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What I Learned From Revising GYRE

Hey all :) It's Jess. For the last month or so (ha! more like four!) I've been working real hard on revising my 2012 NaNo GYRE. And oh boy was that a mess that was-- still kind of is. So, without further adieu, here are the things I learned from revising GYRE:


1.) I cannot rely on fluff during NaNoWriMo anymore. I think I cut out 10k of just FLUFF. Extra words, writing Sea Satellite 5 instead of SeaSat5, etc, etc. It's a waste of time and only leaves you with a mess of a novel after November.


2.) SHOW!!! Just.... do it. Don't tell. SHOW. I still haven't gotten it down but oh man did I fix alot thanks to Talynn here.


3.) Which leads me to certainly the most important thing I've learned: CHERISH YOUR CRITIQUE PARTNERS. They are life-savers, miracle-workers, shoulders to cry on, your cheerleading squad, brainstorming buddy, and above all, good friend. Shower them in virtual cookies, and then return the favor they gave to you. So, THANK YOU, TALYNN, for all my rambles, rants, telling, plotline issues, and major indecisiveness. You lit a fire under me when I needed it (Pitcharama) and cheered me across the revising finish line. YOU ROCK, my dear, you simply rock.

 


I'd like to say the journey is far from over, but the truth is, revising GYRE was only the first round of edits-- a small victory in a long journey. But it is done, and now it's time to relax with some books that are not my own, starting with:Seraphina by Rachel Hartman.


Happy 4th of July!

Comments

  1. Tonja DreckerJuly 5, 2013 at 4:49 AM

    Congratulations on getting through the first round of revisions. I've never thought of all the fluff that can get fed in through NaNo, but it makes sense. And yes, CPs are miracles in themselves.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jessica HarveyJuly 6, 2013 at 5:07 PM

      NaNo fluff is the worst, because at the time you're like "this'll be worth it" but in the end, it just leaves you with more of a mess in the end!

      Delete
  2. SC AuthorJuly 5, 2013 at 9:20 AM

    So true! And I still have to finish my first draft :( Hope to get to revisions soon!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sheena-kay GrahamJuly 5, 2013 at 11:44 AM

    Showing is tough but important and critique partners are living treasures.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jessica HarveyJuly 6, 2013 at 5:07 PM

      Showing can be so hard! And that's SO true. CP's are the best :)

      Delete
  4. Denise Covey July 6, 2013 at 3:02 AM

    I posted about editing first drafts this week in IWSG this week. It's always hard getting rid of all that bad stuff from the NaNo first draft.

    Denise

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jessica HarveyJuly 6, 2013 at 5:09 PM

      I'll have to hop on over and read your thoughts on first draft revisions. NaNo drafts are special like that!

      Delete

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