The Process of Revision

For the past three months, I have been revising and editing BOOK ONE with the two  amazing peers in room 309 of Ketchum Hall. Our time together is almost done, and so, too, are the changes I've made. Before this whole process, I thought my book was finished, but this experience has taught me the benefits of a writer community when it comes to both revision and editing.

You see, invisible reader, sometimes being a writer is solitary. Sometimes it's lonely, and somewhat painful. But it's also wonderful and exhilarating and rewarding and filled with   characters created from the writer's own imagination! But getting to work and revise with fellow writers is something, which makes this whole process of bettering a manuscript more enjoyable.

I'm sure you've noticed that updates about the progress of BOOK TWO have somewhat stalled for the last few months. But fear not. I haven't given up on this sequel! On the contrary, I've learned that trying to work on revisions for one book while writing the next installment at the same time is just too much.

So what's to come in this new year?

To begin, I will attend my first winter residency of graduate school where I will be able to share this book with another writing community, and hopefully I will be able to make this book the best it can be!

I think it's true when people say you shouldn't rush your first book. It needs time to be revised again and again and again. That's just part of the life of a writer. But even amidst these revisions, the future is bright and exiting! All that's left is to tell myself there is something divine found in the act of this process, and that no matter what, I have a story I believe in. After all, at the end of the day, that's the best a writer can hope for. 

Kill Those Darlings

"In writing, you must kill your darlings." William Faulkner said this, and many other writers choose to agree. Until you come to the point where your finger is poised over the delete button, this doesn't make sense. Growing up, I never thought I would be someone capable of killing. But as a writer, the act of murder is often necessary to rid pages of unnecessary details, scenes, dialogue, etc.

During the first two rounds of revisions,for BOOK ONE, I didn't  kill much. Sure, I made changes, multitudes of them. I cleaned up plot points, and it felt good knowing that I had finally finished writing my first book. I suppose, because I actually killed a character, I thought that alone might be good enough. Looking back, I know I was scared of actually going through and making big cuts. Maybe I thought if I left any details out that my future readers wouldn't get it. It wasn't until this week, however, that I found out this fear was irrational, and most likely normal for someone who has never done a full round of revisions. 

I could never imagine killing my darlings, but I have to say, I did it. And I haven't broken down. I haven't rethought my entire existence as a writer. On the contrary, I feel more strongly than ever that my book matters. I guess in writing the book I love, I might have written a book other people may love someday.

That's my dream. 

I'm not sure I could live without writing, even if I wasn't actually crafting stories. I think I could be content just writing for me. But now that I have finished revising my book, killed my darlings, and gotten rid of ten pages and three thousand words, I'm not sure it is enough to keep this story just for myself. I want to share it.

So what comes next?

Well, research. Then query letters, belief, and faith. And hopefully, I'm on my way to sharing this story with readers like you.