On revisions

I'm in the midst of a set of revisions before sending the novel off to beta readers, and every time I revise, it surprises me just how much time it takes. Really, it shouldn't be surprising. At this point in the game, it's all about cutting out the things that just don't add to the story, and making sure every single last word counts... and that can take a boat load of thinking and time.

That said, it still amazes me what this novel has become. A bit of background: I wrote a draft of Through Charlotte's Eyes in grad school... officially four years now. But the draft was just... okay. Something was missing, some verve, some tension, and so I took a break for a couple years, worked on some other writing pursuits, started my freelance career, tried some new things, got engaged, changed jobs, got married.

Early last year, through the madness that is life, I dove back in. I rewrote my outline, cut it into pieces, and rearranged it again. I deleted entire scenes, entire diary entries, added characters, added more historical context (as long as it pertained to the story)...

When I finished my latest draft just days before the end of 2011, I breathed a big sigh of relief. I finally felt closer to the finish line. But really, in the scheme of things, it's just one step closer. The novel now tells the story I once couldn't grasp. There's something there, a story that I can't wait to share.

But, for now, I'm still trimming words. Staring at the computer screen, asking myself, is this the best way to show this? I like this stage in the process, even if it is a lot of work. And with each revision, each time I highlight a word, hit delete and make a better choice, I'm one step closer.

And what do I keep in mind through this writing process? A quote, because, if you know me, you know I love inspirational quotes.

So, for everyone in the throes of writing and/or revision, just remember:
"Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass."

To NaNoWriMo...or No?

With November 1st just around the corner, published and aspiring authors everywhere are getting ready to crank out at least 50,000 words in the span of one month. That’s National Novel Writing Month for you. I’ve never participated, but for the past couple of years, I’ve been tempted to. But what happens if you’re in the midst of revising/rewriting another WIP?

I’ve toyed with the idea of starting an entirely new novel for the 2010 NaNoWriMo - I have plenty of ideas already spinning around my brain - but I keep reminding myself that’s my reward for finishing the novel I’m working on now. Yes, reward. I enjoy writing after all, otherwise I wouldn’t be doing it at all.

So I’m not doing NaNoWriMo this year. And more likely than not, I’m not participating in the awesomeness that is Miss Snark’s First Victim’s The Baker’s Dozen Agent Auction. I SO want to participate, but I won’t unless Through Charlotte’s Eyes is polished and sparkling. And before it can be that, I need beta readers. But I’m not (quite) there yet either....

November, for me, should just be dubbed NoRevRewMo, or National Revising/Rewriting Month, because that’s what I plan on doing. What about you?

November is revision/rewriting month

I have a confession to make: I haven't done much with the novel for about a month and a half now. At first, I thought it was because I wasn't sure where to go next, but I recently realized that I know exactly what I need to do - I even have a firm idea of where the novel will end - but I let myself get overwhelmed by all the things I need to do. So instead of working on Through Charlotte's Eyes the novel, I've been working on Through Charlotte's Eyes the short stories. My characters now are more fully themselves, and I realized: I just need to dive back in.

And that's when I realized, what perfect timing to think this! November, as all of you writerly people know, is NaNoWriMo - the time for people to dive into a new novel and write as much as possible over the 30 days of November (with a minimum word count of 50,000).

I will not be writing a new novel come November 1st. (This one needs to get out of my head first.) But since I want to make some progress on this novel and since I love having deadlines and since I love having a community of writers to help hold myself accountable, I'm doing my own version of NaNoWriMo. I'm rewriting draft 3.5.

What this involves:
1) Finish changing the novel from 3rd to 1st person POV.
2) Finish adding two new characters in. (This, by far, seems the most overwhelming of all, even though I already know who these characters are).
3) Rewrite/revise, well, pretty much the whole novel. Tightening up scenes, fleshing out others (especially the ones taking place during the French Revolution).

So, yeah, a lot. I'm not going to overwhelm myself more by saying that I'll get this all done by the end of November. After all, I do work 40+ hours a week. I'll be out of town at least one weekend in November... but I'm re-committing myself to finishing this novel in faster than 10 years.

