So if all goes well, this will be my first house! It's not much to look at from the outside right now, but I have big plans for landscaping and some repainting. The inside is very cute with some unique characteristics, though. And the backyard is huge! When I was there for the inspection, I watched two bunnies running around in the forested part of the yard--so cute!
I've been haphazardly packing the apartment, trying to keep some things out and unsure what to do with others...so basically, the apartment is a wreck with boxes everywhere. I like to have neat surroundings whenever I'm working on something big writing-wise, so the chaos isn't helping me think.
I'm still waiting on Evan to finish reading my rough draft, and he's getting closer. I've slowly started my story bible. So far I've got some of the world-building and a lot of the mythology, but nothing much else.
This is where I need help: I've never revised before. I have three messy novels sitting on my hard drive, all worthy ideas, all still untouched because I'd rather write a new messy one than try to clean up an old. But I really want to polish FOUR up and try my hand at sending it out, thus revision looms.
I have Donald Maass' The Fire in Fiction and The Breakout Novelist and am reading through them again with revision in mind, but I'd welcome any and all information you guys think might help me. Personal methods, links, websites, worksheets--anything!
And because it's been so long, a picture of my fur babes:
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| I was dyeing my hair. They were supervising. |
13 comments:
I love your kitties so very much :-)
Is that your soon to be home? Awwwwwww!!! It looks so heavenly! it's got TREES!!! How lovely!!!! Yay!!!
Oh wow - three drafts!! GOOD LUCK!! Am sending you virtual extra special choccies and a glass of el rouge vino! LOL!! Double yay!!
Your babies are adorable. So grown!! Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww!! I hope they snoopervise your packing and moving out too! LOL! Take care
x
This is such an exciting time in your life! Try to enjoy every second of your move, and the whole settling rigmarole. Moving is always a hassle, but you'll look back fondly on this adventure. Yes, even the annoying parts -- they make good stories. ;)
Exciting! I would LOVE to buy a house. Since studios in Manhattan run for around a million, I think I'll keep renting . . .
I'm kind of in the same boat as you -- three unpolished novels. So I'm working on my fourth. But THAT one, at least, I plan to edit, edit, edit. Just ordered "The Fire in Fiction." Have you read it before? I'm really excited!
I think your new house is adorable! You must post more pictures after landscaping!
As far as revisions go, my biggest asset is having critique partners. They point out holes I'm too blinded by love to see, repetition, excess... if you don't have a pair of trustworthy, kind yet truthful, critique buddies, GET THEM!
Next, it helps me to print out my story, chapter by chapter with nice gaps in between the lines so I can write in notes, and put sticky notes with extra ideas here and there. Then I make my changes on the computer, tweaking what I had handwritten yet again. Then off it goes to the critique buddies, who come back with less notes, and revise again. That's the way it's been working for me.
I don't really use any "formal" system, and I don't have fancy links of resources to give you. I'm more of a pantser in all areas of writing :)
Good luck!
That's great news on the house!
I like doing revisions. I just keep rereading, fixing things, sometimes reading out loud to find what doesn't sound right. Now that I'm making changes as suggested by my critique partners, I'm relly into the nitty-gritty.
I love your soon-to-be-yours house! And you have trees and bunnies!!!
Our ordeal was a nightmare (seller) but our agent was invaluable. I'm glad yours is going smoothly. I loved painting, too. Makes it more your own. I'm so excited for you!
Yeah.....I'm learning how to do revisions, myself. Not a clue, just rewriting and trying to make it better.....some plan, huh?
The kitties look comfy, lol :)
The house is charming. You should be very proud!
The revisions- oh, I've run into the rewrite-instead-of-revising sand trap myself, so I can relate. Be careful! I ended up with several great ways to tell the same scenes and then had to choose. The trouble was that they all had great details that would move the story in different directions and it was tricky to sew all those details together into one draft. However, it can be done. Let us know how it's coming!
Summer!! I commented on this post on Thursday and bad bad BAD blogger's taken it away!! LOL!!!!
I remember saying about your wonderful TREES!!! LOL!
Beautiful home, lovely kitties, bad Blogger and hugs to you and yours!! Good luck with your move!!
Take care
x
I haven't even written my first book, so I can't help you with revisions. If I do anything like my blog posts, what I will end up with will be totally different from what I started with.
As to the new house, it is cute and I can see a lot of potential there. Moving is something I know a LOT about... unfortunately. And we are looking to move again. Know of any small farms in the Mountains???
Pamela Jo
What an adorable house! :)
Revising is actually pretty fun. At least it is for me. Donald gives great advice,, so have fun with revisions!
I love the house! It looks like a great place to start something.
Hope all is going well with the house! So very excited for you two. Yay!
I'm still learning about revisions, so I don't have any good advice yet. Reading through the whole thing and making notes in the margins helped. I'm working through the first half of those changes now.
Good luck with the house and your revisions! Love those kitties. :)
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