Looking Through a New Set of Eyes

For me, December is never a huge month for writing. The holidays get in the way and to be honest, I'm just plain burnt out by NaNoWriMo. This year is no different. The thought of writing right now is exhausting, but I must admit, I miss it. I decided to do the next best thing...the four letter word to some writers...

Edit.

Now, I know that's not very unusual. A lot of people edit their first drafts in the month of December. Their NaNo stories are still fresh in their mind and they can continue the flow and pace they kept up all in the month of November. To finish the draft and begin to make it coherent (because, seriously, how many NaNoWriMo words seriously survive the first edits?). See, this is where I'm doing something different. I have decided to push away the two new stories I've been working on (the one I started about six months ago, and my NaNoWriMo project) and focus on something that I'm not so close to anymore.

I've started editing the story, Lost and Found, that I queried about a year and a half ago. I'd pushed it out of my mind, pushed it far in the depths of my drawers and my computer folders. I realized last month, it may be the time to bring it back into the light. It has been awhile since I've even thought about it, much less read it.

It's funny how different each word looks on the paper now. How foreign the words are to me. I used to know this story by heart, it was a map of my mind. Now, it's just words on a page and that is exactly how I want it to be. I'm able to edit from a distance. See the mistakes that were always there, but I was unable to pluck them out because I always knew which word came next.

I hope I can be objective through the whole process and begin to query again the next few months. I love the story, and I want others to love it as well. Wish me luck!

NaNoWrimo is on its Way!

I know that we're only a week into October, but don't forget, NaNoWrimo is right around the corner. Despite not taking part in it this year, YAedge is always a huge supporter. I've done five out of the last six, and each year that I don't, it makes me a little sad.

To me, NaNoWrimo is more than 1,667 words a day or 50,000 in a month. It's a lesson that every word doesn't need to be right, the first draft doesn't need to be perfect. It's a community of writers, online and in my hometown that I may not have met otherwise. It's motivation to prove to myself that I can work every day, and still have time for other things in my life that I love to do.

This next month, I won't be focusing on a new story, but continuing my work on Parlor, my NaNoWrimo book from last year. As I did the last 1k-a-day, I will be focusing on editing. This time, I'm not going to give myself a daily word or edit count, but a challenge to myself to work hard each day. It's easy to get distracted, even when I have the whole day to write, by other things.

For those of you participating in NaNoWrimo this year, be sure to start thinking about your story, plotting it out and developing your characters. I usually fly by the seat of my pants to some extent during NaNo, but you will thank yourself for any pre-NaNo work you can get done. On the days where you don't have much time, or are having a tough writing day, having a plan and really knowing your characters will take you far.

I'd love to hear how many of you plan to participate this November, and what you've done so far to prepare.

On an off topic note, for those of you keeping track, I've started reading Frankenstein for my One Classic a Month Challenge. So far, it's not what I was expecting, but I'm enjoying it. I plan to continue to read modern YA while enjoying the classics, so it will be a little slower than my normal pace. As long as I finish in October, I'll be set!

Did anyone decide to join us in reading a classic a month?

Editing for a Reason

I know the title of this post is obvious. OF COURSE you edit for a reason, but let me elaborate. Before submitting my query to agents, I made several passes of Lost and Found. My two crit partners went through the whole thing, including a few chapters more than once. When all was said and done, the whole thing had been read and edited five + times and the beginning probably close to ten.

Since the first edits, I’ve queried many agents, getting a few requests for partials and fulls. One agent last week asked for a two-page synopsis and the first 30 pages of the manuscript (as I blogged about last week). Luckily, she got back to me right away since I was on pins and needles. She loved the premise, thought the writing was good, but said that the pacing was too slow. If I would cut the book (which was 83,400 words) “a lot” she would love for me to re-query.

Considering her letter, I had to agree. Despite going over the beginning several times, I could cut it down and get to the point. The pacing wasn’t fast and I didn’t get to my conflict soon enough. It’s funny how you can view something so different when someone points out the obvious.

Now I’m working on trimming it down to around 65,000 words (which would be around 18,000 shorter). The task is tough, yet in the end, even if the agent who made the suggestion doesn’t want to take myself and the book on as a client, I know that I will end up with a better book.

Remember when editing, get to the conflict as fast as possible. Grab the reader from the start and don’t let go. Read the first 30 pages over several times. Are there plot points that you never integrate into the rest of the book? If there is, cut it and get to the point. Readers want to be pulled in from the first word, not the fiftieth page.

Writing a 2 Page Synopsis...OY!

This week I had a request from an agent I was really excited about. Stoked would probably be a word you could use for my emotions when realizing she wanted to see my story. Then I read her letter. She asked for the first 30 pages which was no problem at all. The first 30 were set and ready to go. Then I read the rest of her request… a two page synopsis.

Crap.

