The Ten R's of Revision by author Lee Wardlaw #ChaBooCha #LeeWardlaw

picture via Lee Wardlaw

The Ten R's of Revision

1. Revel

You’ve written an entire chapter book in one month. That’s huge.

Revel in your accomplishment. Well done!

2. Rest

Take a nap. Take two naps. You need a little R & R to Refuel and Refresh your creative juices.

3. Refrigerate

Put your manuscript on ice. It needs time to cool. Don’t look at it for at least two weeks. Three is better. Four is best. An editor will read it cold. So you need to, too.

4. Re-Read

Print out your manuscript, grab paper and pencil, settle into a comfy chair, and read. Avoid revising – instead, make notes on your characters, plot, pacing, conflict, setting, point of view, etc., that might need work.

5. Reject

Ignore the Internal Critic who uses Reproach and Ridicule to convince you this is The World’s Worst Novel, and that you might as well just give up now. (This is a rough draft. Of course it stinks! But you’re going to make it better. Trust me.)

6. Repeat #4

Re-read your manuscript again. Did you notice anything else that needs work? (Bet you did!)

7. Ransack!

At last – time to revise! Be Ruthless. Rearrange scenes, Restructure the plot, Remove or Replace characters, Raise the stakes, Re-check your facts (maybe do more Research), etc.

8. Read Aloud

Re-read your manuscript again, chapter by chapter – but this time, read it out loud. Does your story flow – or stumble?  Are you boring yourself? Time to Raise the stakes again! Do your characters sound Realistic? If not, delve deeper into their minds. Does every scene, sentence, and bit of dialogue further the plot in some way? If not, chuck it. Use Reason, not emotion. Never keep something just because it’s a beautiful piece of writing.

9. Rally

I know you’re tired. Hang in there. You’re almost finished. Just one or two (or three) more read-throughs…

10. Rejoice!

At last – the revision is finished. Celebrate – and submit! (The manuscript, that is.)

BONUS R: ‘RITE!

Time’s up! Get back in your chair and write another chapter book!

About the author

Lee Wardlaw swears that her first spoken word was 'kitty'. Since then, she's shared her life with 30 cats (not all at the same time!) and published 30 books for children, tweens, and teens, which have sold more than a million copies world wide. Her newest novel, 101 Ways to Bug Your Friends and Enemies (Puffin and Scholastic, ages 10-14), the third book in her popular 101 Ways to Bug...series, received the National Forward Literature Award for Humor; her picture book Won Ton - A Cat Tale Told in Haiku (Holt, ages 5 and up), illustrated by Eugene Yelchin, was the recipient of 40 awards and honors, including the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, the Myra Cohn Livingston Poetry Award, and the SCBWI Crystal Kite Award. Won Ton and Chopstick - A Cat and Dog Tale Told in Haiku, a companion title to Won Ton, was released earlier this month. Lee lives in Santa Barbara with her family.  To learn more about her and her books, visit: http://www.leewardlaw.com

 http://pawstoread.comTwitter: @LeeWardlawFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/leewardlaw

Give-away

Today's give-away is a copy of "You Can Write Children's Books Workbook" by Tracey E. Dils. If you are a signed-up member of the challenge, all you need to do to be entered to win is to comment on this post on the blog. Winners will be chosen by a random number generator by noon on March 31st and announced on the same day.

Give-away for ChaBooCha Jr. members

If you have signed up as an under-16 member of the challenge, you can enter a give-away for a copy of  "Writing Advice for Teens" by Mike Kalmbach. Just leave a comment on this post on the blog to enter. If you are using the e-mail/account of a parent who is also a member of the challenge, please leave the name you signed up for ChaBooCha Jr. under in your comment. Winners will be chosen by a random number generator by noon on March 31st and announced on the same day. You must be signed up for ChaBooCha Jr or ChaBooCha and be under 16 to qualify.

Happily-Ever-Afters: What Makes a Satisfying Chapter Book Ending by Lee Wardlaw #ChaBooCha

Happily-Ever-Afters:

What Makes a Satisfying Chapter Book Ending

by Lee Wardlaw 

• ·         If you introduced a problem at the beginning of your story (and you’d better have! Remember: Character + Conflict = Plot), it must be solved by the end of the story. Avoid dangling threads and endings left up to the reader’s imagination. Children need closure. They want to turn the last page of a book knowing that all is right with the world – even if only for that moment.  

• ·     Your protagonist must always solve the story’s problem herself.  A helicopter parent, doting aunt, or kindly teacher may not charge in to save the day. Your book is for children – so give them the power! It’s something they have little of in their day-to-day lives.

• ·     If the protagonist can’t solve her problem without the story coming off as phony or pretty-pink-perfect, she must at least learn how to deal with and accept the situation – and grow from it. 

• ·     Your protagonist must change in some significant way by the end of the book. She should learn something about herself and/or the world around her; your readers will take those insights away with them, too.

• ·     Your ending must fit the story and your characters. Avoid out-of-left-field revelations, unbelievable villain turnarounds, and sappy, sentimental solutions.

• ·     Never, ever, use the story ending as an opportunity to whack your readers over the head with a moral sledgehammer. Yes, every book has a theme and take-home message – but those will be subtle and secondary to the entertainment value of the story.

• ·     Make certain that your characters always land in better places than they began.  This gives your readers hope – and the knowledge that life is worth living.

• ·     End the story when it ends.  As soon as the problem is solved or the situation accepted, your story is over. Tie loose ends quickly –and pat yourself on the back for a job well done!

Lee Wardlaw is the award-winning author of close to 30 books for children, tweens and teens, which have sold more than a million copies world-wide. Her latest novel, 101 WAYS TO BUG YOUR FRIENDS AND ENEMIES (Penguin, ages 10-14), is the recipient of the Forward National Literature Award for Humor and a California Collections Book. http://www.leewardlaw.com

Today's prize is "How to Write for Children and Get Published" by Louise Jordan. If you are already signed up for the challenge, all you have to do to be entered to win it is to leave a comment on this post no later than noon GMT on the 31st of March.