tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589275687987465216.post7462266794758952068..comments2024-01-12T00:38:47.735-08:00Comments on Susan Says: Revision, or Helping Me Help You!Susan Hawkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09089666265680888535noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589275687987465216.post-28118601997453774212012-01-03T20:24:27.047-08:002012-01-03T20:24:27.047-08:00So true! Sometimes it's tough to see the heart...So true! Sometimes it's tough to see the heart of a problem till I put the manuscript away for a day or two. Looking at something with fresh eyes helps bring out the truth in the writing or even open new paths. I'm glad I'm not the only one that feels this way. <br /><br />As for other revision techniques, I find that reading the piece aloud to myself really helps. A lot of times my brain skips over things when I'm reading in my head, and pronouncing every word helps bring out, odd word choices, character reactions that are off, and sometimes even a new idea or two. It sounds weird but it helps a lot.Jess Storkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07001356586353583612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589275687987465216.post-12650905825595519312011-12-13T14:40:02.564-08:002011-12-13T14:40:02.564-08:00Writerperson, this is great to hear. I'm so g...Writerperson, this is great to hear. I'm so glad that revision comments were helpful, but also that the time away made a difference!Susan Hawkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09089666265680888535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589275687987465216.post-24950107359310176852011-12-13T13:30:04.595-08:002011-12-13T13:30:04.595-08:00Well, having tried other ways, I know now that you...Well, having tried other ways, I know now that you are right, Susan. <br /><br />I benefited from your great revisions, and when I got the last "not yet but I'll look at another revision or new project," I did indeed set MS 1 aside and wrote for a while on MS 2. I got a tremendously powerful idea for MS 2 from my crit partners and it stunned me so much, I went back to MS 1! <br /><br />When I did it was if I had never seen it before. Well, that's an exaggeration, but I suddenly saw the holes and the lack of thoughts and feelings and the rushed quality.<br /><br />I have always gotten my best ideas staring out the window or as I lie between waking and sleeping in the morning, but now the faucet seems open for a steadier flow of, not ideas exactly, but for ways to deepen and enhance the story and the characters.<br /><br />This revision is now in month four and I am about half way through. You are so right. There is nothing like stepping back and slowing down, piddling with a different problem, and then returning, recharged.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04621339612834832188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589275687987465216.post-80433948941573963542011-12-12T07:58:59.850-08:002011-12-12T07:58:59.850-08:00Since I'm at the end of my revisions, I get th...Since I'm at the end of my revisions, I get this. In the beginning, I started to edit while I wrote the book. Big mistake, for me. This book, I waited until I was completely through before I went back. And wow, the "how the heck to I fix this" was so much clearer. As writers we get impatient sometimes but if we just hold off, revisions will go so much smoother.Dana Elmendorfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07130309062939542854noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589275687987465216.post-89286952619322872812011-12-10T00:17:45.763-08:002011-12-10T00:17:45.763-08:00The cooling off period before revision is a great ...The cooling off period before revision is a great idea. Perspective is what we get when we slow down enough to think.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07169940727343063094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589275687987465216.post-27759322491145400332011-12-09T11:12:25.189-08:002011-12-09T11:12:25.189-08:00Great post! I finished the second draft of my nove...Great post! I finished the second draft of my novel right before NaNoWriMo and vowed to set it aside until December 1 in order to let it stew while I worked on finishing the first draft of book 2 and starting book 3 of the trilogy. Now that I have a lot more done on the trilogy, going back and editing the first book allows me to weave in some great texture that corresponds to the second and third books as well as streamline the whole trilogy a lot better than if I'd "finished" the first one before starting the others.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2589275687987465216.post-26654847115340579802011-12-09T08:01:36.118-08:002011-12-09T08:01:36.118-08:00As a corollary to what you said, I think it's ...As a corollary to what you said, I think it's important to wait until you have a vision for how the entire manuscript is going to shape up. It's so easy to get lost in the trees when you're revising and forget about the forest, but if you lose sight of the forest, you lose sight of the project as a whole. And it's the project as a whole that we're (usually) trying to fix, not individual trees.<br /><br />Thanks for the thoughtful post, Susan, and once again, welcome to the blogosphere! We're happy to have you here:)Krista Van Dolzerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08830193414560232842noreply@blogger.com