The dreaded synopsis. I know I said the same thing when I talked about writing a query. Everyone dreads a query, but a full synopsis is definitely a different beast. How do you summarize the whole book from start to finish in 500-600 words (two pages double-spaced pages)? That is exactly what I asked myself after I received the request. I’m not saying my synopsis is great, or that I even know how to write one, but here is how I went about mine.

1. First, I went chapter by chapter and wrote a sentence or two about each one. What was important in the chapter?

2. Once I finished going through the chapters the synopsis was four pages and a bunch of choppy sentences with no flow. At a loss, I stared at it and didn’t see how I could possibly cut it in half. That’s where the soul searching comes in. Ask yourself what the real conflict is in the story. THAT is what your synopsis should focus on.

3. Now I have the four pages staring back at me, what next? I read through and deleted all the unneeded stuff; Subplot, side characters or things that didn’t fall into the real conflict and solution in the story.

4. Left was the important stuff. From the first line to the last, the synopsis should tell the heart of your story. If not, go back and figure what’s really important. That should be all you care about at this point. Is it worthy of even a word when we’re talking about 500-600 within two pages? No? It ends up on the cutting room floor.

5. Here’s the second hardest part (the first being #3 and #4). My guess is you have about three pages, maybe a little less. It’s time to not only transition the paragraphs into your story, but to find all of the unnecessary words that are taking up space. Each line…each WORD is taking up valuable space. It better deserve to be there. That is essential.

6. Now that you’ve looked at each work, read it over 100 times. Read it out loud. Does it tell your story the best way possible? Is there conflict and resolution? Is everything clear?

7. Now have your critique partners read it over and comment. They know your story (or should) almost as well as you do. Do they think the synopsis portrays the story?

8. Here’s what I found invaluable. I had my husband read my synopsis and help chop it. He has only read the first 60 pages of Lost and Found. He knows the basic idea but has no attachment to the side characters or subplots. He was able to give a new perspective that I couldn’t have, nor my crit partners.

9. Now send that synopsis out if you think it’s the best way to tell your story. Make sure it’s double-spaced (if it’s more than one page), 12pt, Times New Roman with 1” borders. Oh yeah, and don’t forget to breathe.

When You Realize It's Time to Say Good-bye

I was reading Miss Snark’s First Victim (an amazing blog- if you haven’t visited before, it’s a must) the other day. It made me realize I hadn’t paid enough attention to my “hook”, the first 250 words of chapter 1. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned much about my book, Lost and Found, but it’s in 'he said/she said' format. Reading the first 250 words made me realize I started with the wrong point of view, the wrong character.

It’s great to understand this now, when I’m still knee deep in the editing process. One of the many things I’ve learned in the process of writing and editing this book; it’s never too late to say good-bye to those scenes you love, but don’t have a purpose. Every scene, no matter how amazing you think it is, if it doesn’t have a purpose, say your good-byes and then press Ctrl-x (or command-x for all the Macs out there).

Never be afraid to think outside the box when editing. If the book gets better because of cuts you don’t want to make, it’s worth it. Even if a few important lines get cut, try to work them in somewhere else. You may be surprised how easy it is to slip in an explanation here or there that gives a scene more meaning later, but also keeps that unneeded scene on the cutting room floor.

Now I must go back to cutting my unneeded scenes. Another thing I’ve learned? Cutting scenes always leads to editing and cutting more. It’s like a snowball effect.

The Juggling Act

I’m in the middle (literally, I’m on chapter 14 out of 28) of editing Lost and Found, my current work in progress. I’m actually having a great time, excited about my changes and implementing my fab crit partners’ notes. Things are going good. I’m happy.

The creative part of my brain? Not so much.

I had an idea a few months ago for a new story, several actually. I wrote one-liners down for each one in my Moleskine and thought that was the end of it, at least for awhile. Unfortunately, one idea has been haunting me...in the shower, at work, eating lunch. Plot points and dialogue will pop into my head at the worst of times. I write them down when I can, tuck my notebook away and go back to Lost and Found.

Originally, I told myself that I wouldn’t start a new book until my current WIP was ready for the query process. I wanted to give all of my attention to Lost and Found because I believe in it. Editing half the book, writing the query and synopsis, as well as getting feedback from friends is still in my future. Lost and Found is very much not there.

Now flash forward to the end of last week when I was innocently washing my hair (see? always the shower) and chapter one of the new idea (very different plot than Lost and Found) started to pour out of me like water from the faucet. I quickly rinsed off, wrapped the towel around me and bee lined to my notebook. As my hair dripped upon the pages streaking the fresh ink of my pen, the words flowed through me like I was possessed. Before I knew it, I was running late to work but, had most of the first chapter on paper.

I’m not sure what to do, so I'm asking for all of your help via the comments. Do I continue with my original plan and just focus on Lost and Found, or do I try to juggle both stories?