tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315590614767346504.post1348172491844219289..comments2023-09-29T01:36:09.155-07:00Comments on Stories to Share: Revision hellTess Julia http://www.blogger.com/profile/17850176812284692371noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315590614767346504.post-35536400684848514002012-08-28T06:07:04.674-07:002012-08-28T06:07:04.674-07:00Yes! That sounds familiar. What one person loves, ...Yes! That sounds familiar. What one person loves, another doesn't get. You start running in circles and are left scratching your head. Tess Julia https://www.blogger.com/profile/17850176812284692371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315590614767346504.post-49631745523618155372012-08-27T19:15:41.173-07:002012-08-27T19:15:41.173-07:00I can totally relate to this. I edited my book. It...I can totally relate to this. I edited my book. It went through the rounds with the CP and beta readers. Queried my CP's agent. She rejected it after reading the first 50 pages and made some suggestions. If I agreed with them, I could resubmit. She didn't want to read the entire thing and ruin the surprise. Since I agreed with the majority of changes, I not only edited the book, I tore it apart. It went to the next round of beta readers, all who had read it before. They gave their feedback. Things were looking good until I sent it to a published author. She tore the ending apart (and several other areas). I rewrote ending. Another beta reader who had read the book before complained that I changed the ending (though she did like some of the changes). At this point I was ready to scream. Yet a different beta (who had read it before) reread it and didn't like the change to the end that the other beta liked. (Are you lost yet?)<br /><br />I recently sent it out to a bunch of agents waiting for it. One gets back after reading the three chapter partial and said the mc isn't empty enough. My CP and beta disagreed.<br /><br />So, yes. I understand revision hell!!! ;) Now I'm just waiting (nervously) for the agent who initially asked for the changes. :P<br /><br />Hopefully my story makes you feel better. :DStinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11415189347501942340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315590614767346504.post-32739576395443717922012-08-21T07:40:48.566-07:002012-08-21T07:40:48.566-07:00In a writing book I read and recommended recently ...In a writing book I read and recommended recently it said everyone needs to put in their 10,000 hours of writing to be good at it. It will not come easy, and how true this is becoming. Who knows how much of what we write will never see the light of day, but it is all part of the process to make something worthy of being noticed.Tess Julia https://www.blogger.com/profile/17850176812284692371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315590614767346504.post-29363836068320385362012-08-21T07:38:00.493-07:002012-08-21T07:38:00.493-07:00Lol! I won't hate you then :)Lol! I won't hate you then :)Tess Julia https://www.blogger.com/profile/17850176812284692371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315590614767346504.post-7271207893377154482012-08-21T07:37:23.476-07:002012-08-21T07:37:23.476-07:00You've said it exactly! A day or two off is th...You've said it exactly! A day or two off is the best thing.Tess Julia https://www.blogger.com/profile/17850176812284692371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315590614767346504.post-52178390434524808432012-08-21T07:36:19.980-07:002012-08-21T07:36:19.980-07:00Those fresh eyes are the key. When I've stared...Those fresh eyes are the key. When I've stared at something for so long it no longer has meaning, the outsider looking in can give me inspiration. Glad I'm not alone!Tess Julia https://www.blogger.com/profile/17850176812284692371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315590614767346504.post-12924878476548442282012-08-21T07:34:49.594-07:002012-08-21T07:34:49.594-07:00I have to learn to follow my instincts. I'm st...I have to learn to follow my instincts. I'm still learning, but there is no shortcut, that I do know!Tess Julia https://www.blogger.com/profile/17850176812284692371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315590614767346504.post-29785373661022860112012-08-21T07:33:29.449-07:002012-08-21T07:33:29.449-07:00I hope I'll love revising someday too.I hope I'll love revising someday too.Tess Julia https://www.blogger.com/profile/17850176812284692371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315590614767346504.post-4090681558389154252012-08-21T07:33:03.315-07:002012-08-21T07:33:03.315-07:00I'm still in the learning curve, but you'r...I'm still in the learning curve, but you're right, I can't apply all the advice. Everyone has an opinion and sometimes what one loves another hates! In the end, it is my story.Tess Julia https://www.blogger.com/profile/17850176812284692371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315590614767346504.post-56430279638535072492012-08-21T07:31:44.739-07:002012-08-21T07:31:44.739-07:00I'm taking your advice and working on a short ...I'm taking your advice and working on a short story right now. I see I'm not alone, and I'm glad to hear your experiences.Tess Julia https://www.blogger.com/profile/17850176812284692371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315590614767346504.post-69169508369225921072012-08-21T05:51:46.218-07:002012-08-21T05:51:46.218-07:00Oops. That should read "two complete middle g...Oops. That should read "two complete middle grade novels that helped me learn..."Barbara Watsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06547166495514562286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315590614767346504.post-84370938521719694312012-08-21T05:50:20.321-07:002012-08-21T05:50:20.321-07:00Revising right there with you...one CP sent me not...Revising right there with you...one CP sent me notes last week; two others expected soon.