|
|
|
|
January 26, 2016 / 012616
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
Revisions – An Early Fiction Checklist
By Linda Wilson
My backpack-on-wheels travels everywhere with me. In it I schlep my old,
heavy laptop, my iPad, if I stack them right quite a few books and my
Kindle, at least one three-ring binder and my trusty pencil bag,
which includes a highlighter, pencils, erasers and a pencil
sharpener; different color pens, a mini-stapler, small post-its for
note-taking, a flash drive, and paper clips. I'm ready to work, either
electronically or on paper, at the drop of a #2 pencil.
Writing on the Run
Deep in the throes of revision while having to go on a recent short
trip, I had to face that writing time would be hit or miss; normally
squeezed in whenever there's a free moment. To really dig in, though, I
wanted to take more than could possibly fit in my catch-all bag: a
dictionary, my thesaurus, reference books, as-of-yet unread writing
books, etc., etc. Knowing this was impossible, I took a break to think
about what I could realistically get accomplished on the trip, sat back
and read an article, "4 Tips for Writing Scenes," by Ingrid Sundberg, http://ingridsnotes.wordpress.com/2014/07/01/4-tips-for-writing-great-scenes/.
Sundberg's article changed everything. Maybe I couldn't have all my
tools, but I was at a place in my story where a preliminary check would
be helpful. After a cursory look at my WIP with Sundberg's advice in
mind, I made a startling discovery. The drama and emotion I thought I'd
poured into my draft--heart, gut, and soul--didn't have the impact I'd
envisioned. An editor might even call my scenes downright flimsy! I
chose three areas that Sundberg suggested need to be present in each
scene and decided not to wait until the end of the entire draft
to consider them, but to review them early in the draft and see what
would happen.
Three Scene Booster Musts
I backtracked to Chapter One and evaluated each scene according to Three Scene Boosters suggested in Sundberg's post. In each scene, I isolated these three areas:
- Significant Emotional Change: Does your character go through some sort of emotional change?
In Chapter 1, my character is sleepy and bored after starting out in
the wee hours of the morning on a long ride home from a camping trip.
Her grandfather's VW Bug starts to pick up speed. She stiffens as his
car careens down a narrow mountain road, faster and faster. She is
thrown side to side clinging to her stuffed animal, her only comfort.
Her short life flashes before her, like the car's headlights that are
sweeping ever faster past a thick forest of trees. These minutes--seconds--could be her last.
Revised emotional change: I needed to show a starker contrast between my character's boredom and fear.
- Dramatic Action: What action does your character take to get out of the bind she finds herself in?
To read the rest of this article (and share it), please go to:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Writing goes hand-in-hand with marketing. If you want to take your book marketing up a notch, check out:
Give Your Author/Writer Business a Boost with Inbound Marketing
It's a 4-week, in-depth, interactive WOW! Women on Writing e-class that covers basic website optimization, blogging, email marketing, and even social media marketing. All the elements needed to boost your visibility, authority, and sales.
|
| |
|
|
PERMISSION TO REPRINT
Sorry, this article isn't allowed to be reprinted!
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Article Writing Doctor
Your Content Writing Prescription for Home and Small Business
Karen Cioffi Professional Writing Services
Editing, Rewriting, Ghostwriting (manuscripts, medical/academic papers/articles)
Email: karencioffi [at] ymail [dot] com
I'm an affiliate for some of the products I recommend. I only tell you about products I've checked out.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
