Ooh, check this out:
http://thenewcoveytrailerawards.blogspot.com/
The trailer to my YA paranormal CROSSED OUT is one of the nominated trailers! Stop by and comment! Better yet, cast a vote!
Monday, November 8, 2010
Sunday, November 7, 2010
To Nano or Not
Last month I decided I needed to take a break from my current writing project and tackle a storyline that has been brewing for some time. As most of you know my first story EARRINGS OF IXTUMEA has a Latina heroine. I wrote this story during the time I was a bilingual teacher and didn't see many fantasies with multicultural characters. This is important to me as I'm part Mexican-American and very proud of my heritage. More and more editors are looking for stories with multicultural characters too. Tu Publishing is one of them.
http://io9.com/5682953/inside-tu-books-a-new-publisher-focusing-on-multicultural-sf-and-fantasy-books-for-kids
So since this month is Nanowrimo, I decided this would be the perfect time to write that story.
What is Nanowrimo? It's National Write a Novel month. What's great about this site is you have a month to write a 50,000 word novel.
Hard you say?
What I'm doing is setting small goals. I'm also tying my internal critic to a chair and ignoring her rants that my story is one big ramble.
What's fun is I'm researching such topics as holograms, biosphere 2 experiment, chemistry, genetics, La Raza view points, and also watching the very cool TV show SCI FI SCIENCE.
My main character is Esperanza, one determined Latina who lives in a self contained world of the future.
Add Jorge and another love interest who right now is getting very impatient for me to get to that part of the story!
Here's my link to Nano:
http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user%252F434773
Another fun feature of Nanowrimo is there's something for younger writers too. My own son is part of this. I downloaded the workbook, which has great helpful advice on writing that story. I love the part where younger readers 'draw' their internal critic, then put that picture away so that voice won't interrupt the writing process.
http://ywp.nanowrimo.org/workbooks
Now it's time to get back to my story!
http://io9.com/5682953/inside-tu-books-a-new-publisher-focusing-on-multicultural-sf-and-fantasy-books-for-kids
So since this month is Nanowrimo, I decided this would be the perfect time to write that story.
What is Nanowrimo? It's National Write a Novel month. What's great about this site is you have a month to write a 50,000 word novel.
Hard you say?
What I'm doing is setting small goals. I'm also tying my internal critic to a chair and ignoring her rants that my story is one big ramble.
What's fun is I'm researching such topics as holograms, biosphere 2 experiment, chemistry, genetics, La Raza view points, and also watching the very cool TV show SCI FI SCIENCE.
My main character is Esperanza, one determined Latina who lives in a self contained world of the future.
Add Jorge and another love interest who right now is getting very impatient for me to get to that part of the story!
Here's my link to Nano:
http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user%252F434773
Another fun feature of Nanowrimo is there's something for younger writers too. My own son is part of this. I downloaded the workbook, which has great helpful advice on writing that story. I love the part where younger readers 'draw' their internal critic, then put that picture away so that voice won't interrupt the writing process.
http://ywp.nanowrimo.org/workbooks
Now it's time to get back to my story!
Beginnings and Endings and Dingles. Oh my!
I have trouble with both the beginnings and endings of stories but, fortunately, not at the same time. Beginnings of stories are the worst—except when endings are the worst.
BEGINNINGS
We all know that we’re supposed to hook the reader immediately at the beginning of a novel. Depending on who you talk to, that hook had better happen by the 5th page (“The First Five Pages” by Noah Lukeman), somewhere in the first paragraph, or even in the first sentence. On FB, Polly Iyer writes, “Ah, the penchant for getting all the action up front. That's what everyone wants. Like everything else these days, no patience.” I’ve read that a hook should coincide with “where the story actually begins”, but where is that? I believe it’s different for different readers and authors.
Hooks are supposed to grab the reader by being interesting—to readers. I have an ongoing problem with this. To me, -characters- are pretty darn interesting, so I want to explore them a bit in the first couple of pages of my novels. Yes, I’ve learned this is a no-no, unless one is writing a literary novel. I do YA fantasy adventure.
