NANO....NOW WHAT?

HELP! What do I do with this unruly blob of words?

 😫

1)   First, CONGRATULATE yourself for attempting to write a novel.

     Many attempt, few finish. (BUT YOU WILL).

2)  IF you haven't done so already, finish the book before revising.

      Write daily or you’ll lose the "vibe" of your characters and their situation, much the same way when you don't keep in contact with friends. It takes awhile to reunite yourselves, but by writing every day, you can delve right back in. 

3)   Copy and paste the entire work onto another new document. First one should say TITLE/ NANO and then the second TITLE /REVISION 1/DEC 2016. Add add page numbers, double-space the document, and make the whole thing Times New Roman font size 12.

4)   Make a folder for this novel. That way any new revisions or anything else you might not be sure if you should save, you’ll have. Here’s what mine looked like for FLIP THE BIRD. (I tag the most current one and rename it with most current month after I’ve worked on it awhile). Why yes, I did work on this book for years...oy! You can (and I should) make a sub-folder that says "Old Versions of TITLE" so it's not so cluttered.

5)   Now comes the fun part or hard work, depending on how you feel about revision. Once I have the first draft done, I'm like "BRING IT ON!" Revision is my favorite. I imagine I'm Michaelangelo with a slab of granite looking like Alfred Hitchcock, but with a plan to make it into David. 

6)   Read through the manuscript start to finish. FIRST REVISION PASS: Open a blank document and note all scenes/ page numbers/ characters / action. (A "scene" takes place in the same location, for example, the airport. When the location changes, so does the scene. You can have more than one scene in a chapter depending on how long they spend in that location. You can also insert a chapter break or start new chapter.)

EXAMPLE:

 1) HOME/ pages 1-11 / Mercer, Dad, & Lincoln/Trapping hawk

**This helps you to see how many pages each scene is and how often your characters are interacting etc. General overview**

OR>>>>

You can use Plotting Template by Cindy Grigg to enter in information too. Provides a nice visual. https://cindygrigg.com/2014/09/05/free-novel-or-series-outline-template-inspired-by-j-k-rowling/ )

 

7)  SECOND REVISION PASS // Under “Tools” - hit “Track changes” and start making notes for yourself as you read, and they'll show up in another color within the document. And/or if you prefer, you can also write notes for yourself in other colors / highlight / caps like shown below. *I'll go back later to fix, but I'm just making broad notes for myself as I read so I don't lose my train of thought.

8)  Third, fourth, and fifth (twentieth...) revision passes:  Copy and paste document and label it with whatever month/year it is when you finish a revision or make a major change. Each time you are honing things and putting them in order, but the other versions remain intact in case you accidentally delete something that you want to later take a look at. (See my first graphic above). 

9)   Create a separate document that says “Thoughts about TITLE” where you can brainstorm ideas and free flow about possibilities. Sometimes you get stuck about what to do so brainstorming multiple outcomes on paper without having to write the whole scene is valuable. By not censoring yourself, you'll get a variety of odd, but often viable, subplots or avenues that will work.  Here is one of my “stream of consciousness” plotting snippets.

Example:

10)  If you worry about deleting a cool line that you'll later regret, create a folder that says “TITLE / FAVORITE FRAGMENTS." That way you can relax knowing you can find it again if you change your mind. PS: I've never gone back into my "Favorite Fragments" folder to take anything back out, but I know when I first started writing, I hated to delete a really cool phrase (but it was overkill or didn't fit the situation), so this helped me get over that. :)

Good Luck! 🍀  

Shoot me a question in the comments or email me directly. 

Til next time,

KYM

Pay for Professional Writng Advice? It Depends....

These days it seems that everyone is writing a book. Many are writing books on how to write books, or how to sell books, or how to self-publish books, or even how to find the person who can help you to sell your book.

Let's just say there are a LOT of options and LOTS of ways to spend money.

