Posts Tagged revision

Revision Workbooks and Helpful Tools

By on October 10, 2016   /   Book Lists, For Teachers, For Writers, Writing  

Revisions are exciting…and a little scary, too. Years ago, I used to think I was revising, but it was more like tickling my manuscripts instead of ripping them to shreds and rebuilding them with the strongest possible foundation. I’ve been working hard on my revision tools and have come a long way—but the more I learn, the more I realize I still can grow.

breakout-novelMy local SCBWI (Society of Book Writer’s and Illustrators) recently invited me to take an online workshop using WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL WORKBOOK by Donald Maass. Wow! I fell in love with that workbook immediately. Every exercise I completed strengthened my middle grade novel in amazing ways. This is such a fantastic tool for writers—and for teachers to use with their students. You can figure out how to flesh out your characters more and highlight their heroic traits so readers can relate to even the nastiest characters. I also learned how to strengthen all my characters, plot, sub plots, theme, etc.

For years, I’ve cherished advice the incredibly talented author, Bruce Coville, shared at a conference—think of the worst thing that could happen to your character. It’s always been a huge help in raising the stakes. I’ve placed my characters in awful situations and thought I had mastered this task. Turns out, I did a good job (maybe even a really good job).  But I didn’t realize there was an invisible line I couldn’t cross. Exercises in Donald Maass’s workbook made that line visible and opened my eyes to even more ways to torture my poor characters. I love having a new tool that helps me dig deeper than ever and add amazing depth to my novels.

Here’s more info about WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL WORKBOOK by Donald Maass:

This powerful book presents the patented techniques and writing exercises from Maass’s popular writing workshops to offer novelists first-class instruction and practical guidance. You’ll learn to develop and strengthen aspects of your prose with sections on:

  • Building plot layers
  • Creating inner conflict
  • Strengthening voice and point of view
  • Discovering and heightening larger-than-life character qualities
  • Strengthening theme
  • And much more!

Maass also carefully dissects examples from real-life breakout novels so you’ll learn how to read and analyze fiction like a writer.

 

Another great revision workbook is NOVEL METAMORPHOSIS by Darcy Pattison:

  • novel-metamorphasisSystematically inventory and diagnose your manuscript
  • Visually manipulate your manuscript to identify problems
  • Transform dull characters into fascinating, memorable people
  • Strengthen the narrative and emotional arcs
  • Sharpen dialogue
  • Morph dull settings into backdrops that set the mood
  • Enliven narrated events by selecting the right details
  • Use language with confidence
  • Add depth with narrative patterning In-depth professional development
  • Plan your novel’s metamorphosis

The Results: A stronger, richer, deeper story, a story that makes readers weep and cry and turn the next page. NOVEL METAMORPHOSIS turns theory into radical new tools which are practical, tangible, concrete.

 

If you’re looking for intensive plotting help, check out the PLOT WHISPERER WORKBOOK by Martha Alderson:

plot-whisperer-workbookIn this writing workbook, celebrated writing teacher and author Martha Alderson covers everything from constructing spirited action and compelling characters to establishing an unforgettable ending. Packed with Scene Tracker and Plot Planner templates for you to fill in for your own unique story, she also walks you through the development of a successful narrative with exercises that:

  • Help build suspense, tension and excitement
  • Create multi-dimensional characters
  • Integrate theme and meaning
  • Incorporate effective subplots
  • Tie up all the loose ends
  • Keep the reader turning pages

 

Newest Plot Clock 2016The last incredible resource I’m including isn’t a book or workbook—it’s a free hour and a half recorded Plot Clock webinar by super-mentor Joyce Sweeney.

If you sign up for her mailing list, you’ll receive access to the webinar about her amazing four-act plot tool called the PLOT CLOCK that I use before (and often after) writing anything new. She also has lots of other incredible webinars and classes to help with revision and other aspects of writing.

 

Here’s a link to a past post of mine that is chock full of revision tips. I’d love to know what your favorite revision workbooks, tricks, or tools are.

Happy revising!

