Slice & Dice

I wanted to thank Judy for her comment about "slicing" unnecessary words from our writing. I read an article just this morning with an intersting exercise:

• Delete one sentence from every paragraph
• Cut at least one page length from every chapter

Newspaper writing is another way to develop conciseness. I like the freedom of blogs, but that freedom can lead to sloppy, fluffy writing.

Get out your scissors, paring knife, machete–whatever it takes–and slice anything you don’t need! (Oh, you can use the "delete key" if you want.)

Where Do I Start?

Just when you thought your novel was done, it’s time to revise! That’s where I am right now.

Most experienced novelists recommend setting your project aside for a while–at least several weeks–before beginning the revision process.

You can find lots of articles and books on revising fiction. I read several before beginning my project. The first thing I did was read the entire novel. It took me two sittings to finish it and I made little notes in the margins of things that I felt needed clarified.

The next thing I did was go through and make a scene list. This is helpful to know how revisions will affect the story as a whole. I also jotted down characters as they came on stage. This will help me as I go through to make sure I didn’t introduce a character and never mention him again.

What I’m in the midst of now is a scene by scene check. I had over 90 separate scenes when I started. I’ve already cut a couple and combined a few because the beginning of my book skipped around quite a bit. There are several things to look for during the scene check, and I’ll be sharing what I’ve been looking for during the process.

Your questions, comments & suggestions about revising fiction are welcome!

Happy editing!

Long Time, No Blog

No, I didn’t fall off the planet. I’ve just focused my attention to several projects and my poor blog and newsletter suffered in the process.

What’s so important that I haven’t blogged in weeks? I’m preparing a manuscript for an upcoming writers’ conference. And what’s so exciting that I set my project aside to resume my blog? I’m preparing my manuscript for an upcoming writers’ conference!

Right now I’m in the throes of revision–editing a novel I wrote years ago. The manuscript has basically sat untouched since then, save a few trips to visit critique groups. I’ve been told everything from "your novel is plot-flawed" to "your dialogue is worse than George Lucas’s." (I’m having trouble with that one, seeing that Lucas is an awesome storyteller and a mult-millionaire. Although I did find three specific instances in my manuscript where a character shouts "NOOOOO!!!!" I’ve taken care of those spots and have become somewhat of a dialogue doctor.)

Why is my novel so bad? Because I wrote it before I had a clue how to write a novel. BUT…the good part is I’ve been told the story and characters are great. Therefore, it’s worth saving. I’ve just put it off because it’s such a daunting task. Now that I’ve learned much more about the craft of fiction, it’s easier to start a new project (which I’ve done) than to slog through a major revision of this one.

However, the characters in this project have begun to nag me. Let us out! We have a story to tell! And they do. So, I’m plugging away, page by page, scene by scene.

During the coming days, I’ll be sharing how the revision process is going and providing tips on revising fiction that I’ve learned. I’d love to hear your thoughts & experience on revision, too.

Oh, you want to know which conference I’m preparing for? Only the BEST fiction conference there is: The American Christian Fiction Writers Conference. In the next few weeks I’ll also share how this group has helped me and why conferences and support groups are so vital for novelists.

For now, I’d better get back to the operating room! My patient is waiting.