This week, I read Gobsmacked! by my formed mentor Stephen Roxburgh. A wonderful piece about Roald Dahl and their time working together, Stephen illuminates how they worked through the revision process, and the various rounds and ongoing discussions had they regarding certain ideas, story structure, characters, and the like.
Not only is it a delightful read, but Gobsmacked! is a good reminder of the ways the revision process evolves over time. As Stephen writes, much "like a archeological dig. You start moving big things, but in the end, you focus on the smallest details." This is something I certainly know is true from my time working with Stephen, and is a truth I was reminded of again as I moved into the second round of my revision process.
Entering the second stage of revision, I was glad both to finish round one, as it is a mark of tangible progress, while also welcoming a change in revision style. In round one, I worked through the manuscript chronologically, identifying larger character and plot concerns, as well as heavily refining my language and deleting unnecessary sentences and/or paragraphs. In round two, however, I am tackling my list of more conceptual problems. Dealing with more minute but wholly significant character inconsistencies, missing pieces, the need for more interactions, and many other problems that require a creative type of problem solving.
At times I feel as if I am looking a piece of wood that needs to be carved to just the right shape in order to fit into the puzzle. I have certain revision points in which I need to actively figure out how best to address the problem that exists — to change things, or manipulate, to reimagine a character and come up with a unique but consistent resolution that fits into the larger whole of the story.
This revision cycle also requires that I work out of order, extracting disparate pieces from my story and looking at them side by side, even though they might be hundreds of pages apart. Jumping around from section to section, I need to make sure that if I change a detail on page 16, that what happens on page 108 and 208 also change accordingly.
This is a round where all the pieces matter together, individually and in relationship to each other; where I have to think more strategically, in terms of the greater whole — because truly in the end, it is the details that matter and the details that could pull a story apart.
So as I continue through this revision cycle and into the next, I welcome the changes that occur and the variant styles I must employ in order to make it all work. And of course, it is always helpful to hear the words of an expert, and remember that even the most brilliant literary minds go through a process of trying, and reworking, and digging through the dirt.
Showing posts with label Editors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Editors. Show all posts
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Sunday, November 25, 2012
In Thanks — The Importance of a Mentor
This time next week, I will have turned in my final revision of my manuscript and will be anxiously awaiting for my mentor's final responses. He will annotate the manuscript, send me a letter, and I will call him on the phone — all for the final time, at least in this context. After Saturday, our cooperative work on this project will be done. And I can honestly admit, that idea seems strange.
After almost three and a half months of working together, and after I have worked on this manuscript for two months before that, somedays it seems this project has just become part of the very nature of my life. But like all projects, this manuscript is wrapping up and a new one will soon be starting. In some ways, it is time to move on, and transition into the next phase of sending it out and starting my next project. Nevertheless, I wanted to take the time to truly stop and appreciate all that I've accomplished in the past five months, and, more importantly, the person who has helped me do so.
When I found out who my mentor was in mid-August, I was overjoyed to have the privilege of working with someone who had accomplished so much in his career and who, I was certain, had much wisdom to share. It turns out I was right. I truly could not have picked anyone to work with over the past few months. I would never have gotten my manuscript to this point without my mentor and editor, Stephen Roxburgh.
Like the very name of his publishing company suggests, the role of an editor may often be unseen or unknown to the reader, but it is of supreme importance both to the writer, and the manuscript itself. My manuscript is infinitely better because of the ways that Stephen has shaped and led me. The input, guidance, wisdom and support he has given me has not only bettered my manuscript, but also changed me as a writer. I am thankful for his choice to work with me, and all of the wisdom he has imparted along the way. I could write for pages about all the things I've learned about the writing process and the craft; how to view your characters; what to cut and what to keep; the intentionality behind every word; the steps of the revision process; and so much more. But really, while all of these things are invaluable, most of all I want to appreciate his willingness to work with me and help me get closer to the writer I want to be. It all started with his decision to take on my project and work with a young writer. And for that I will be forever grateful.