Once “Seabird” was nearly completed, I inserted an action-packed Prologue as a hook for the reader. Since then, I’ve heard that many novel readers skip prologues. Oh well.
In “Earthbow”—the sequel to “Seabird”—I managed some serious tension, action, and a bit of a puzzle about a page into the novel’s first chapter. Chapters 2 & 3 have fragments of tension as well, mixed in with character development. “Earthbow” has no prologue. Did I get it right? I doubt it—after all, there’s no danger to life and limb until at least the eighth paragraph.
Right now, I’m beginning to revise the sequel to “Earthbow”, which is multi-volumed and is so long I frequently refer to it as “The Book That Intends to Eat Delaware.” In my first draft—surprise, surprise—all of my tension and action was in the second chapter while the first was largely characterization. I’m trying to figure out a way to reverse the two chapters, or alternate scenes from both.
I haven’t mentioned short stories so far and for a very good reason—I only rarely come up with an idea for one. Once I actually have an idea the chances are 50-50 that the resulting story will not be publishable quality. I suppose you could say that I have more trouble with the beginnings of short stories than I do with their endings, if by that we mean that I can’t get a new short story started, no matter how hard I stare at the screen or “free-write”. On the other hand, a short story that never comes into existence can hardly be faulted for having a bad beginning.
So, who here has troubles with writing the beginnings of novels or short stories? If you do, what kinds of difficulties present themselves? How have you overcome them? Any tips you can pass on to the rest of us?
----------------------
ENDINGS
Endings give me lots more trouble than beginnings. Part of this is the fault of National Novel Writing Month. For those who don’t know, NaNoWriMo is a yearly challenge to authors to write 50,000 words on any fiction project between November 1 and Nov 30.
I’ve participated and “won” five years since I started doing NaNo back in 2003. “Winning” in NaNo, as I said, is completing 50,000+ words before midnight on Nov. 30. The problem is what if you haven’t finished your first draft by then? What happens on Dec. 1? The correct answer should be that you continue writing but at a less frenetic pace. Er, not my answer. In my case, I take a long nap, and wake up the next Nov. 1. ;-P
Currently, I have five novels that are lacking their endings. Every one of them was involved in NaNo in some way—even the last part of “The Book That Intends To Eat Delaware.” If I stop writing a novel part of the way through, I have serious trouble picking up where I left off—even if I have a detailed outline for the rest of the book. Novel manuscripts to which you cannot guarantee complete endings do not attract publishers for some reason. I think I need professional help. Any ideas gratefully accepted!
So I sometimes have trouble writing the end of novels—do I have trouble writing the ends of short stories? Not often. On the rare occasion that I’m writing a short story I write the whole thing pretty much in one sitting. If I’m actually writing and completing a short story, you’ll know it—the sky turns a lovely shade of sky-blue-pink and you can see multi-colored stars during the day. Sometimes they sing but they’re too dignified to dance.
Is there anyone reading this who has trouble with unearthing the ends of their t/a/i/l/s/ tales? Has NaNoWriMo ever been involved? What else gave you trouble? What did you do to complete your story? Oh, it isn’t? Sorry! I’ve thought about finding a writing partner—has anyone tried that?
----------------------
Well, that’s Beginnings and Endings. That brings us to Middles and Dingles.
“Dingle” is a work-in-progress short story that’s been without a middle or an ending for almost two decades.
I liked the beginning ever since it fooled me into writing it down. I wasn’t concerned when I started—after all “Dingle” was going to be a –short- -story- so, naturally, I would come up with the rest of it as I typed.
Not so much.
“Dingle” and I could use some help. Please read what’s below and see if you have any ideas about what will happen next. If you do, please consider adopting “Dingle”. What’s more if you can turn “Dingle” into a complete story, we’ll work out some kind of ownership thing which will probably amount to me giving you my section or what’s left of it after revision. In addition, I’ll send you a copy of one of my books as a thank you.
