Today is Start Revisions On Book day.
I’ve been putting it off all morning, by doing other work-related stuff like research queries and course planning. But now it’s time (as soon as I finish blogging, obviously). Here is what I’m going to do:
I’m going to print the whole thing out, all 504 pages. Or at least as much as I have the paper and/or toner for.
I’m going to sit down with a pen and a pencil and the stack of paper, and a notebook. I may also use post-its.
As I read, I’m going to make notes about what I have to change in the notebook and on the ms.
I’ll make smaller revisions right there on the page.
I’ll have a separate notebook page for research queries.
I may stop halfway through and make some continuity charts.
I will babble in an incomprehensible way to my husband, and then if he tries to reply, I will tell him to be quiet because I’M WORKING.
I will probably stop every half hour or so to make tea and check Twitter.
I may stop in despair and tear my hair out because it’s so crap.
Starting revisions is really scary. I give myself permission on the first draft to write crap, but as of today, that permission is over. I have to give this shapeless piece of prose a shape. I have to make it readable and interesting and coherent. And I actually enjoy all of that process, but the scary part is, I HAVE TO READ THE DAMN FIRST DRAFT FIRST. In all its crapness and wrongness and horror.
I’m firing up the printer. Will keep you notified.
Think of it as cleaning the kitchen. It looks lovely and gleaming when you’ve done.
But cleaning the kitchen doesn’t take as long and doesn’t require you to Stare Deep Into The Depths Of Your Inadequacy.
Well, sometimes it does. But usually you can remedy that with oven cleaner.
You’re right. And Cillit Bang doesn’t work as well on a manuscript. Makes the pages soggy.
Dear Julie,
I should not be here.
I have revisions to do.
I am scared.
Lots of love,
Rach.
XX
p.s
I downloaded my MS onto an Ereader to save trees and ink (am impoverished writer). You can still scribble all over it–just not in red pen.
R
XX
Glad to learn how you set about editing, Julie. I’m not very good at editing on the screen I have to hbave the ms in front of me, looks more like a novel (as if!) that way. [ plus writing on the screen in highlighter pen is NOT to be recommended all you children out there.]Good luck with it, anyway
Nicolette, I do, however, find that the judicious application of a scouring pad to ms pages can work wonders.
Good luck Rach! You can do it!
I couldn’t edit on an e-reader. Like Lizzie, I need to have the pages in front of me to scribble on, cross, out, flip and write on the back of. I get the saving of trees and ink though. I make sure I re-use my ms pages after editing—they get grocery lists, Fecklet drawings, etc etc all over the backs.
You’ve buoyed my spirits Julie! I’ve been putting off going through my ms I’ve recently had critiqued for ages but yesterday I bought a notebook to do exactly what you’ve suggested. Although reading your blog, I’m thinking I might need a couple of extra…
Julie, I kill trees too. There is a whole blinking forest in my wardrobe. Today I have dived into my WIP as the kids have gone back school! Hope it all goes well for you.
I usually don’t use a notebook, Lisa, I usually use loose paper so I can shuffle it around, but I’ve used it all up printing out this manuscript!!
Good luck with your revisions—is this the ms you sent for the course? Let me know how you’re getting on. I’ll try to bring in some of my revision things to talk about methods.
Lara, I came from a paper manufacturing town. It’s all good for the economy! Use paper, I say! It’s recyclable and renewable and if you get really annoyed, you can always start a bonfire!
I had to do that at the beginning of August. It was horrible. The story wasn’t quite as bad as I remembered, but close. And I had to fix it, which took ages.
But now it’s in 2nd edits and I have hopes that it won’t be a total disaster!
Sela, I have hopes that it won’t be as bad as I think it will be, but I’m actually only on page 5 after 5 hours, so the hopes aren’t too high.
Yours will be fine, I’m sure. I have the greatest confidence in you!
I, too, edit on a hard copy. And I also saved the paper for AC to draw on the backs of. Then she got old enough to read. She had to start bringing me paper to read before she was allowed to draw on it…
Ah, yes, that can be a problem. Not something I have to worry about for a couple of years at least though.
Which particular pages were you banning?
I’d be cleaning the house instead right now. That’s what revising does to me. I don’t even like cleaning. It’s sick. You’re a brave woman Julie Cohen, I hope your printer is up to the job
I did clean, after a fashion. Half-assed, as usual.
My printer is a workhorse, no-frills laser that churns out the pages, bless it. I’m not worried about the printer. Me, on the other hand—that’s always a worry.
Do you have a very clean house then, Lacey?
Haha! Only when I’ve been using the cleaning to avoid doing the things I REALLY should be doing