 |
| 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
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.