You can write short suggestions for finishing “Dingle” in the Comments if you like. Naturally, revisions of the current paragraphs are fair game. If you write the rest of the story, please send it to me at KhivasMommy AT gmail DOT com . When my next turn comes to blog here at YAAYNHO (in three weeks), I’ll report back on any suggestions, etc that I’ve received.
Please don’t leave a poor defenseless little story part on its own. Thank you!
Sherry Thompson, author of “Seabird” (http://amzn.to/bKBQ7x ) “Earthbow vol.1” (http://amzn.to/b9vDW1 ) and “Earthbow vol.2” ( http://amzn.to/bw3UCe )
------------------------
Dingle (work in progress)
Sherry Thompson
Critter scuffed his way across the bare, unvarnished floor, sneezing at the dust he’d stirred up. It was colder today than he’d expected. He wrapped his quilted robe tighter about him, and then retied the rope belt. If Magnus didn’t come soon, he’d have to light a brazier just to keep warm. And that would attract the Night Watchers. Not something you wanted to do, when it was nearly dusk.
He shuffled over to the one window and glared down at the path. Not a sign of Magnus, ...or of anyone else. Maybe, if he went outside and yanked hard on the chain, he could get that blasted shutter to close over the window. Then, it wouldn’t matter if he lit a fire in the brazier or not. The Watchers could do a lot, but they couldn’t see through wood. At least, not the last he’d read.
Blast Magnus! Icy air was seeping in the through the window, even though it was on the lee side of the cottage. Well, that was it. Might as well go and try to close the window.
Critter thrust his dagger and sheath under the ragged rope of his belt, and crept to the door. He stood a moment with the side of his head so close to the surface that his ear kept flicking. Not a sound, except the tiny ones of his held breath and the soft whoosh of his ear fur against the rough wood. Might as well try as not.
He took a great breath, and slipped through the door as noiselessly as he was able. It seemed a shade brighter outside than it had in, but the coming of sunset was undeniable. Shivering from nervousness as much as cold, Critter scuttled to the right front corner of the cabin and peeked around it. Nothing there but the larxs bushes, their stringy leaves black and rustling in the last light of the sun. He crept between the closest one and the side wall. Merhule, the shutter chain was high! Been so long since he’d tried to close the window, he’d near forgot...
A sudden, familiar scent tickled his nose. Critter scarcely began to turn, before he found clammy skin pressed over his nose passages, simultaneous with a strong blow to his midriff. The combined assaults made all the air in his lung burst from his mouth. He choked, unable for the moment to fight back.
The ghost of a giggle blew warmly into his right ear. The grip about his midriff loosened enough for him to pull away from the hand on his nose.
“Magnus! I’ll skin you for that...”
“Not Magnus, imp. Merhule! What are you doing? Oh, the shutter.”
Critter leaned against the wall and gasped in air, as the newcomer reached up and easily pulled the shutter down and closed. Briefly, while Dingle was occupied with the task, Critter considered darting off into the darkness. But, before the thought was more than half-formed, it was already too late.
Dingle had grasped his elbow and was guiding him back toward the door.
“Waiting for Magnus, what?” Dingle chuckled deep in his throat. “Might not be coming tonight, what. Might not. Might not, at that.” He shook his head, as he closed the door between them and the outside world.
Thompson/Dingle
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Chaotic Creativity
At World Fantasy Con this past weekend, I had my fortune told by Esther Friesner using the art of Cheeblemancy. 'Cheeble!' I am told, is the enraged call of the bull hamster and, as Cheeblemancy is divination by tumbling hamsters, there is probably ample opportunity for upset rodents. Since Ms Friesner had to fly in, miniature hamster icons were substituted for actual hamsters and the hamster wheel (one can only imagine explaining the latter to airport security). A more detailed description of the ritual for those interested can be found at Betsy Mitchell's blog (she paid the extra for Esther to wear the hamster ears while divining). My toss of the hamster icon ended with it landing upright mostly in a stylized ocean and looking toward the center of the chart which was filled with representations of sunflower seeds and other hamster treats. My eyes are on the prize, so to speak, according to the interpretation of the placement, but I am within the sea of chaotic creativity. Discipline (one paw was on the dividing line between the sea and homey images of water such as water bottles and bowls) would help me prevail to my goal.