<br /><br />And feedback is tough, sometimes downright harsh, and makes you feel like you can't write much less tell a decent story. Listen to the feedback that 'feels' right and disregard what doesn't. It's YOUR story. Time away from your work gives fresh perspective, so give yourself that time away. As Linda said...write something new in the meantime. It will help more than you know. I have two complete middle that helped me learn but will not be queried. The one I'm writing now (and which stands the best chance of being THE one) began as a lark while taking a break from my second story.Barbara Watsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06547166495514562286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315590614767346504.post-3121035596261627042012-08-21T05:34:38.957-07:002012-08-21T05:34:38.957-07:00Writing something perfectly the first time is a wo...Writing something perfectly the first time is a wonderful dream, but that's all it is. I'll spare your hating me because I'd never try to tell you something like this!cleemckenziehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15456109243453726483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315590614767346504.post-30829383301186436782012-08-21T01:53:04.259-07:002012-08-21T01:53:04.259-07:00Hang tight pretty lady. (: Remember you have the f...Hang tight pretty lady. (: Remember you have the final word so don't feel like you have to make all the changes or take all the suggestions if you're not 100% okay with them. I'm in the middle of revisions too but I only have one person giving me feedback right now so it's pretty easy to sort through. Some days I fly through the revisions, and some days it looks like a mess and when I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed, I take a break from it and do something else, beta read someone else's MS or do some leisure reading...the next day things look a little better. (: Elise Fallsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14734537117333738468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315590614767346504.post-43481324068365734492012-08-21T00:11:56.036-07:002012-08-21T00:11:56.036-07:00This is very timely for me. I'm about to jump ...This is very timely for me. I'm about to jump into revisions based on CPs' input. This is the first time I've done it with outside suggestions... and really, I've found I need it because I have very little grasp on how a first draft reads. I do think we need fresh eyes on things, but I do need to work on trusting my gut too! Where there are differing suggestions, I think you would need to look at what seems to fit, or incorporate a bit of each... sorry I'm not a lot of help. :)Nick Wilfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03841776353790635132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315590614767346504.post-43399266591473412942012-08-20T22:21:30.137-07:002012-08-20T22:21:30.137-07:00Bless your sweet heart! I'm in the middle of i...Bless your sweet heart! I'm in the middle of it myself right now... And it's KILLING ME... Lol... I, like Alex, do enjoy it or the most part, but there are times when it's SO HARD to know which direction is right... When so many opinions contradict.. That's when gut comes into play--and really, I've found that the best tool ever :) Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15747144518868320969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315590614767346504.post-17732171679778417012012-08-20T19:28:29.530-07:002012-08-20T19:28:29.530-07:00I never write it perfectly the first time. Just do...I never write it perfectly the first time. Just don't hate me that I enjoy the revision stage!<br />You'll make it work. Don't give up.Alex J. Cavanaughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09770065693345181702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315590614767346504.post-42578085596672319672012-08-20T19:26:07.754-07:002012-08-20T19:26:07.754-07:00Keep at it, I rearranged the chapters in my story ...Keep at it, I rearranged the chapters in my story after attending a writer's conference, and felt lost in revisions for a while. <br /><br />Don't get discouraged, get stubborn, and don't listen to too many conflicting voices. It's your book, consider the feedback, but don't jump to every change suggested. Have confidence in your story. Good luck.D.G. Hudsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06213237734772028645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315590614767346504.post-66503817817028223112012-08-20T19:22:51.962-07:002012-08-20T19:22:51.962-07:00Hang in THERE, girl! I was right where you are a f...Hang in THERE, girl! I was right where you are a few months ago. My manuscript was like a patchwork quilt of everybody's input. So I stepped away from it for FIVE months and came back with a new perspective--my own! But, I did take into account all the things that others (agents actually) had said and made my revisions accordingly. Step away from it. Write something new. Breathe. Then go back to it...because I know you love it enough to keep working on it until you get it right. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com