Of course, I know that this mentorship with Stephen is a unique situation afforded to me by my master's program, but the value of having a writing mentor cannot be overestimated. While mentors are easier to obtain within a school setting, whether at the college or graduate level, I would highly encourage anyone to make sure that they are learning from writers or editors who have been doing this longer than you have. Mentors could perhaps come from a writing group or class you decide to take. And on some level, reading books about craft can serve as a type of mentorship for your writing as well. But being in relationship with other writers or editors who can read and help better your work is absolutely invaluable. Not only will you learn more about writing, but you will also find encouragement and support as you work your hardest and chase your dream.
I am blessed to say that these past few months have proven to be a great learning experience for me. I will always remember the guidance of my mentor and look back at the growth I have made during this time. I cannot express just how grateful I am, but only hope to continue learning and writing, and hopefully have more relationships such as this one — relationships that make me better, and lead me to create better books.
After almost three and a half months of working together, and after I have worked on this manuscript for two months before that, somedays it seems this project has just become part of the very nature of my life. But like all projects, this manuscript is wrapping up and a new one will soon be starting. In some ways, it is time to move on, and transition into the next phase of sending it out and starting my next project. Nevertheless, I wanted to take the time to truly stop and appreciate all that I've accomplished in the past five months, and, more importantly, the person who has helped me do so.
When I found out who my mentor was in mid-August, I was overjoyed to have the privilege of working with someone who had accomplished so much in his career and who, I was certain, had much wisdom to share. It turns out I was right. I truly could not have picked anyone to work with over the past few months. I would never have gotten my manuscript to this point without my mentor and editor, Stephen Roxburgh.
Like the very name of his publishing company suggests, the role of an editor may often be unseen or unknown to the reader, but it is of supreme importance both to the writer, and the manuscript itself. My manuscript is infinitely better because of the ways that Stephen has shaped and led me. The input, guidance, wisdom and support he has given me has not only bettered my manuscript, but also changed me as a writer. I am thankful for his choice to work with me, and all of the wisdom he has imparted along the way. I could write for pages about all the things I've learned about the writing process and the craft; how to view your characters; what to cut and what to keep; the intentionality behind every word; the steps of the revision process; and so much more. But really, while all of these things are invaluable, most of all I want to appreciate his willingness to work with me and help me get closer to the writer I want to be. It all started with his decision to take on my project and work with a young writer. And for that I will be forever grateful.
Of course, I know that this mentorship with Stephen is a unique situation afforded to me by my master's program, but the value of having a writing mentor cannot be overestimated. While mentors are easier to obtain within a school setting, whether at the college or graduate level, I would highly encourage anyone to make sure that they are learning from writers or editors who have been doing this longer than you have. Mentors could perhaps come from a writing group or class you decide to take. And on some level, reading books about craft can serve as a type of mentorship for your writing as well. But being in relationship with other writers or editors who can read and help better your work is absolutely invaluable. Not only will you learn more about writing, but you will also find encouragement and support as you work your hardest and chase your dream.
I am blessed to say that these past few months have proven to be a great learning experience for me. I will always remember the guidance of my mentor and look back at the growth I have made during this time. I cannot express just how grateful I am, but only hope to continue learning and writing, and hopefully have more relationships such as this one — relationships that make me better, and lead me to create better books.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
The Anxiety of Waiting — Receiving My First Editorial Letter
Hello, blog! After a nice vacation, I am back and ready to work on my manuscript again. It was awesome to have some time to rest and give my mind a little break from my writing. But it is also nice to be back and writing for you all, again :)
My vacation to Costa Rica to visit my wonderful friend was lots of fun and provided some good rest from the intense amount of writing I had been doing over the summer. But, my vacation was also restful because it coincided with my first manuscript turnover to my editor/mentor for the semester. Right before I left, I officially handed in my manuscript, meaning that even if I had stayed at home, I would have had a week without my manuscript while my mentor did his first critique. So what that really means is that if I hadn't been away, I would have been waiting anxiously to receive my first set of feedback as the days passed by.