First person is popular nowadays, especially in YA. But third person can be a fun choice, too.
But first person has possibilities.
Decisions, decisions. What works best? Will more than one point of view be needed for this story? If yes, then third person would be better. If no, then first person.
How to restrain and discipline (back to that one little hamster paw on the dividing line between the chaotic sea and water bottles) an overactive imagination or, even better, filter the choices down to "yes, that's it" or "nope, save that for another story"?
Deadlines are one big help. When I don't have time to indulge little sidetracks, I can focus on the main story very well. Beta readers are another valued aid. But sometimes all I can do is write that little sidetrack and see where it takes me. Perhaps it dwindles down into a tiny path that vanishes into a cliff face. But maybe it might instead open out into a bigger and better story.
What technique works for you?
Which got me thinking. How do we as authors chose among all the various choices our subconscious (the ocean of creative chaos) throws at us?
My closest older sister is a free-lance artist and so is my youngest sister (I'm right between them so in me the creativity ends up in word pictures rather than picture pictures). In high school and college I got very accustomed to hearing my younger sister's wails of "I can't decide!" in regard to color, placement, background, how many trees... you get the idea. Being a typical older sister and, after learning the hard way that any suggestions from me were wrong, wrong, and are you kidding?!, my reaction was usually the unhelpful "I don't know. What works for the picture?"
The same applies to writing. There are so many choices when writing a story. What do the characters look like? What is the planet/city like? What are the important parts of the culture (if one has to be created rather than using the default)?
And then there's what person do you write in?
It’s all Aunt Paige’s fault. At least, that’s what my Dad says. He’s her younger brother, though, and brothers always blame their sisters. I should know; my younger brother is an absolute pest.
I suppose you could say that exploring is in our blood. Grams was a Survey Scout. She found this planetary system and later signed up as a colonist. Her daughter, my aunt, is an explorer. She started off exploring this planet for the colony, looking for minerals or following up stories about odd animals. Nowadays she’s exploring the other planets of the system. Dad says it won’t be long before she heads out system, but I’m hoping she waits until I’m out of school and can go along. Aunt Paige always asks how I’m doing in school, so maybe she will wait.
First person is popular nowadays, especially in YA. But third person can be a fun choice, too.
“I’ve decided to study the meteor for my science fair project,” Akela announced at breakfast. She smiled brightly as she glanced around the room.
Her mother had her fork and eyebrows raised. Her father finished scooping the last of the eggs from the skillet onto his plate and moved to the table. “This is all Paige’s fault,” he sighed.
But first person has possibilities.
My dad has the most fantastic rock collection. Well, he would, seeing as how he’s the geologist for Caellora – the whole colony planet, not just the main settlement. But the part I love looking at the most are the rocks he got from Grams, the ones she kept from her Scout days, before she found Caellora and decided to settle down. There is dust from a moon of Strawberry II, obsidian from a volcano on Whoneedsyou, a bit of meteorite from a crater near a long-dead city on Lostdreams, and even a chunk of limestone from Earth. The limestone has a fossil fern in it.
Caellora has no limestone. It never had life before Grams found it. Then the prospectors and miners came out and after them the big terraforming ships.
Decisions, decisions. What works best? Will more than one point of view be needed for this story? If yes, then third person would be better. If no, then first person.
How to restrain and discipline (back to that one little hamster paw on the dividing line between the chaotic sea and water bottles) an overactive imagination or, even better, filter the choices down to "yes, that's it" or "nope, save that for another story"?