I'm not the first person to think of November as a rewriting/revising month. For that credit, I point you to THE INTERN. If you don't already read her blog, become a follower right now. She is both crazy entertaining and insightful.

Plus, in reading her blog, I came across a comment about a great way to track how much you've written (without keeping your own Excel spreadsheet and wasting time making calculations, which I don't know about you, but this is a big time-waster for me). Interested? Check it out here.

Are you participating in either NaNoWriMo, or the new NaNoReVisMo? How do you keep track of your writing progress? Do you use spreadsheets? Or do you just fly by the seat of your pants?
On my writing agenda for the weekend:
- Revise "Loss" stories
- Come up with a game plan for the novel (i.e. update outline for the novel; yes, I like to outline. I'll post more about this later).

Good luck to everyone, whether you're starting a new project or trying to make headway on an old one.

What I Need to Do

I keep saying that there's "stuff" I need to do to my novel before it's *ready*, but I haven't said what that "stuff" is really. So, here's a rundown, starting with comments I received on my final thesis from my adviser and preceptor at The University of Chicago.

The parallel story lines
Charlotte's storyline in 1792/1793 is much stronger and focused than Anne's in 2005. I'm creating more of a narrative drive for Anne's story by first focusing on what motivates her and why. But these story lines are now merging more than they ever before, because...

Anne and Charlotte: POV
All of my drafts at UofC were in 3rd person. Anne and Charlotte were two distinct characters, even though Anne travelled into the past and saw what Charlotte saw (somewhat like Being John Malkovich) during the French Revolution. The problem that my advisers saw - and which irritated me as I wrote - was that Anne seemed to disappear behind Charlotte as the novel progressed. I've been changing the entire novel from 3rd to 1st, making Anne the central character. In this way, the characters of Anne and Charlotte have merged, and Anne is deciding whether she should follow what she knows of history or forever change what Charlotte is known for, which leads me to...

How does Charlotte become a murderer?
In third person, I wasn't showing enough of why Charlotte decided to kill Marat, especially when she constantly preached moderation and peace. (A couple months ago, I wouldn't have written on my blog what Charlotte was famous for, but since a Google search will tell you, I'm building the plot around things other than Charlotte's murderous act). In first person, and with an Anne becoming Charlotte, Anne has agency. She knows Charlotte's thoughts, has her memories, has to act like she is Charlotte to fool the rest of the world - but does Anne decide to kill Marat? Or does she forever change the course of the French Revolution and of history?

Other than my adviser and preceptor's comments, there's other things I'm working on.

The character's relationships
Especially Anne's relationship to her dad, French grandmother, and Pierre. Anne is one angry teen and she lets her dad and grandmother know it. With Pierre, on the other hand, expect more chemistry than before.

More characters
Anne's going through a lot of personal things, especially in coming to terms with what happened with her mother, and in the first couple drafts of Through Charlotte's Eyes she didn't really have anyone she feels like she could talk to. Charlotte, too, feels isolated and alone because no one in her family agrees with her political beliefs. But isolation doesn't make for plot. I've added a few more characters that act, in ways, like side-kicks to Anne and Charlotte. I wrote a bit about this in my post yesterday.

Anne's rebellion
I originally wrote a few scenes in which Anne decides to not do something because she knows her grandmother wouldn't approve. (Like go to Caen - where Charlotte lived for about ten years - because of the riots ravaging the countryside). But as I'm changing the POV from 3rd to 1st, these scenes don't jibe with who Anne is. So, now, Anne's rebelling. And, oh, the drama that this creates! Gotta love the drama.

Paris
I need to visit Paris. That trip will affect so much of this novel that I can't even consider myself close to finished until I make it there. Trip dates: TBD - but know that I will go there (hopefully by the end of the year).

These are just some of the things I'm working on that are the reasons why the novel isn't ready yet. Slowly but surely, I'm getting there.