Post-It Revisionocity: Step 4

Dut, dut, dut, daaaaaah

All right, so we've gone through the manuscript, making the revisions applicable to each post-it, right? Right.

And you didn't remove the post-its yet correct? Okay.

We interrupt this blog post with a very important service announcement:

By the time you've gone through and revised according to post-its, it will have been several days, if not weeks, that have passed. If it isn't, take a few days, maybe a week off from the manuscript anyway. You want to be able to review your newly revised sections with fresh eyes. Or as fresh as possible depending on what your timeline is. DO NOT rush if you don't need to. Seriously, publishing is NOT going anywhere. Just saying.

No we return you to your regularly scheduled blog post.

Now, we're going to start back at PAGE 1 (or wherever your first post-it is).

STEP 4: a) Read through the newly revised section and decide if you approve / need to do anything else. If you approve, go to STEP 4: b). If you don't approve, go to the next post-it with this step.

STEP 4: b) Accept changes.

STEP 4: c) REMOVE (woohoo!) the post-it and stick it on the wall / window / your first born - wherev -optional - STEP 4: d) Determine what the best organization process for you to see the changes you've made. Is it by topic? In chronological order? Totally up to you.

And here is really where you Rinse and Repeat. So you go through this step for EACH post-it through the entire manuscript.

When you've done that, then .... TA-DAH!

You're wall may look something like this:

And your manuscript should be ready to send off to crit partners - HURRAH! HUZZAH! and now you can say .... Good Night! Maybe go find yourself something to eat since I know you locked yourself in a room for the last several weeks with only coffee. Personal experience tells me that food tastes really good when you can think about something other than revising. Just saying.

And then you get your crits back and the whole process starts all over. Well, maybe not exactly this same process, but you get the idea.

A couple side notes ...

***I don't generally print out my whole manuscript for every round of revisions. It's only about 2 or 3 times during the course of the entire revision process depending on how major the revisions are.

***I try to take a couple weeks off in between revision sessions - by that I mean a couple weeks off after I've gone through and accepted a whole set of revisions before I'll start in on another round.

***Take a break in the midst of all the revising is not a bad idea. Sometimes even just a few hours away will help clear your head.

***Your crit partners are invaluable every step of the way. Bounce ideas off them, vent to them, cry to them.

Hope this series of posts has been helpful for you to see what my process is. Take what you want from it, leave the rest. And good luck on your post-its!

Post-It Revisionocity: Step 3

Hi! I'm back.

Are you? Got your manuscript all post-it noted? All right, let's get started then.

So where were we . . . oh, yes. Step 3.

You need your post-its, manuscript and your computer for this one.

Step 3: a) Flip to the first post-it note in your manuscript.

Step 3: b) Read your post-it note and determine a few things:

1. Can you read what you wrote? This is really important because, yanno, it's sort of helpful.
2. Do you think the thought you had initially is still the direction the manuscript should go?
3. Do you even remember what you were thinking when you wrote this note? Also very helpful.

Step 3: c) If you answer yes to all of the above questions then turn on your track changes and MAKE THE REVISION! (woohoo! yay! finally!) - but do NOT remove the post-it, I'll explain why later.

And no, it's not later yet.

So have at that manuscript! Hopefully you can read all your notes and remember all you were thinking when you wrote them.

Check back tomorrow for the last step of my Revisionocity process because, nope, I'm totally not done yet.

Post-It Revisionocity: Step 2

You printed out your manuscript.

You read your manuscript.

Now what?

Step 2: a) GET the sticky notes.

I try to be consistent with size if I am focusing equally on everything. If not, then I might use smaller ones for low priority thoughts. Bigger ones for higher priority.

Step 2: b) Identify the WHAT you want to focus on and make sure you have enough post-it colors.

This is one of the THE most important things about this revision process. (Given my love for the post-it, you didn't think I would make them inconsequential to this process, did you??) This will help you sort out what it really is that you need to work on. Make sure you have enough post-it notes to cover off all your key revision points.

You might want to write yourself a little legend so you don't forget what key focus goes with each color. I recommend sticking them in a row on your desk or your wall or your first born or something. Just make sure they stick.

Super Sticky post-it notes are very effective for sticking. Just in case you were wondering.

Step 2: c) Go back through your manuscript now, and stop at each * you marked. Identify each one with the color post-it note focus it goes back to. Also, jot down any initial ideas you have to go with this * & post-it.

Rinse. Repeat.

Just kidding.

Just repeat Step 2c.

I'll wait.

Well, actually, you do that. I'll be back.

While I'm gone, anyone want to share what your favorite revising office suppliers are? Is it the perfect pen? The ever-popular post-its? Or something else?

Post-It Revisionocity: Step 1

Last Thursday I mentioned my revision process. And I was surprised by the number of people who were interested in what that process is.

I don't talk much about the way I do things because, well, it's the way I do things, it's what works for me and not necessarily what will work for you. With that in mind, though, maybe you can find something in all this revisioning talk to help you with the way you do things.

Remember this?

All right, then. Let's talk about how I got there, yeah? Yeah.

Your book's written. Awesome. Feeling accomplished, yes? Me too. Sending it out to the crit partners so they see your genius, right?

And then you get all the feedback from them and you realize ... your genius may be hidden. Beneath lots of "the"s, "that"s, "just"s and the like. Oh, and maybe you can't have the unicorn rescue the princess off the hot air balloon because, well, that might not end so well.

Now we're revising right? So what do you do first? Well, I don't know what you do first, but for me ... it's

STEP 1: a)Print the manuscript

I know, I know, this is a day and age when we are trying to "Save the planet!" and "Conserve the energy!" and "Quit chopping down trees!" I get that. So firstly, I use recycled paper. Secondly, I print everything possible 2-sided. And thirdly, when I'm all done with the pages, I recycle them.

Got your manuscript printed out? Okay, good.

Now,

STEP 1: b)Read it.

This is the first read through I do. I usually keep a blue or purple (or some color other than black) nearby to put a * where I think I might need to do some work. I try not to think too much about the WHAT I might need to do. That's for later. This read through is for plot and pacing and anything huge and gaping that I can use my 2yo, and on occasion my 5yo, to plug up.

This always takes me a few days. Up to a week or so depending on what's going on at home / day job / life ... you know. So while I give you guys until ... oh, tomorrow, to read your manuscripts and catch up to where I'm at in the process, who already prints out their manuscript for revisions?

What's your Step 1?