Revising for Consistency

I’m one of those writers who has to get back into the story by revisiting parts of the book I’ve already written. When I do that, of course I make changes. So I’ve been through the First Half many more times than the Second Half. Somewhere in the middle of my novel there’s a fuzzy, transition zone and then suddenly I’m in the Second Half of the book, which in places seems to bear only a passing resemblance to the First Half. So now my challenge is to strengthen Second Half so that I end up with a seamless novel. At the moment, I'm tackling two different areas:

Story world. In First Half, where I’m still working on setting up the story world, I'm extra careful to include the right details. By the time I get to Second Half, suddenly my main character who's been raised in the wilderness since infancy knows how to read a clock. I don’t think so. To help with keeping the world consistent, I'm drawing sketches of buildings and maps, making lists of technology, foods, power sources, etc.

Voice. In First Half, I've worked hard to eliminate words like "but", "walked" and "looked" and to write from my character's perspective, making those interesting internal observations that she'd make. A Wordle on First Half shows me I’ve used the word “was” 18 times. In Second Half, I’ve used “was” 284 times!

Um...I think a little more work is needed.

-- Andrea

On being brave

I have a confession. Many year ago, I read Jane Yolen’s blog as she dealt with her husband’s illness and death. These days I faithfully follow a blog written by a stroke victim who is now confined to a wheelchair as well as the blog of a sixteen-year old girl in England who created a Bucket List when she realized cancer was going to win.

I’m not especially morbid. I think what I love and admire about these blogs is that they are written by people unafraid to tell the truth. Isn’t that what writers are supposed to do? Be real even when it’s ugly or we’re embarrassed, fumbling or scared out of our minds.

I’m a pretty open person. Ask anyone who’s met me - I’m free with the details of my life. But there are times when I hold back, when I am terrified to really put myself out there. Some things just hurt too much, you know?

But we all hurt. And I think that if we, as artists, can take pain and build a place for it with our words (or watercolors or musical notes or dance shoes) then we can help ourselves as well as others. Journeys are easier with a lighter load.

So here’s me, trying to be brave.

Crocus

I missed your birthday

my little one.

I turned the corner of the week

and found myself down a different

footpath.

It took my breath away

because

I was the one who was supposed

to hold

to know

to remember.

I’m the only one left who

carries you,

the only one who ever carried you.

It was my job

and I forgot.

I missed your birthday

the other day,

my little one.

And I have to wonder,

does the crocus still bloom

even if no one

looks for it?

Signing my First Contract

My birthday was on Tuesday, and I received a special and unusual present in the mail: a contract from Highlights Magazine to purchase one of my short stories.

I have to say, I thought that when my first contract showed up for my fiction work--and from competitive Highlights, no less--I'd feel this tremendous validation. And hey, when I opened the letter, I definitely fist pumped the air. Yes!

I'm ashamed to admit how soon it took me to go from elation to "I can't believe I haven't finished the next scene in my novel, I have so much revision work to do, I wish I was a better, faster writer!!"

So here is a message to my internal editor: Look, you stupid internal editor, Highlights wants my fiction story. Say "congratulations," internal editor. I know it's killing you, but say it anyway.

I think many of us feel this way. If I get an agent, if I get a contract, I'll be a "real writer." Then the goal we work so hard to achieve happens, and we're like, huh, I have a lot work to do. In a way, it's a good thing that the work itself is our true validation. If we waited for encouragement from the publishing world to keep us going, we'd never get books written. The thing is, the story was just as good before I received the contract. I was simply fortunate that an editor liked it.

Thank you very much, Highlights, for liking my story. And thank you for teaching me a small lesson about motivation.

-- Kate

Comic: Disappointment For Billy

While going through my comic archives to tag and catalog in prep for my Inkygirl/Will Write For Chocolate comic compilation, I came across this very old comic. I still feel sorry for Billy...

The Roller Coaster

The click, click, click of the wheels cutting across the tracks.

Higher and higher until hanging at the crest of the peak.

To fall.

Flying, stomach dropping, lungs screaming.

And then-

Back into dark tunnels, sharp corners, unexpected turns.

Until the end is reached. The ride has finished. Leaving me breathless and wanting more.

I don't know about you, but this has been my journey as a writer. Sometimes the tunnels feel too dark and I don't know if I can keep writing. But that's why I have my writing friends. To encourage me and keep me from giving up.

Then there are other times I'm standing on the peak and I don't want that feeling to ever end. But it's during those times that my writing partners are there for me, cheering me on.

How about you? Have you ridden any roller coasters lately?

~Christina

"Trust your hopes, not your fears."

Something interesting happened to me this week. I was telling my seventeen-year-old about my latest book and right in the middle of a sentence, I realized something very important. And scary as hell.

I’ve been writing the wrong book.

I’ve spent the last six months focusing on this project. I’ve obsessed about the opening sentence and first chapter. (In fact, I’ve written about four different versions of that first chapter.) But I’ve finally found some good, solid ground and spent weeks on a detailed outline and character analysis. I’ve got some clever stuff and forward momentum. And a decent amount of pages. But the fact remains, it’s the wrong book.

So. I’m trusting my hopes (and taking a break from my fears) and scrapping the last six months of work. I’m keeping the heart of my book but going a new direction. I'm a little disappointed I've been going in circles and I don't feel particularly brave. I know starting over won’t be easy but it needs to be done. And (*looks around*) I'm the only one here.

It’s kind of funny. The question my main character must answer is this: Would you stand up for what you thought was right - even if you knew it could go all wrong?

She does.

And so I am.

Wish us luck.

Comic: Apostrophe Abuse