Deadlines are one big help. When I don't have time to indulge little sidetracks, I can focus on the main story very well. Beta readers are another valued aid. But sometimes all I can do is write that little sidetrack and see where it takes me. Perhaps it dwindles down into a tiny path that vanishes into a cliff face. But maybe it might instead open out into a bigger and better story.
What technique works for you?
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Cats and Rats and Elephants...
It is now after midnight - I have just spent the last six hours (after working my regular job) editing an animated video I created for the promotion of a cat shelter I volunteer at. It dawned on me that I had not written my blog - due- yes- NOW - November 3rd which is 13 minutes old. Behind me I am listening to election results- thanking my Voodoo doll that helped make sure a certain nutbasket did not get elected as Governor of my state. Seems to have worked quite well.
I have no specific topic to write about. Or maybe I do.
Burnout.
I like being busy. I love having lots of irons in the fire. OK- now I am having trouble uploading this file to my server so I can let key people see my work. You are getting a real time look into my burnout. I am writing this blog- while trying to upload my files. Neither really getting anywhere. My FTP software says I am connected so why is it not uploading my files???
So this is what happens. You tackle numerous projects - have blog deadlines and toss a few moments of interest into ones civic duty and....my eyes are bleary. My wife is asleep. No- I cannot check Facebook despite the snarky comment by that reactionary...ok- no politics. This is a kids lit blog for $%$ sake- oops - for crying out loud was what I meant to type.
My connection was lost. Great. I cannot use YOUTUBE because my video uses a song that well- has copyright issues. So it would be theft of sorts. Hell- heck- I am a writer we all steal.
Time. Only so many hours in a day. I really need to stop procrastinating this blog. Odd because I am very disciplined as an artist. Ok- I am rambling and I have probably bored you by now. I know I am boring myself. I promise something more - focused - next time. Do I need a graphic image for this blog entry?
Nah-
Connection lost....again...
I have no specific topic to write about. Or maybe I do.
Burnout.
I like being busy. I love having lots of irons in the fire. OK- now I am having trouble uploading this file to my server so I can let key people see my work. You are getting a real time look into my burnout. I am writing this blog- while trying to upload my files. Neither really getting anywhere. My FTP software says I am connected so why is it not uploading my files???
So this is what happens. You tackle numerous projects - have blog deadlines and toss a few moments of interest into ones civic duty and....my eyes are bleary. My wife is asleep. No- I cannot check Facebook despite the snarky comment by that reactionary...ok- no politics. This is a kids lit blog for $%$ sake- oops - for crying out loud was what I meant to type.
My connection was lost. Great. I cannot use YOUTUBE because my video uses a song that well- has copyright issues. So it would be theft of sorts. Hell- heck- I am a writer we all steal.
Time. Only so many hours in a day. I really need to stop procrastinating this blog. Odd because I am very disciplined as an artist. Ok- I am rambling and I have probably bored you by now. I know I am boring myself. I promise something more - focused - next time. Do I need a graphic image for this blog entry?
Nah-
Connection lost....again...
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Rewriting During National Novel Writing Month
Please read the entry for Nov. 1, "Trust the Process", which has to do with rewriting as an integral part of writing. I found myself nodding and going "uh-huh!" all the way through the entry!
As sort of a continuation of that well-thought blog, I'd like to offer this quickie on a non-assigned day:
Several fellow members of our local Written Remains Writers Guild (WRWG) plus a few writing colleagues from around the country, have decided to do our own miniature version of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) this November. If you've never heard, NaNoWriMo participants pledge to try and write 50,000 new words on any one fiction project between Nov.1 and Nov. 30.
I've participated in most of the NaNoWriMos since 2003.
However, right now I have a total of -six- books that need revisions and additional chapters. Three of these six books are actually the three chunks or volumes which will make up the YA fantasy The Gryphon and the Basilisk. The remaining three manuscripts are stand-alones, but they are all fantasy and 2 out of 3 of them are also YA.
