One at a Time...

Once a year, usually in September, I clean my kitchen cabinets. It's a job I hate. I have to sort through boxes of food and throw anything stale out (recycling the boxes), go through dishes (how many water bottles do we need???) and decide what appliances/gadgets to get rid of (veg-ini anyone?). Then I have to clean the cabinets on the inside and clean/polish the outside. It's time consuming. No one notices unless I don't do it. And no one else will do it for me. (Well, I could pay someone I guess, but would they do it the way I like it?)

To do it all at once is overwhelming. Too many cabinets, drawers, and time. But it has to be done (with 3 boys in the house, it gets to be a mess).

So, I set a goal of one cabinet a day. If I miss a day because of other obligations, then two the next (even if it's the two smallest, it's still two). Eventually, it gets done and I am relieved for another year (until someone spills something and doesn't clean it up).

It's the same with this old manuscript I'm trying to revise from adult paranormal to new adult. It's a mess (I didn't think so, but several years of dust collected on top of it while hidden in the closet). I need to get rid of clutter, throw out anything that's bad, and reorganize what I keep. Like the cabinets, the manuscript must be organized and workable.

But I so don't want to do this, it's overwhelming (and I'm sure anyone who knows me knows I HATE multiple revisions). This manuscript is 385 pages. To do it all at once, I think I'd rather clean the cabinets. But like the cabinets, if I do one, two chapters a day, it will get done. With no deadline, there's no panic. Plenty of time. Maybe too much time because I don't feel any pressure. Some people, like me, work better under pressure so I'll impose one on myself. I want to be done with cleaning the kitchen by the time school starts in September. I want to be done with this revision by November so I can work on my NaNoWriMo project. In between I have scheduled book events, blogs to write, bell practice/performances, holidays, family obligations, and who knows what else will come up.

Here's my attack plan:

1- Inventory. (What do I have in the cabinets, what's in the story outline?)
2- Check what's no good. (Is that box of crackers stale? Is that plot thread working?)
3- Empty the trash. (Yep, box of crackers and can of nuts have to go. And that character is dead to me.)
4- Rearrange what's left. (All crackers on one shelf, straighten out plot hole left by dead & gone character.)
5- Restock. (Buy new crackers that everyone will eat, add details to smooth out plot changes.)
6- Polish. (Coat of wax on wooden cabinets, read through for any grammar, spelling, or other mistakes.)
7- Start the next project. (Cleaning out closets, working on NaNo project.)

Now I have to clean two cabinets and revise two chapters since I spent yesterday reading, thinking about what to write for this post, and doing physical therapy for my knee (nothing serious). No excuses, just gotta do it.

Keep cleaning- cabinets, manuscripts, whatever...


Char

Announcing... The End - and The Beginning.

It's over. No begging for one more day.

NaNoWriMo 2015 is history.

Didn't finish your manuscript?

Didn't make the 50,000 word count?

Vowing to never do NaNoWriMo again because you feel like a failure?

But... what about all your accomplishments?

Yes, you've achieved something.

You made a commitment to write.
You wrote words, sentences, paragraphs, chapters.
You created characters and scenes.
You looked at your work with a critical eye as you wrote and mentally made notes what needed to be revised, re-written, or removed.
You talked with others, exchanging information or tips or encouragement.
You were part of a large community which stretched beyond your writing space- across your town, state, nation, continent.
You're burning to finish your book.

That's quite a list of accomplishments. Stand up straight and proud, and let your voice be strong when you talk about all of these.

Now it's time to Begin. Whether you've finished your book or still have to wrap it up, you need one more thing:

Revisions.

You, me, Stephen King, James Patterson, JK Rowling- we all need to smooth and polish and sharpen our work. No one gets away from doing it.

So in February (yes, I know it's a short month) we're all going to do #NaNoRevMo (National Novel Writing Revision Month). I have manuscripts to revise, and by February all the holidays are behind us. You have all of January to finish your work. Since you've whittled down the 50,000 by whatever word count you have, you can finish it without the frantic pressure. But use the routine you had (or maybe should have had...) during #NaNoWriMo should help to keep you going until you type The End.

While you're finishing up or taking a break, I will post revision tips from authors, editors, agents. Some posts may be a repeat of what you've seen. Don't even look at them until your novel is finished. Then, we'll all starting revising on February 1st. It should take you less time to do this initial revision than it took to write your novel. Hopefully you won't have to scrap and rewrite large chunks, but if you do, that's okay! There are no prizes for finishing by February 28th so don't fret. The goal is to revise- not to make yourself so frustrated that you quit.

Let's do this.

And when we're done, we'll chat about our experiences and share our accomplishments.

Till then,

Char