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I have a two week term of exams commencing on 2nd of June and although I was alright at revising last week I've lost all my motivation to revise and i only have like 4 days left, does anyone have any tips for revising motivation/ breaking it up until manageable chunks?
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WHAT COMES AFTER THE END Last week I talked about writing the end (piece found here) and as promised, this week I'm going to talk about what comes after you've written those two words (or four hash symbols in my case). A lot of the time people think that when you write those words, when you finish your first draft, then all the hard work is done! You can lean back, relax and wait for those royalty checks to start rolling in! Right? Wrong! While there is a massive relief when you get to the end of the first draft, the hard work is still in progress. You still have revision, then edits, then more edits, rewrites and all that goes with it. Depending on whether you're going indie or traditional, there's even more hoops to jump through before you can call this baby done. And a lot of that is going to be very apparent to you even as you write those final words. I have a whole section on the after process, you know all this stuff, and if you don't, I suggest you do some serious research and reading. But that's not what I want to talk about today. I want to talk about that period after writing the end before you jump into doing anything with your draft. So many people seem to think that you need to hop from one stage to the next and it's possible for some people sure, but I personally advise against it and here's why. You have spent the last x amount of time, from months to years, to longer, working on this draft. You know it inside out and you have poured actual blood, sweat and tears into it. And now it's done, but you know the hard work is only just starting and you want to jump right in, page one, and start your revisions. And that's not the best idea. It might be that you're one of those writers who can do that. I'm not. I put my first draft away for at least a year before I start working on it again. Now I know that for some of you a year is going to be like: WHAT? Why? I can do that because I have so many books in progress and finished to some degree that I'm always going to have another project lined up, or an editing process starting on one that's been sitting for a while. So for the purpose of this piece, and given that most people aren't like me, I'll say a month at least. The answer is simple: you are still too close to this work to properly look at it with the editing lens on. You need some distance to be able to look at your work objectively. It doesn't matter what you do during that month, if you take the time to start another project, or work on building up your author platform, or narrowing down which publishing path you choose to go down. That's irrelevant, but if you are looking to spend less time going over your mistakes, then it is better to put distance between you and your draft before you go back to it. It allows for the facts to change in your mind, allows you to look back at the story with fresh eyes and decide if this scene here needs to be there or if it works without it. All of the stuff that comes along with the after process needs to be done with some degree of objectivity and you can't do that fresh off finishing your draft. It just doesn't work that way. So, like I said, celebrate that you've reached the end, put the draft somewhere you won't be looking at it, work on something else, get your distance, and then go back and revise and edit. You will be thanking yourself later and your book will be better for it. That's all there is to it! Follow Joey here on her blog, or on Facebook or Tumblr to be kept up to date with the latest news regarding Joey and her books
Revising Tip
When you go to revise/edit/rewrite your completed manuscript, copy the file so you can change one copy and keep the original as is. Keep as many old drafts as possible in one big folder. This way, if you rewrite something and end up hating it, you can always look back at your old drafts for inspiration. It could save your life ;)
What's your most recommended way of revising?
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My Revising Methods
My methods for revising a novel. I'll be starting my How To Love Revision series soon! #AmRevising #AmEditing
I have a pretty in-depth revision method, and I get asked about it a lot. Since Iām about to start my How To Love RevisionĀ series next week, I thought it might be helpful if I talk about how I revise a novel now.
Itās complicated.
Iām not going to lie. When you look at the method first, some of you might thinkĀ why the heck would anyone do all of this? Isnāt writing supposed to beĀ fun? This looksā¦
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hello! this might sound a little silly, but which is the appropriate font size for writing? Some of my chapters consist in 24 pages, and I think that's too much (I use Franklin Gothic Book, size 14) With the appropriate font size, how many pages should I use for a chapter? I hope you get me, english is not my first language
Usually itās Times New Roman, 12Ā pt font, double spaced, but it can depend on the publishing house. If you plan on submitting professionally, then I recommend:Chuck Sambuchinoās Guide to Formatting and Submitting Your Manuscript Itās the best, covering different kinds of submissions, how to format your query letter, and how to get the specifics down. Everything from margin size, to typeface, to paper, to helpful submission hints.
Chapter length usually depends on who youāre writing for, a Middle Grade chapter is usually going to be shorter than an adult novel. Chapter breaks are basically just scene breaks, end them where they feel natural. Try to limit yourself to fifteen pages a chapter, about 4,000-7,000 words in an 80,000 word novel. The goal is to make sure you have a pace which keeps the story moving and end each chapter in a place where it wraps up something but also leaves a question which encourages your reader to keep turning the page.
Chapter breaks, really, are something to hammer out when youāre revising. When youāre writing the first draft, donāt worry about font, or size, or line breaks, or what size the margins should be, or anything else. If writing in Franklin Gothic 14Ā pt font is where youāre most comfortable, go for it.
Sometimes, I write in times new roman, 12pt, single spaced because itās less intimidating than something that looks official. I canāt write in any program other than Word. I import the pieces of my novel into the Scrivener and use that for formatting scenes into chapters, but not for my first drafts.
When Iām revising and want to rethink where Iām breaking my chapters, I read each one and pay special attention to when I start to getting tired or bored. Now, Iām Type 1 ADHD, I have a really short attention span. But there are plenty of times in my writing where I just keep going, Iāve ended up with 10,000 and even 15,000 word chapters. However, when I edit, I try to read like a reader not a writer. I ask myself: if this was another authorās work, would I be getting bored? Skipping ahead? Tired? When my brain goes āugh so long' and I don't want to keep going, that's when I know it's time to break the chapter.
Finishing a chapter feels like an accomplishment. Each chapter has itās own beginning and itās own end, even though itās part of a larger story. Each one a reader completes should feel like theyāre making progress in the story and keeps them eager to turn the page. I feel like I need to get the end of that chapter and I can put the book down, I hate stopping in the middle. I do this with RPG questlines too, my brain goes āneed to finish this quest!ā because each quest is itās own little story inside the bigger one and if I donāt finish it Iāll lose track.
There is no real rule of thumb for how long a chapter should be. You have to go with what feels right. (And then find out if your beta readers agree with you.)
My biggest personal theory that I bring to the table with revising is this: I do not believe I owe my time and attention to anyone when it comes to my entertainment. If I get bored with a book, skip ahead in a movie, get tired with a game, then I put it down. Iām a huge completionist when it comes to stories that grab me. If I find a show I like, Iāll binge watch all the episodes. I read the Spellsong Cycle and Protector of the Small at least once every year. I own several different copies of each book in the Wheel of Time because I perpetually lose them and need a complete collection, okay? When I love a book or a series, Iāll hole up on a weekend and finish it that weekend. I speed read, I can read 600 page books within 6 hours. If I love it, I donāt put it down. Or if I do, I always pick it up again.
However, my Steam library is full of games I tried but didnāt click with me. There are seasons of some of my favorite shows Iāve never watched because I lost interest. My shelf is full of books I never got past the first twenty pages on or only managed to force myself to the halfway point. Many of those are books which sell well, are very popular, and have legions of fans but I didnāt find I cared. So, I stopped.
I donāt owe my time to anyone just because I bought, borrowed, or rented it. This includes my own writing.
When I revise, I take that attitude in with me. I read it like I would if I were reading it for the first time and the beauty is that I get to change it. When I revise, I create the book that holds my attention. The one I want to read.
I donāt know if any of that helps, but I hope so.
-Michi