Mindy Alyse Weiss writes humorous middle grade novels with heart and quirky picture books. She’s constantly inspired by her two daughters, an adventurous Bullmasador adopted from The Humane Society, and an adorable Beagle/Pointer mix who was rescued from the Everglades. Visit Mindy’s Twitter, Facebook, or blog to read more about her writing life, conference experiences, and writing tips.

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Digging Into Revisions

By on September 18, 2015   /   For Teachers, For Writers, Writing  

When I was younger, school taught me to brainstorm an idea for a story, write it, then turn it in. I’d get feedback and a grade, but that was the end of it. I’m so grateful when I see my daughters not only write in school, but also practice revising. Very few things come out amazing in the first draft (and often the second, third, and fourth drafts, too). Every time you put writing away for a bit then look at it with fresh eyes, or receive feedback from trusted critique buddies or publishing professionals, there’s a chance to take your work up at least a level or two. But sometimes, it’s hard to know where to start.

Once yocongratulations_sm_nwmaau finish your first draft of a book, assignment, etc. I think the most important thing to do is CELEBRATE! So many people want to be writers and have all kinds of ideas swimming around their heads, but don’t find the time to actually sit and get them down on paper or into a computer. Congrats for finishing your draft!

Years ago, I used to leap into revisions in a very unproductive way—by trying to make the prose sing. That’s very important, but if the bones of your story aren’t strong enough, you can spend tons of time polishing up areas that will have to be cut. Concentrate on the big picture items first. Once you get them as strong as possible, that’s the perfect time to tweak your prose to perfection.

I’ve learned that I’m much stronger at voice and writing dialogue than plotting, so that’s where I usually start with a revision. I use Joyce Sweeney’s Plot Clock as much as possible while planning a new novel or picture book. Sometimes surprises pop up that take my plot in an unexpected direction. I love when my characters take over and start to lead the story! Sometimes, I’ll go back and rework the Plot Clock soon after I finish a draft, other times I jot notes on it and don’t completely redo it until I finish several rounds of revisions.

If you’d like, you can take a peek at some notes I shared a few years ago after taking Joyce’s Plot Clock Workshop, or you can sign up for Joyce’s newsletter then log in to her site to watch her free hour and a half Plot Clock webinar.

            Here are some other revision tips:

*Look at your characters and see if they’re all necessary and unique enough. Get to know them better through interviews. I love keeping a list of the traits, sayings, etc. of each character (and it tends to grow throughout the first draft and continues to expand and morph through rounds of revisions).

*Is every scene needed?

*Did you take the most obvious route? Play around with all the possibilities you can think of. What can really make your story and characters unique? What can surprise your readers (but looking back, they’ll hopefully have enough clues to realize how everything led up to that moment)?

*If you hit a section that you know needs to be stronger, but aren’t sure how to fix it, you can try setting a timer for ten minutes and brainstorming all the possibilities. You can also play with the time of day that you write. My inner critic gets tired late at night, and I’ve found that I take more chances with my writing then. It’s a great way to attack a scene I know I need to change, but am not exactly sure how.

*Now is a fantastic time to get feedback from trusted critique buddies. If possible, see if you can work on another project or character sketches, so you can view your story with fresh eyes when you receive their comments.

At the end, you can fine-tune your story. Make sure every word is needed and the strongest possible choice. Look for often repeated words. Read your story out loud and see where you stumble. Or have someone else read it out loud—it’s amazing how much clearer you can see your work when read by another person. If others hear it too, do they laugh at the right time or lose attention during scenes that can be streamlined?

Here are a couple of older Mixed-Up Files posts about revision that you might want to read:

Revision–the BIG picture

Revision: Churning Spilled Milk into Ice Cream

            I’d love to know what revision strategies work best for you!

Mindy Alyse Weiss writes humorous middle grade novels with heart and quirky picture books. She’s constantly inspired by her two daughters, an adventurous Bullmasador adopted from The Humane Society, and an adorable Beagle/Pointer mix who was rescued from the Everglades. Visit Mindy’s Twitter, Facebook, or blog to read more about her writing life, conference experiences, and writing tips.

