Comments on: Revising your novel in 10 easy steps http://www.annelyle.com/blog/writing/revising-your-novel-in-10-easy-steps/ Writer of historical fantasy Wed, 22 May 2013 05:29:21 +0000 hourly 1 By: Ingrid Yaple http://www.annelyle.com/blog/writing/revising-your-novel-in-10-easy-steps/#comment-618 Ingrid Yaple Wed, 04 Jul 2012 21:24:45 +0000 http://www.annelyle.com/?p=1747#comment-618 you hit it right on the nose. How do you turn your brain off? If I knew Anne, I’d fall asleep a whole lot faster! :)

]]> By: Anne http://www.annelyle.com/blog/writing/revising-your-novel-in-10-easy-steps/#comment-616 Anne Wed, 04 Jul 2012 06:24:08 +0000 http://www.annelyle.com/?p=1747#comment-616 Glad you find it useful! Time off, eh? It would be nice, but that would require turning my brain off :)

]]> By: Ingrid Yaple http://www.annelyle.com/blog/writing/revising-your-novel-in-10-easy-steps/#comment-614 Ingrid Yaple Tue, 03 Jul 2012 21:08:33 +0000 http://www.annelyle.com/?p=1747#comment-614 Very timely! I just asked some fellow writers in my writing group suggestions as to how to re-write one’s draft. I have printed out my first draft which I like to do so I can sit back and read it comfortably. Since my story does have a subplot and goes back and forth, the ‘weaving’ is very important to keep track off. I am lucky that I do have some very good proof reader types amongs my writers group. We get together at least twice if not three times a month so feedback is always guaranteed. however, finding the time and learning time management over the summer with kids in and out of summer camp has proven to be the challenge of the moment. Still, I appreciate the work you put into this post since I figured that after you were done with your final draft the other day, you probably wanted to take some time “off”. Would not have blamed you if you did. I will print this out plus check out your references [no, not procrastinating, really ehem] before I can fully pay attention to the actual work. Thanks again Anne!

]]> By: Anne http://www.annelyle.com/blog/writing/revising-your-novel-in-10-easy-steps/#comment-613 Anne Tue, 03 Jul 2012 16:25:58 +0000 http://www.annelyle.com/?p=1747#comment-613 Actually, I think you’re right – I’m not sure either that listing the characters in a scene is all that useful. I did notice one scene where a character disappeared halfway through a conversation, but the cards didn’t help with that!

]]> By: Rachael Stephen (mythicflux/kisswithafist) http://www.annelyle.com/blog/writing/revising-your-novel-in-10-easy-steps/#comment-612 Rachael Stephen (mythicflux/kisswithafist) Tue, 03 Jul 2012 15:56:53 +0000 http://www.annelyle.com/?p=1747#comment-612 This was really interesting! Your stuff about scenes vs narrative units is bang on with me, my current book is very complicated, lots of pov characters and interweaving threads/plots, so I’ve also got places where the POV changes partway through a Narrative Unit (I think I might start calling them N.U.s or noos)etc. It might be cool to note on my cards where N.U.s start and end compared to scenes (might show some interesting patterns?).

I’m also a big fan of dividing all the cards pertaining to one thread/plot and looking at how they come together as a cohesive story, I often find I have big chunks of time missing where important things are happening with other plots. I number all my cards with a) where they come in the story b) absolute sequential order (as Holly calls it) but I also do c) number them according to their position in their plot. So a card might affect both subplots A and D, and be scene 3/9 for plot A and scene 8/13 for plot D. It sounds complicated I guess, but maybe rigorous thread tracking is my equivalent of word-count obsessing xD

One thing I’ve kind of dropped from my routine is adding the names of the characters involved in the scene, I’ve not yet found a use for it (and I’m super protective of writing-space on my index cards), does it help you in any way?

Your technique of noting the first appearances of characters and locations is cool though, i’ve never tried that and I think I’d get some interesting results so that might be one for the toolbox for me.

Anyway that’s enough rambling from me, nice post!

(:

]]> By: VictoriaH http://www.annelyle.com/blog/writing/revising-your-novel-in-10-easy-steps/#comment-611 VictoriaH Tue, 03 Jul 2012 14:49:42 +0000 http://www.annelyle.com/?p=1747#comment-611 Yikes, that’s an angry looking avatar! ^^

]]> By: VictoriaH http://www.annelyle.com/blog/writing/revising-your-novel-in-10-easy-steps/#comment-610 VictoriaH Tue, 03 Jul 2012 14:47:36 +0000 http://www.annelyle.com/?p=1747#comment-610 This is very interesting, and probably the most useful how to revise/edit a novel advice I’ve read. Going to link to it in the writing resources section of my blog.

Thanks! :)

]]> By: Anne http://www.annelyle.com/blog/writing/revising-your-novel-in-10-easy-steps/#comment-607 Anne Tue, 03 Jul 2012 12:48:55 +0000 http://www.annelyle.com/?p=1747#comment-607 It’s a lot less physical than the process Holly teaches, in which a paper printout is mandatory, along with handwritten revisions. All of them. Given how rough my first drafts are, I found I just couldn’t work like that – but I did keep the index card stage because it’s more flexible and intuitive than even the best software.

]]> By: Paul (@princejvstin) http://www.annelyle.com/blog/writing/revising-your-novel-in-10-easy-steps/#comment-606 Paul (@princejvstin) Tue, 03 Jul 2012 12:25:05 +0000 http://www.annelyle.com/?p=1747#comment-606 Thanks, Anne.

Comprehensive and illuminating.

I had expected a less physical process, but if this works for you, then who am I to judge? :)

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