Well, even though I was out of the country and greatly enjoying my trip, I have to admit that I was still anxious about my fast-approaching editorial letter. Actually, I don't think I realized just how anxious I had been until after I received the letter on Friday. But at least the trip provided a good distraction and the reminder that things were out of my hands. All I had to do was wait for Stephen to send me his comments. So I waited. Trying not to anticipate what he would say, but rather just keep my mind open to receive whatever feedback might be coming, and to trust that my work was still as strong as I had felt it was when I turned it over.
So, I am happy to report that after receiving my very first editorial letter, there is much work to do, but also much encouragement to be found. Phrases like "impressed" and "very much like" and "firm grasp of the fundamental skills" were used — all of which made me smile, but more importantly made me excited about the revision and the upcoming hard work. I think one of the things I was most anxious about what that my mentor would either 1) not like the story and therefore want me to completely redo things, or 2) feel that my skills and my manuscript were not strong, and just lacking overall. Neither seemed to be true, and while there are very specific issues with the manuscript, and lots of revision to be done, I was quite pleased to find the encouragement within the letter that helped me to set aside my anxieties.
As a writer, there will also be an inherent anxiety that comes with sharing your work with another. Particularly those in the field, like an editor or agent; and especially those who have the power to push your novel toward publication. There is really not much to do about this anxiety other than work hard and trust your product. Of course, we all have this anxiety to varying degrees and at different times, but for me, I think it comes first in the initial blind read, when someone knows nothing about the manuscript or section, and it deciding if they like it for the very first time.
In the past, I had always workshopped portions of a piece rather than presented a complete manuscript for critique. So the idea that he might not like the whole thing, or that a revision would be so large, seemed overwhelming to me. But now, while the revisions I am tackling in the next two weeks are certainly not small, I don't feel quite so frightened. I feel ready to make my novel better; ready for the hard work that will hopefully bring my manuscript to a place ready and worthy of publication.
One thing that really stuck out to me in my editorial letter was this sentence: "We have a limited amount of time and good work to do. So let's start." The fact that it said "good work," and not just "work" reminded me of just what I wanted to achieve. I want to achieve "good work" and ultimately a good manuscript. I want to work hard to make my craft better and my novel one that people would want. But to get there, to make anything good, I have to do the work. We all have to do the work. And part of the work involved critique. Honest critique.
I'm not saying that I won't once again be anxious when it comes to a future turnover, or when I send it to agents. And I don't think that anxiety is entirely bad, either. It means that I want this — this whole writerly thing we're doing. But at least for right now, I feel good about the good work I have to do, and commitment I have to make to get there. This fall semester is looking extremely hard, but in the end, one day, I know all this work will be worth it.
My vacation to Costa Rica to visit my wonderful friend was lots of fun and provided some good rest from the intense amount of writing I had been doing over the summer. But, my vacation was also restful because it coincided with my first manuscript turnover to my editor/mentor for the semester. Right before I left, I officially handed in my manuscript, meaning that even if I had stayed at home, I would have had a week without my manuscript while my mentor did his first critique. So what that really means is that if I hadn't been away, I would have been waiting anxiously to receive my first set of feedback as the days passed by.
Well, even though I was out of the country and greatly enjoying my trip, I have to admit that I was still anxious about my fast-approaching editorial letter. Actually, I don't think I realized just how anxious I had been until after I received the letter on Friday. But at least the trip provided a good distraction and the reminder that things were out of my hands. All I had to do was wait for Stephen to send me his comments. So I waited. Trying not to anticipate what he would say, but rather just keep my mind open to receive whatever feedback might be coming, and to trust that my work was still as strong as I had felt it was when I turned it over.