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EXTRAORDINARY with Miriam Spitzer Franklin

By on August 13, 2015   /   Author Interviews, Giveaways  

Miriam Spitzer FranklinNearly ten years ago, when I was still fairly new at writing for children, I found the Blueboards, an online forum founded by Verla Kay.  I also met some critique partners there, and one of them, Miriam Spitzer Franklin, shared her middle-grade novel with me.  That’s when I first fell in love with her main character, Pansy.

Over the years, and through several evolving drafts, I kept hoping the world would have the opportunity to get to know Pansy, too.  Recently that hope became a reality.  EXTRAORDINARY is now available in bookstores, and I am excited to talk with Miriam today about this amazing book.

First, a quick summary of the story:

Ten-year-old Pansy Smith wants to become  extraordinary……and she has only 14.5 weeks to reach her goal.

Last spring, Pansy chickened out on going to sleepaway camp, even though she’d promised her best friend, Anna, she’d go. It was just like when they went to get their hair cut for Locks of Love; only one of them walked out with a new hairstyle, and it wasn’t Pansy. But Pansy never got the chance to make it up to Anna. While at camp, Anna contracted meningitis and a dangerously high fever, and she hasn’t been the same since. The last words spoken to each other were angry ones, and now all Pansy wants is her best friend back—not the silent girl in the wheelchair who has to go to a special school and who can’t do all the things Pansy used to chicken out of doing. So when Pansy discovers that Anna is getting a surgery that might cure her, she  knows she’s been given the chance she’s been waiting for- a chance to get Anna back, by finally facing her fears and becoming extraordinary, the kind of best friend Anna deserves.

Welcome, Miriam! I am so excited to see this book out in the world!  But as I mentioned earlier, you’ve been working on this story for a decade. Can you share the original spark of an idea that eventually became EXTRAORDINARY?

My original plan for the book was to write about an ordinary girl who woke up one day and decided she was tired of blending into the walls and it was time for her to become an extraordinary person. In my very first draft, which was in third person instead of first, Pansy Smith fixes her hair in six braids and ties them with purple ribbons, then chooses to wear two different shoes in order to get noticed. In EXTRAORDINARY, Pansy cuts off her hair because it was a broken promise to Anna and she wears the two different shoes by accident. Originally, Anna was a minor character, a friend who suffered a severe brain injury when she was five.

That is a great story idea, though quite a bit different than the story we can read today.  How did it evolve?

Although I queried agents (without much response) and ran the book through my critique partners, I knew something was missing. Then one very wise critique partner–Oh, that was you, Elissa!–told me I needed to be brave, start over, “and let Pansy rise from the ashes.” As much as I didn’t want to take her advice, I knew she was right. So I put the book  aside for a while to work on other projects. And somehow, after the book sat in a drawer for a couple of years, the answer came to me in those crazy ways that solutions to writing problems do: it popped into my head out of nowhere. Pansy’s motivation to become extraordinary needed to come from more than just wanting to be noticed. Pansy’s and Anna’s stories needed to be linked, and Anna needed to be the motivation for Pansy’s transformation. I also realized that I’d been avoiding the tough emotional places that needed to be explored, and that by dating the brain injury I distanced Pansy (and myself) from the raw feelings that come with a situation like this one.

I am so glad you didn’t leave it in that drawer forever! (I’m also slightly surprised someone actually listened to me, and that it turned out to be the right decision.)

Speaking of those tough emotional places…it’s both heartbreaking and, well, extraordinary to see how Pansy deals with Anna now that she isn’t the friend she used to be.  How did you find the right balance between Pansy’s often humorous antics and those bittersweet moments when she interacts with Anna?

I don’t like to read dreary and depressing books, and I’m sure most kids don’t want to either. I knew this needed to be a hopeful, positive story and I knew that would have to come from Pansy herself. While most of the book is a countdown to the brain surgery that Pansy is sure will cure Anna, Pansy spends most of her time chasing goals on her quest to become extraordinary. And because none of these goals come easy for her, there’s plenty of opportunities for humor as Pansy learns to skate, tries to win a reading contest, joins Girl Scouts, and though not in her list of goals–makes new friends. I wanted to show that while Pansy misses her friend with all her heart, life moves on in its crazy and unpredictable way, and that even in the saddest of times there’s still laughter and joy.

