Footnotes: 8 Articles on When Writing Becomes Revision
“The most valuable of talents is never using two words when one will do.” -Thomas Jefferson Footnotes is a recurring series on the GLA blog where I pick a subject…
"The most valuable of talents is never using two words when one will do." -Thomas Jefferson
Footnotes is a recurring series on the GLA blog where I pick a subject and provides several interesting articles on said topic. Today's topic is revision. As the NaNoWriMo induced writing stupor wears off, you realize it’s time to revise that opus. I’m serving up 8 links from around the web to help you tackle revisions.
1. Learn to ID your mistakes. The Holt Uncensored blog includes 10 Mistakes Writers Don’t See, (but can fix when they do). The mistakes are common ones easily recognized by editor and agents—and now you can recognize them, too.
2. Map out your story. Award winning author Laurie Halse Anderson suggests taming that manuscript by mapping out the action, chapter by chapter, scene by scene.
3. Think of the beautiful finished product for motivation. Agent Mary Kole offers a pep talk to writers stymied by the revision process.
4. When is a manuscript "done"? Is it soup yet? On the Author 2 Author blog, they ponder the question, "When is a manuscript ready to be submitted?"
5. You only get one chance to make a first impression. This goes for your characters as well. Agent Sara Crowe confronts the question: Are your characters making a good first impression?
6. The pros talk revision. In her Fix-it Friday series, writer, Shari Green serves up weekly revision tips from published authors. Check them out! They may just be what you need to jumpstart your revisions.
7. Concerning critiques of your work. On the blog Constant Revisions, writer Simon Larter ponders the subjective nature of critiques, another necessary component to the writing and revision process.
8. The ultimate revision checklist. Agent Nathan Bransford's revision checklist is a great reference tool to use as you read your manuscript.
Nancy Parish runs the blog, The Sound and Furry. She is a contributing editor to the GLA blog and runs the Footnotes series. She is currently writing novels for children.