So, I am happy to report that after receiving my very first editorial letter, there is much work to do, but also much encouragement to be found. Phrases like "impressed" and "very much like" and "firm grasp of the fundamental skills" were used — all of which made me smile, but more importantly made me excited about the revision and the upcoming hard work. I think one of the things I was most anxious about what that my mentor would either 1) not like the story and therefore want me to completely redo things, or 2) feel that my skills and my manuscript were not strong, and just lacking overall. Neither seemed to be true, and while there are very specific issues with the manuscript, and lots of revision to be done, I was quite pleased to find the encouragement within the letter that helped me to set aside my anxieties.
As a writer, there will also be an inherent anxiety that comes with sharing your work with another. Particularly those in the field, like an editor or agent; and especially those who have the power to push your novel toward publication. There is really not much to do about this anxiety other than work hard and trust your product. Of course, we all have this anxiety to varying degrees and at different times, but for me, I think it comes first in the initial blind read, when someone knows nothing about the manuscript or section, and it deciding if they like it for the very first time.
In the past, I had always workshopped portions of a piece rather than presented a complete manuscript for critique. So the idea that he might not like the whole thing, or that a revision would be so large, seemed overwhelming to me. But now, while the revisions I am tackling in the next two weeks are certainly not small, I don't feel quite so frightened. I feel ready to make my novel better; ready for the hard work that will hopefully bring my manuscript to a place ready and worthy of publication.
One thing that really stuck out to me in my editorial letter was this sentence: "We have a limited amount of time and good work to do. So let's start." The fact that it said "good work," and not just "work" reminded me of just what I wanted to achieve. I want to achieve "good work" and ultimately a good manuscript. I want to work hard to make my craft better and my novel one that people would want. But to get there, to make anything good, I have to do the work. We all have to do the work. And part of the work involved critique. Honest critique.
I'm not saying that I won't once again be anxious when it comes to a future turnover, or when I send it to agents. And I don't think that anxiety is entirely bad, either. It means that I want this — this whole writerly thing we're doing. But at least for right now, I feel good about the good work I have to do, and commitment I have to make to get there. This fall semester is looking extremely hard, but in the end, one day, I know all this work will be worth it.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Letting Go — The Road to Trust
This week, I completed my manuscript — yay! — and have started rereading my story in its entirety for proofreading and simple revisions. It was definitely exciting to finish the writing phase and feel that I have a whole, complete story to work with now. Getting to the end of the story and seeing the entire story arch are great platforms from which I can now leap into my revision.
As part of my MFA program, I have been matched with a wonderful editor to work on my manuscript throughout the semester. The founder of two publishing companies and an incredible editor who has worked with many talented authors, I could not have asked for a better editor than Stephen Roxburgh. I am truly excited to be paired with this mentor, and so, starting September 1st, or really Tuesday, as that is the day I will be sending him my manuscript, I will begin working with him to revise and polish my manuscript. In place of a traditional class, during this mentorship I will work with my editor to do five complete manuscript revisions and hopefully bring my work to the place where I can begin sending it out to publishers. So now, as the summer draws the a close and school is just around the corner; as I complete my independent portion of the writing and move into collaboration; and as I prepare to receive the first round of feedback on my story, I find that I am feeling kind of nervous.
Of course, I've workshopped my writing many times before. But this is different. Unlike workshopping, where you typically show portions of your manuscript at a time, this is a complete manuscript turnover. He will be reading start to finish, without having seen any piece of the work before. Yes, he knows of the premise and the characters, but he doesn't really know anything else. So unlike a workshop setting, the problems he might identify in the beginning could still be very present in the end, and I cannot improve upon certain aspects of the novel before he might get to them.
So I'm feeling slightly apprehensive about what Stephen's opinions will be, and how he will react to my manuscript. To be honest, I just want him to like it. I want him to say, "Hey, you've really got something here." Regardless of whether he says that or not, I know that my mentor will be critical and honest, and tell me exactly where the manuscript stands. He will identify the weaknesses and the strengths, the inconsistencies and missing components — and all for the betterment of my work. But as I wait to receive his feedback, I still find myself a bit anxious: anxious that perhaps the manuscript is not good enough, and anxious about all the work I have ahead.