It would be ridiculous for me to beginning writing a new draft of something--like the WRWG people and most NaNoWriMo authors are doing this November, given all the revision work cut out for me. So, back in late October, I posted to the Written Remains Writers Guild that I intend to -revise- multiple pages of the Gryphon and the Basilisk. (Rather than creating a new 250 word page every day of this month as the Guild members are doing)
Let me explain a bit about the revision process I have before me. First off, G&B totals about 2 and 3/4 books as I said above. (I don't quite have an ending for the third volume.) Second, I wrote it in long-hand approximately 30 years ago. Eventually, I typed up those pages. And maybe almost 20 years ago, I scanned the typed pages into a file on my computer with a very buggy software scanning program.
The result? In places, the current version of the manuscript looks like I'm cursing at times. The scanning results are that bad. Many, if not most lower case l's came through as number 1's. And so on.
Even though my project doesn't align with the ongoing project of the Written Remains Writers Guild or with the rules of National Novel Writing Month, I've pledged to try to decipher and revise approximately 6 pages or 1750 words per day during the month of November.
Progress report:
My Mini-NaNoWriMo total for two days is 3578 words.
3578-1724 = 1854
(Nov. 1 1724 wds,which was 5 and a half pages) ... (1854 words for Nov. 2, or about 6 and a half pages today)
You can keep track of my progress--and maybe even cheer us all on--by going to Facebook and signing on the the group "How Many Pages Did You Write Today?, maintained by Ramona deFelice Long:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=140478142641261
(which may or may not work in this format--please just search in FB for the group)
Go to "Scribblings" my personal blog, for updates about my humungous revision process of the Novel variously called The Gryphon and the Basilisk, or The Behemoth, or The YA novel that intends to eat Delaware:
http://tree-lady.livejournal.com/97551.html
Finally you might want to Google NaNoWriMo, to see how all of this started. I'm TreeLady on NaNo. I admit that this year I can't participate as NaNo directs, since I am revising and not creating new material. But, hey, I don't see any more half-finioshed manuscripts in "drawers". I think that 6 is my limit.
(This URL may work for NaNo: http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/26133 )
Sherry Thompson, author of unfinished novels: G&B vols. 1,2,3; The Peace Bride; Marooned; Da Boid da Tree-Rat ;n da Loser.
As sort of a continuation of that well-thought blog, I'd like to offer this quickie on a non-assigned day:
Several fellow members of our local Written Remains Writers Guild (WRWG) plus a few writing colleagues from around the country, have decided to do our own miniature version of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) this November. If you've never heard, NaNoWriMo participants pledge to try and write 50,000 new words on any one fiction project between Nov.1 and Nov. 30.
I've participated in most of the NaNoWriMos since 2003.
However, right now I have a total of -six- books that need revisions and additional chapters. Three of these six books are actually the three chunks or volumes which will make up the YA fantasy The Gryphon and the Basilisk. The remaining three manuscripts are stand-alones, but they are all fantasy and 2 out of 3 of them are also YA.
It would be ridiculous for me to beginning writing a new draft of something--like the WRWG people and most NaNoWriMo authors are doing this November, given all the revision work cut out for me. So, back in late October, I posted to the Written Remains Writers Guild that I intend to -revise- multiple pages of the Gryphon and the Basilisk. (Rather than creating a new 250 word page every day of this month as the Guild members are doing)
Let me explain a bit about the revision process I have before me. First off, G&B totals about 2 and 3/4 books as I said above. (I don't quite have an ending for the third volume.) Second, I wrote it in long-hand approximately 30 years ago. Eventually, I typed up those pages. And maybe almost 20 years ago, I scanned the typed pages into a file on my computer with a very buggy software scanning program.
The result? In places, the current version of the manuscript looks like I'm cursing at times. The scanning results are that bad. Many, if not most lower case l's came through as number 1's. And so on.
Even though my project doesn't align with the ongoing project of the Written Remains Writers Guild or with the rules of National Novel Writing Month, I've pledged to try to decipher and revise approximately 6 pages or 1750 words per day during the month of November.
