Skip to main content

Wednesday's WIP Ink


Hi everyone :) I hope everyone's having a great week. It's Jess here to quickly talk about your WIP. If you're like me and in a Revision Cave, I think the quote above will do you some good. Don't be afraid to completely rip your first draft apart. It hurts, sure, but think how awesome it will be in the end! So tear it apart-- find the things that work and the ones that don't.

If you are looking for things to take out in order to make your first draft as strong as it can be at this stage, here are a few ideas:

  • Take out unnecessary characters. 
  • Trim or add scenes accordingly. 
  • Add world building, or take out anything that's just too much. 
  • Watch out for passive voice, ly-words and other adverbs. 
  • Be sure to take out any helping verbs and back story. 
  • Most important of all, take out places where you tell instead of show. Show us what your characters are going through, don't tell us.

Don't be afraid to rip your WIP's first draft apart. All that first draft is a frame, a boundary to the sandbox-- so go play in it.

Now it's time I return to GYRE's Revision Cave...

Comments

  1. All very good tips! Showing is probably the most difficult.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is definitely the thing I am having the most difficulty with at the moment!

      Delete
  2. When I write my first draft it is really just an elaborate set of summaries; full of tell not show. It's hard to go back and weed that all out.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know! Revising is harder than writing, in my opinion.

      Delete
  3. Very helpful hints, Jessica. Thanks for sharing them. It's my first time visiting your blog, but I'll come back often.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for stopping by! I'm glad you enjoyed Jess's post!

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Writer In Motion CP feedback

Hey beautiful guys and dolls! Here it is! My CP feedback edited story. Had a hard time with this, but I hope it makes sense. I've got a post I'm working on I plan to put up after Thanksgiving. Here ya go. Enjoy... Every morning I wake to carnival day.  Today, though, I have my key. If I don’t use it before midnight, my way of escape will gone. It’s a silver key with a twisted metal handle, a sapphire stone half moon and engraved stars. There’s a tiny inscription on the moon, but it’s so small, I’ve never been able to read it.I’ve always kept mine in my jewelry box, but today, I string it on a ribbon and tie it around my neck. My two best friends will be wearing theirs, too, and I wonder how they will escape this carnival of dreams. “What’s it for?” Cress asks as we stand in line for the swings. I run my fingertips over the entire silver surface. “I don’t know. It belonged to my grandmother,” I say. “Whatever.” She shrugs her shoulder in a dismissive way. “Have

Insecure Writers Group

Today, my feelings are mixed. On one hand, I've faced more rejection and that's not easy to write about or admit to the world. But I am not crying in my "milk" (no beer, folks:) I want to, but what good would it do??? I received a detailed critique from a "Best First Line" contest. The critique was the best I have ever received and seriously opened my eyes to "how" to improve my writing. Nice! Speaking of critiques, I am still looking for a critique partner. If anyone is looking back, please let me know and we can swap info. I'm sending off a YA query letter and first pages to 3 agents this week. Wish me luck. This will be the first time I have directly contacted and agent with a query. Yes, I'm nervous, so I'm saying again, WISH ME LUCK!!!

Operation Agent Ink

UPDATE: PLEASE FILL OUT THIS QUESTIONNAIRE AFTER YOU SIGN UP. Have you ever wondered what agents were dying to find in their inbox/slush pile? There have been many times I entered a contest and not even received a comment, not even from one of the agents. Or maybe the agent was kind enough to leave a comment that simply said, "Sorry, this just isn't what I'm looking for, but I love the premise and your voice." I always walk away feeling unsatisfied. If I had known exactly what the agent wanted beyond, "YA" or "Fantasy" I might not have even entered a contest I knew I wouldn't win! Even more, I wasted a very busy agents time! Well, your time of guessing is up! OPERATION AGENT INK to the rescue! That's right! This workshop will help aspiring authors get on the list of an agent's WISH LIST! When the workshop is over, your manuscript will be ready to view by a group of AMAZING agents who are dying to see what you've wri