I definitely have a tendency to anticipate and worry. I mean, I haven't even turned over my manuscript yet. So instead of sitting in anxiety, I need to just take a deep breath, finish my small revisions, and hand my manuscript over. This type of blind reading will provide both great, honest feedback for Stephen, and a great life experience for me. This format is much like the real world in which I would send out my work to an agent or an editor anyway, so this will just provide good practice. During my writing career, there are going to be people who say they don't like things, or that this manuscript or another manuscript just isn't good enough. And if or when someones says that, I just have to accept their opinion, and continue working hard to make my manuscript shine.
As part of my MFA program, I have been matched with a wonderful editor to work on my manuscript throughout the semester. The founder of two publishing companies and an incredible editor who has worked with many talented authors, I could not have asked for a better editor than Stephen Roxburgh. I am truly excited to be paired with this mentor, and so, starting September 1st, or really Tuesday, as that is the day I will be sending him my manuscript, I will begin working with him to revise and polish my manuscript. In place of a traditional class, during this mentorship I will work with my editor to do five complete manuscript revisions and hopefully bring my work to the place where I can begin sending it out to publishers. So now, as the summer draws the a close and school is just around the corner; as I complete my independent portion of the writing and move into collaboration; and as I prepare to receive the first round of feedback on my story, I find that I am feeling kind of nervous.
Of course, I've workshopped my writing many times before. But this is different. Unlike workshopping, where you typically show portions of your manuscript at a time, this is a complete manuscript turnover. He will be reading start to finish, without having seen any piece of the work before. Yes, he knows of the premise and the characters, but he doesn't really know anything else. So unlike a workshop setting, the problems he might identify in the beginning could still be very present in the end, and I cannot improve upon certain aspects of the novel before he might get to them.
So I'm feeling slightly apprehensive about what Stephen's opinions will be, and how he will react to my manuscript. To be honest, I just want him to like it. I want him to say, "Hey, you've really got something here." Regardless of whether he says that or not, I know that my mentor will be critical and honest, and tell me exactly where the manuscript stands. He will identify the weaknesses and the strengths, the inconsistencies and missing components — and all for the betterment of my work. But as I wait to receive his feedback, I still find myself a bit anxious: anxious that perhaps the manuscript is not good enough, and anxious about all the work I have ahead.
I definitely have a tendency to anticipate and worry. I mean, I haven't even turned over my manuscript yet. So instead of sitting in anxiety, I need to just take a deep breath, finish my small revisions, and hand my manuscript over. This type of blind reading will provide both great, honest feedback for Stephen, and a great life experience for me. This format is much like the real world in which I would send out my work to an agent or an editor anyway, so this will just provide good practice. During my writing career, there are going to be people who say they don't like things, or that this manuscript or another manuscript just isn't good enough. And if or when someones says that, I just have to accept their opinion, and continue working hard to make my manuscript shine.
I've come to realize that I have to trust in my work as it is. I know that my manuscript as it stands is not awesome. It is a first draft. Is it good? Yeah, probably, but not ready to go anywhere other than to my mentor for sure. But even knowing that I have lots of work ahead, I also need to know that no matter what the feedback, I will be able to handle and work through the criticisms that I will receive. I need to trust that even if its not good enough right now, I can make it good enough through hard work. I need to trust that my story has potential, that I will be able to hear and accept the revisions, that I have the talent and work ethic it takes to be a writer.
I need to know that I might not be there yet, and I might not even get there with this manuscript, but I am on my way. Unfortunately, writing a good, ready manuscript doesn't happen overnight, or in a week, or in a month. It takes revision and the help of others like my editor, and just basic hard work. Writing is a journey. I need to trust in the journey. The feedback will be what it will be. But until I actually have it in hand, there's nothing I can do but wait, and trust that I worked really hard. I just have to let my work go and see what happens. Ultimately, there's not really a choice. This is what writers do, right? Write and revise, turn it over and see what happens, and then do it all over again?
I'll be sure to keep you updated on the journey!
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