By: Grant Faulkner
Revising your novel might be
easier than you think – you already have a story to work with, and
hopefully a constructive inner editor to play with. But having a plan and
knowing what lies ahead will prepare you for the process.
Your inner editor, despite his
persnickety reputation, can be a good guy to have around. It’s a controversial
statement, I know, but I’m going on record with it.
Now, to be clear, all of us in
NaNoLand advise writers to banish their inner editors during NaNoWriMo. No one wants
to endure some crank screaming in the background or get dressed down for a plot
hole during the rush of writing a first draft. But with a first draft in hand,
you’ve now built a playground for your inner editor to frolic in.
I recently opened the door to the
dark mental dungeon where my inner editor has been locked up, and it turns out
he’s got a nice smile (though he is a bit pale). Examining the arc of my novel
is like going down a twisting, double-dipper slide for him, and he loves
brainstorming stirring details to add to my story’s cauldron. He also possesses
a rather refined eye for sentences written in the passive voice, and he likes
prodding me to write with “vivid verbs” and to “show don’t tell.”
So I am set to rewrite my chaotic
swirling mess of a novel and see if I can shape it into something readable, if
not outright good. Though revision has a reputation for being daunting and full
of drudgery, it also holds the potential for deep satisfaction in the process
of shaping the contours of your jagged ideas.
It starts with a plan
. . .
To read the rest
of the post, click here:
~*~
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