Progress report:
My Mini-NaNoWriMo total for two days is 3578 words.
3578-1724 = 1854
(Nov. 1 1724 wds,which was 5 and a half pages) ... (1854 words for Nov. 2, or about 6 and a half pages today)
You can keep track of my progress--and maybe even cheer us all on--by going to Facebook and signing on the the group "How Many Pages Did You Write Today?, maintained by Ramona deFelice Long:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=140478142641261
(which may or may not work in this format--please just search in FB for the group)
Go to "Scribblings" my personal blog, for updates about my humungous revision process of the Novel variously called The Gryphon and the Basilisk, or The Behemoth, or The YA novel that intends to eat Delaware:
http://tree-lady.livejournal.com/97551.html
Finally you might want to Google NaNoWriMo, to see how all of this started. I'm TreeLady on NaNo. I admit that this year I can't participate as NaNo directs, since I am revising and not creating new material. But, hey, I don't see any more half-finioshed manuscripts in "drawers". I think that 6 is my limit.
(This URL may work for NaNo: http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/26133 )
Sherry Thompson, author of unfinished novels: G&B vols. 1,2,3; The Peace Bride; Marooned; Da Boid da Tree-Rat ;n da Loser.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Trust the Process
In her recent post, Revising & Rewriting, Christine Marciniak confirmed once again that writing is re-writing.
Here are more quotations to bring home the point:
But I’m here to tell you, once in a blue moon, inspiration strikes and the story flows onto the page as though you – the writer – are taking dictation. As I mentioned in my post Unlocking the Mystery of Sarah, my soon-to-be released middle grade novel, Letters to Juniper came to me in the voice of Sarah. The writing was driven by inspiration, which is not to say I didn’t have to do research. I most certainly did. Nor did I sit down and write the book in a week. I wasn’t THAT inspired. When I wrote, the words flowed almost effortlessly. It only took six months, the shortest amount of time it has ever taken me to finish a manuscript.
My normal writing process is similar to what Dean Koontz described in a 2003 interview in The Writer magazine. The interviewer asked, “Do you revise as you go along or do you write the entire first draft and then revise?”
Koontz replied, “I cannot move on to Page 2 until Page 1 is as perfect as I can make it. On average I do 20 to 30 drafts of a page, occasionally many more, and then proceed to the next page. At the end of each chapter, I print out and pencil the text a few times, to catch problems I didn't see on the screen. I build a book much the way marine polyps build a coral reef through the accretion of millions of their calcareous skeletons: slowly.”
Oh yeah. That’s me all right – 99.99% of the time anyway. Letters to Juniper was different. Yes, I edited while I wrote, though not as meticulously as usual. I always hesitate to call anything a first draft because of all the editing I do during the writing down process, so I call it a finished draft. Once I have a finished draft, the real writing begins. Revising & Rewriting. For me it usually involves major reconstruction. Except with Letters to Juniper. I edited the manuscript, changed a few things here and there, added depth to scenes, rearranged words, etc. I had no desire to make any revisions. No chapters in the trash can, no new scenes, no deleted characters, nothing like that. I put the manuscript in a drawer for a couple months, then I read it again. I edited it some more, but had no urge to rewrite anything. It was an odd sensation.
The same voice that dictated the story, told me to trust the process. So I passed it around to a half dozen readers. Everyone said they loved it and I should leave it alone. I asked a few more people to read it. Same responses. Several times Letters to Juniper came close to netting me a contract with a major publisher. Little, Brown held onto it for nearly two years. The editors at a small publishing house thought the letters format was all wrong. She wanted me to rewrite it in 3rd person and expand on the FBI standoff.
I read and re-read the editor’s email. I re-read the manuscript. I twisted my brain in knots thinking about it. But it came down to the whole vision thing in the end. My readers had seen it, too. Those I asked didn’t think I should rewrite it. My daughter Ema said, “Don’t you dare change a thing.”
