Filed under Revising …

Fix-It Friday: the book rec edition

I decided to wrap up this blog series by asking people which books they’ve found most helpful when tackling revisions.  I’ve compiled the responses below. I hope there’s something here that will prove to be exactly what you need! (If your fave isn’t on the list, please mention it in the comments!) A Passion for Narrative, Jack … Continue reading »

Fix-It Friday: Nikki Tate

This week’s Fix-It Friday tip comes from Nikki Tate, author of more than twenty books for young readers. I assume I will re-write, revise, re-do, re-think, and reconsider everything I ever write. It makes me very, very nervous when a manuscript comes back with only a few suggestions from the editor because for me, re-working a … Continue reading »

Fix-It Friday: Joëlle Anthony

Fix-It Friday is back with another great tip about trimming the fat…which seems super-appropriate as I begin to contemplate New Year’s resolutions, lol. But I digress. Check out this revision tip from Joëlle Anthony, author of RESTORING HARMONY and THE RIGHT & THE REAL. When cutting, plan to go through your manuscript no more than twice. … Continue reading »

Fix-It Friday: A.S. King

This week’s Fix-It Friday revision tip comes from A.S. King, author of ASK THE PASSENGERS, PLEASE IGNORE VERA DIETZ, EVERYBODY SEES THE ANTS, and THE DUST OF 100 DOGS. My favorite stage of revision is the crazy chop-everything-out stage (also called Radical Chainsaw Shit). The chop-everything-out stage requires me to chop 10% of the book. … Continue reading »

Fix-It Friday: Catherine Knutsson

This week’s Fix-It Friday revision tip comes from Catherine Knutsson, author of SHADOWS CAST BY STARS. One of the first things I do once I’ve completed a draft of a story is sit down and write out chapter summaries.  My chapter summaries are a point-form synopsis of everything that happens in that chapter, from introducing … Continue reading »

Fix-It Friday: Kristin Butcher

This week’s revision tip comes from Kristin Butcher, author of seventeen books for children and teens. Focus on the story. Make sure that everything you have written moves the story forward. Delete any pointless digressions — irrelevant dialogue, descriptions, narrative, etc., no matter how masterfully they are written. If they don’t move the plot along, … Continue reading »

Fix-It Friday: Hélène Boudreau

Happy Friday, everyone! It’s time for another revision tip from a pro. This week’s tip comes from Hélène Boudreau, author of the tween REAL MERMAIDS series (Real Mermaids Don’t Wear Toe Rings and Real Mermaids Don’t Hold Their Breath are out now). A great way to find out whether the pacing of a paragraph or … Continue reading »

Fix-It Friday: Jo Knowles

This week’s Fix-It Friday revision tip comes from Jo Knowles, author of SEE YOU AT HARRY’S, PEARL, JUMPING OFF SWINGS, and LESSONS FROM A DEAD GIRL. When someone suggests a change (whether it’s your editor or a critique partner), and you are being stubborn about making it because you are SURE they are wrong, just … Continue reading »

Fix-It Friday: Denise Jaden

This week’s tip comes from Denise Jaden, author of LOSING FAITH and NEVER ENOUGH. Why Should I Care? This is a simple but effective revision technique. It started with my awesome critique partner, Shana Silver, who always sent back my  manuscripts with the phrase, “Why should I care?” littering the first few pages. So my first step in revision … Continue reading »