ReneeMLaTulippe

Copyright (c) 2015 Renée M. LaTulippe. This article is partially excerpted from lessons in the online course The Lyrical Language Lab: Punching Up Prose with Poetry. All rights reserved.

ReviMo Starts TOMORROW (Sunday!)!

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.