Once a story is written it can take on a life of its own. Letters to Juniper is one of those stories. It breathed on its own from the very beginning. My job was simply to write it down – and trust the process.
I dedicated the publication of Letters to Juniper to Ema.
Peggy Tibbetts
My books
My blogs:
Advice from a Caterpillar
From the Styx
Here are more quotations to bring home the point:
“I'm not a very good writer, but I'm an excellent rewriter.” – James MichenerI agree with all of the above and Christine. I have written and re-written several novels over the years. I love revision. I would much rather sit down with a printed manuscript and a red pencil than stare at a blank page on the computer screen any day.
“Rewriting is like scrubbing the basement floor with a toothbrush.” – Pete Murphy
“There are days when the result is so bad that no fewer than five revisions are required. In contrast, when I'm greatly inspired, only four revisions are needed.” – John Kenneth Galbraith
“Writing is rewriting ... If you fall in love with the vision you want of your work and not your words, the rewriting will become easier.” – Nora DeLoach
“To be a writer is to throw away a great deal, not to be satisfied, to type again, and then again and once more, and over and over.” – John Hersey
But I’m here to tell you, once in a blue moon, inspiration strikes and the story flows onto the page as though you – the writer – are taking dictation. As I mentioned in my post Unlocking the Mystery of Sarah, my soon-to-be released middle grade novel, Letters to Juniper came to me in the voice of Sarah. The writing was driven by inspiration, which is not to say I didn’t have to do research. I most certainly did. Nor did I sit down and write the book in a week. I wasn’t THAT inspired. When I wrote, the words flowed almost effortlessly. It only took six months, the shortest amount of time it has ever taken me to finish a manuscript.My normal writing process is similar to what Dean Koontz described in a 2003 interview in The Writer magazine. The interviewer asked, “Do you revise as you go along or do you write the entire first draft and then revise?”
Koontz replied, “I cannot move on to Page 2 until Page 1 is as perfect as I can make it. On average I do 20 to 30 drafts of a page, occasionally many more, and then proceed to the next page. At the end of each chapter, I print out and pencil the text a few times, to catch problems I didn't see on the screen. I build a book much the way marine polyps build a coral reef through the accretion of millions of their calcareous skeletons: slowly.”
Oh yeah. That’s me all right – 99.99% of the time anyway. Letters to Juniper was different. Yes, I edited while I wrote, though not as meticulously as usual. I always hesitate to call anything a first draft because of all the editing I do during the writing down process, so I call it a finished draft. Once I have a finished draft, the real writing begins. Revising & Rewriting. For me it usually involves major reconstruction. Except with Letters to Juniper. I edited the manuscript, changed a few things here and there, added depth to scenes, rearranged words, etc. I had no desire to make any revisions. No chapters in the trash can, no new scenes, no deleted characters, nothing like that. I put the manuscript in a drawer for a couple months, then I read it again. I edited it some more, but had no urge to rewrite anything. It was an odd sensation.
The same voice that dictated the story, told me to trust the process. So I passed it around to a half dozen readers. Everyone said they loved it and I should leave it alone. I asked a few more people to read it. Same responses. Several times Letters to Juniper came close to netting me a contract with a major publisher. Little, Brown held onto it for nearly two years. The editors at a small publishing house thought the letters format was all wrong. She wanted me to rewrite it in 3rd person and expand on the FBI standoff.
I read and re-read the editor’s email. I re-read the manuscript. I twisted my brain in knots thinking about it. But it came down to the whole vision thing in the end. My readers had seen it, too. Those I asked didn’t think I should rewrite it. My daughter Ema said, “Don’t you dare change a thing.”
Once a story is written it can take on a life of its own. Letters to Juniper is one of those stories. It breathed on its own from the very beginning. My job was simply to write it down – and trust the process.
I dedicated the publication of Letters to Juniper to Ema.
Peggy Tibbetts
My books
My blogs:
Advice from a Caterpillar
From the Styx
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