We’ve already mentioned that you worked on this novel extensively. How do you revise your novels?

Revisions are actually my favorite part of the process; I guess because my first attempts are just getting the manuscript written and through revision I hope to get to the heart of my story. Once I’ve figured out what needs to happen, the writing flows much easier than it does in the first drafts. I don’t really have a formula for how I tackle revision. I just go scene by scene, cutting what doesn’t fit any more and elaborating on scenes that are important. Even if it’s a complete rewrite, I go back to my original version which has a structure even if I’m changing it altogether. Though most everything was changed from the first draft, there were still some scenes or parts of scenes that I kept.

I love that, as the author, you never ever gave up on this book, even after several (dozen) rejections. Your determination matches your main character, Pansy, in fact. What advice do you have for others who are pursuing their dreams, especially when things get tough?

I love this question! All my life I’ve persevered when things don’t come easily to me, a lot like Pansy. I started figure skating when I was a teenager, watching others around me land jumps in weeks that took me years to learn. I even failed a compulsory figures test NINE times. This was back in the day when they made you draw figure eights on the ice and judges would come out and walk around on the ice to check the accuracy of your turns and alignment. I know others who failed a test once or twice, but NINE times?

I guess that’s the same determination that would keep me writing manuscripts for  *AHEM* years without getting any interest from an agent. EXTRAORDINARY  was probably my sixth or seventh completed novel, but since all the others had been revised millions of times before they went back in the drawer, and during the time I was teaching full-time I only worked on my writing during the summer….well, you can do the math and figure out how long this journey to publication has taken. One thing that’s kept me going over the years is the same as with most of us out there–we just can’t quit. When we’re not writing, we’re thinking up new characters and stories and we would go a bit crazy if we couldn’t get the stories out. Also, like with my skating, I got encouragement from those around me. My coach always said I was ready to take the test and land the jumps, but I just needed to have confidence, keep working hard, and not let nerves get in my way. My critique partners have been there to basically tell me the same thing. As long as I could see progress- a complimentary rejection, an encouraging critique at a conference, CPs who pointed out the good along with the work that needed to be done–then I was able to keep going. The crazy thing about this manuscript is that I basically landed an agent on the FIRST query. After umpteen years of querying, when an agent contacted me on the Verla Kay boards requesting the manuscript from my query post, I fell right off my chair. And then when she requested the full a week after reading the chapters, and set up a phone call a week after that…well, the whole thing was mind-boggling. I had to do an R&R before signing, but I knew that this book was different from the others I’d queried.

I am so glad that agent, and now your publisher, saw the gem I had seen so many years ago! But now that Pansy’s story is told, do you have another main character we can fall in love with?  Tell us about your next novel.

The working title of my next middle grade is SUNNY BERINGER’S TOTALLY AWESOME PLAN FOR ROMANCE.

Afraid of losing the only father she’s ever known, eleven-year-old Sunny tries to spark romance between her mom and her longtime boyfriend after Mom enrolls in college and moves the family miles away from home. But when Sunny discovers her “parents’ have been keeping secrets from her, she is determined to do whatever it takes to get back home, even if she has to lie, sneak around, and hurt the people who care about her. In the end, Sunny learns that families come in all shapes and sizes and that taking the easy way out in facing your problems only means that you’ll have to face the consequences.

It sounds fascinating!  Thank you, Miriam, for sharing so much with us today!  And best wishes to you and Pansy.

Readers, now it’s your chance to get a copy of this amazing book!  Leave a comment below to be entered to win one copy of EXTRAORDINARY.  Only US residents are eligible (sorry, international folks). The winner will be chosen Tuesday, August 18, 2015.

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Elissa Cruz isn’t nearly as extraordinary as Pansy, the main character in EXTRAORDINARY.  But she is the mother of five children and that is pretty awesome.  She writes fiction for kids and teens.  You can find out more about her at www.elissacruz.com.

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