Rioting Against Revision
So you've written a boat load of words. Somehow, they have a cohesive nature, weaving from a starting point, flying through oddball obstacles, then coming to a collision at the end. It's a story. You poured it out of your heart and soul. Gave up countless hours of playtime and fun. Developed a flat spot on you ass and a stoop to your shoulders but it's all done. Complete. Wrapped up... right?
Nope. Now it's revision time! Now you get to dive back into the thick of it and see if this jumble of words makes any sense. Do your sentences flow from one to the next? Are your word choices tight and evocative? Does the damned thing make you want to cry, scream, pray, laugh, or just pitch it?
I used to fear the Revision. Used to drive myself mad skimming the pages thinking that it was neat and complete. Not anymore. I have learned not only to respect revision but love it.
This is your golden opportunity to get a feel for your work. This is a chance to relive the experience. As you move from page to page, you can refocus on missing details or overblown prose. Tighten description or yank out sections that hammer the point repeatedly until your sick to death of seeing it. Revision is a perfect chance to fall in love with your story and characters all over again and see if that flame has diminished any and what you can do to feed it.
I bring this up because I've been working through my novel, Frenzy, carving out bloated chunks of description, ramping up dialogue, and trashing a few scenes that did nothing for the story. In my opinion, revision has helped me to become a better writer. It's trained my eye and internal ear, giving me a better perspective on the work and will aid me when I start my next story. Revision can be daunting but once it's complete you can look back and feel that you've given your story the attention it deserved.
Anyone else have similar experiences? Anyone have dreaded revision stories to share? Let me know.
Until then, write on!
Nope. Now it's revision time! Now you get to dive back into the thick of it and see if this jumble of words makes any sense. Do your sentences flow from one to the next? Are your word choices tight and evocative? Does the damned thing make you want to cry, scream, pray, laugh, or just pitch it?
I used to fear the Revision. Used to drive myself mad skimming the pages thinking that it was neat and complete. Not anymore. I have learned not only to respect revision but love it.
This is your golden opportunity to get a feel for your work. This is a chance to relive the experience. As you move from page to page, you can refocus on missing details or overblown prose. Tighten description or yank out sections that hammer the point repeatedly until your sick to death of seeing it. Revision is a perfect chance to fall in love with your story and characters all over again and see if that flame has diminished any and what you can do to feed it.
I bring this up because I've been working through my novel, Frenzy, carving out bloated chunks of description, ramping up dialogue, and trashing a few scenes that did nothing for the story. In my opinion, revision has helped me to become a better writer. It's trained my eye and internal ear, giving me a better perspective on the work and will aid me when I start my next story. Revision can be daunting but once it's complete you can look back and feel that you've given your story the attention it deserved.
Anyone else have similar experiences? Anyone have dreaded revision stories to share? Let me know.
Until then, write on!
What is your book about? And when can we see it on the shelves?
ReplyDeleteHi Jade and thank for asking. It is about a cop on the hunt for an unstoppable killing machine. When he comes to the horrifying realization that his prime suspect is a werewolf he finds himself inflicted with the same curse and unleashes his fury on the city he swore to protect.
DeleteAs to when... hopefully soon. As tat approaches I will post any and all info.