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So many options it's similar to the assortment of goodies offered to kids in Willie Wonka's Chocolate Factory. But which types of professional writing advice are everlasting gobstoppers and which ones are the candy bars that don't have a gold wrapper?

Here's my take on things:

1) Budget "some" money toward developing your craft. 

Unless your first name is William and your last name is Shakespeare, you probably won't improve your skills without getting some type of industry advice––either through a critique group, a professional editor, and/or books and conferences.

How much money you budget probably depends on where you are in your journey and your personal financial situation. And to be honest, it also might depend on how serious you are about taking your work to the next level. Reading books on the craft is great at a minimal level, but getting concrete advice about your own work is much more valuable. It's difficult to see our own strengths and flaws.

2) What's the best use of my budgeted money?

If you can afford it, beginners and pre-published writers should try to attend conferences in order to hear from agents and editors and find out what they are looking for. Also, what they are tired of reading and hearing about. If it's a topic that readers aren't buying anymore, you can bet that they won't want to acquire it either.

Those farther along in their careers might spend more on paying to have their revised WIP get a set of fresh eyes from a developmental editor. I still attend writing conferences, especially the well-attended kidlit conference in Los Angeles, but more to use that as a social springboard to to keep in touch with writers I've met over the years.

Joining SCBWI (for those writing for babies through teens) or a myriad of other writing organizations (Romance Writers of America // International Thriller Writers etc.)  geared toward your specific genre is a great idea. You will meet like-minded individuals (either in person or on a forum) and these people will become your confidantes, and hopefully, your cheerleaders.

3) Pay for a Professional Critique

There are different ways to do this. First of all, you should be in a critique group (either face to face or an online group) so you can get lots of free advice, as well as give it to others. But sometimes you're just not sure if the advice you're getting is meaningful, especially if all the writers in your group are beginners themselves. I'm not saying it's still not valid––they are telling you the way a reader views things-–but they might be giving advice that's too general (I like it! or It moves a bit slow here), or advice that really isn't helpful (you spelled there wrong).

Secondly, paying for an extra critique at a writer's conference can be iffy. Oftentimes, it's very expensive ($100 for five pages and 15 minutes of face time), but if your material is very close to being published, an agent might request the full and you're on your way. More often than not however, you'll get solid advice at a big cost. Still, I made some contacts that way but never grabbed the brass ring. Plus, they're only giving advice on five pages, which may or may not be your premier
work.

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So I suggest doing your research on finding a developmental editor in your price range that has lots of experience and having them read your entire novel. It's costly (anywhere from $500 - $2500), but you learn a TON and it can make your novel ready to be acquired. Ask lots of questions of several editors and gauge from their responses whether you think you'd be a good match. You might even ask to talk on the phone to them. Ask how much experience they have editing your genre and/or age group.

When I paid for developmental editing twice (both books were eventually sold to traditional publishers, btw), I searched for the right freelance editor and was rewarded greatly by getting excellent advice. **If interested, my amazing freelance editor for Flip the Bird (coming Fall, 2016 with HMH Books for Young Readers) was Maria Mooshil. She was an editor for the Chicago Tribune for many, many years and is now doing freelance work. She brought great insight to the motivation of my characters and was a fabulous sounding board of ideas. Contact her for rates and availability at: mmooshil@gmail.com***

I didn't do this large and more expensive project however, until I was very close to publishing my book and already had an agent. Meaning it might not be worth it if you are still a beginner and have a looong way to go to work on your novel. There's just too big of a window for them to hone in on fixing everything. Don't be surprised if the freelance editor asks for a sample of your work before they accept the job. Like I said, if you're too far off, it might be too big of a task for them to try and help you.

So do your homework, keep on perfecting your craft, write daily, and soon you'll be on the shelves and in the hands of readers! Good luck on your journey. Let me know if you have any questions in the comments section. I hope that soon you'll be jumping for joy when your book is published.

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'Til next time,

KYM