Journal
Journal
02/02/23 Rewriting Revision
As I wrap up the final edits on my novel manuscript, revising sometimes feels like a chore. I am checking off items on my revision plan, but I’m not enjoying the process like I did when I was drafti...
11/28/22 Rewriting Revision
In our recent Book Revision Lab meeting, we spoke about querying agents. We wondered: When is the right time? Do I start with my top choice? How do I know when I’m really done? And the question that...
10/18/22 Rewriting Revision
Some people have an internal drive that seems to fuel them toward their goals at incredible speed. I am not one of those people. My motivation for revising my current manuscript has come in waves and ...
09/27/22 Rewriting Revision
Getting feedback from fresh readers (that is, readers who are new to my novel) has been instrumental in my revision process. Initially, I worried I wasn’t good enough to share my work with other...
08/01/22 Rewriting Revision
Until recently, I’ve revised my novel the old-fashioned way—moving sections around and rewriting my prose. But in my latest revision, I felt stuck. Then, I read Matt Bell's "Refuse to be Done" and...
07/11/22 Rewriting Revision
When my writing group began drafting our novels-in-progress, we explored using the Save the Cat! beats as a writing guide. I experimented with the beats but felt hemmed in by the idea of fitting my...
06/13/22 Rewriting Revision
Earlier this year, I took an unplanned but as it turned out necessary break from writing. I was in a productive routine, but then, an earth-shattering loss had me feeling that writing was pointless. M...
05/13/22 Rewriting Revision
I wrote the first draft of my manuscript in about nine months, at the beginning of the pandemic. If I can block out the traumatic memories of getting furloughed while pregnant and worries about bringi...