It’s been two and a half months since I read Holly Lisle’s
article on One-Draft Editing.
I’ll cut right to the chase and tell you that . . . nope, I
didn’t make it in one session, although I did learn some lovely new editing
tricks. Those tricks helped shorten my previously protracted process, for which
I am very grateful.
It took me three tries this time, and I didn’t do everything
myself. After years of writing and interacting with others, here are the people
I’ve found invaluable in the editing process:
Work-shopping:
In June, at WIFYR (the Writing and Illustrating for Young
Readers Conference – which I highly recommend), I was able to receive feedback
from my fellow work-shoppers as well as my talented instructor. They were kind
but honest. They came from many walks of life and gave varied advice (from
which I could pick and choose – you don’t want to take it all) that enriched
and deepened my story.
People who know the
story:
When I ran into critical plot issues, it helped to bounce
ideas off others who understand my characters and storyline. A thousand thank
you’s go out to my amazing critique group!
One member of my group read the last forty pages, and then
the first forty pages in one day—in that order. (I know, she’s brilliant, and
she deserves a medal!) She came back with great advice on how to make my main
character’s arc stronger, make my ties between the beginning and end stronger,
as well as feed in more foreshadowing.
Beta Readers:
Two new friends from WIFYR agreed to read my story. It’s a
huge help to get a fresh perspective from someone who doesn’t know your
story. They caught completely different things from those in my critique group,
like lame lines, confusing parts (after I’ve removed sections and didn’t clean
up all the ties), and questions about character motivation.
Age-appropriate
readers:
This book is a mid-grade. One of my friends had her young daughter
read it, and mark the parts that worked, the words or parts that confused her,
and give general feedback. It was like striking gold!
I guess, at least for me, it takes a village. And it took
years to find that village, but it was worth the search. There’s just no way
to produce a book of quality without help.
I know some people have a hard time finding or joining a
critique group. What holds you back? What spurs you on? How did you find your
village?
I'll be a member of your village any day. :)
ReplyDeleteExcellent post.
Ha ha, thanks, Leisha! Here are the keys to the village and a plaque naming you honorary mayor!
ReplyDeleteMayor? Now that's a scary thought. Hee hee hee.
DeleteI met my first critique group by entering the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest. We were the only six writers active on the message boards who had submitted something YA. That group went on strong for two years, until one member snagged a six-figure deal on a sci-fi trilogy. Yeah, that kind of blew everything apart.
ReplyDeleteAfter that I started a critique group of WIFYR attendees. We're still together, sort of... though no one has commented on that chapter I sent out three weeks ago...
BUT I have lots of friends out there who, though not organized into a formal group, know they can send me things and I'll give them a good critique. And I know who I can send things to when I need an educated opinion. I'm also always looking for friends and neighbors willing to test-read a manuscript. I don't ask them for a critique necessarily. I watch for reactions. How long did it take the reader to get through it? And when they were done, did they want to loan it to a friend?
Rebecca, your village sounds wonderful! Being able to work with critique partners and writing friends online has been a wonderful writer's tool for me, too.
DeleteGreat post! I used to have a village, but they all faded into their own circles. I am abandoned but I need to find a new village that is willing to stay with me. It's been a tough road, to be honest.
ReplyDeleteWhat holds me back? One of the biggest things is that I have more than one book that needs beta reading. Over the course of 20+ years, I've written about 10 books. I'm so behind on getting them polished I feel overwhelmed and lost. Any suggestions?
*hugs*
♥.•*¨Elizabeth¨*•.♥
PS--Rebecca makes for a great beta-reader; she doesn't hold back. :P
Elizabeth, you bring up an excellent issue. Over the years, I’ve seen the same thing happen in my critique group – which has been ongoing since 1999. The sad truth is members come and go. I don’t have a single person in my group now that was in the original group. I’ve also been in several groups that fell apart and disbanded. Life changes and people’s priorities and interests change. You have to really love writing for the right reasons to be able to stick with it and be committed. And there are times when it’s a hard and lonely road. I lucked upon the stalwart writers in my current group by not giving up, and continuing to circle the writing lanes. We all have similar writing goals, compatible personalities, and are willing to give a certain time commitment to each other, to help each others writing along. (This is HUGE. It is a big commitment for everyone.) One member lives in another state and participates completely online. We met her at a WIFYR conference. Sorry, it’s a long answer, but the most important thing is to just stick with it, and keep up the hunting. You’ll not only find or make a great group - usually one by one - but you'll find those whose personalities and schedules are compatible with yours.
DeleteJust a side-note: I attended an excellent meeting where author Dan Wells spoke. He suggested that we be open to the possibility of letting our previous stories rest in peace. He said to count them as your hard-earned education, which have brought you to this point.
At that time, I had been reworking an older story for years. It was actually liberating to set it in a drawer and move on to my newer, shinier ideas. And if I really, truly want to resurrect my old story, I can at any time. (But I’ve been much happier moving forward.)
I agree, Jonene. Revising old stuff is what you do when you haven't got some shiny, new idea to chase down.
Delete