All Write Already: Year Of Your Book
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GENA: One of my favorite things to do is send my family to the restaurant of my choice, so they can enjoy a nice meal together...and carry out my order. It’s win/win for everyone. They get quality time together and good food, and I get to remain in the comfort of my home and bond through text. I love dining at home...in my PJ’s...while my dogs stare. It’s a reward tucked inside a prize, sprinkled with a whole lot of win.
JILL: One word—CHOCOLATE.
Your assignment: Keep recharging! Today might be a good day to eat your favorite foods or catch up on a TV show. Pamper yourself with a pedicure, facial or take a long, relaxing soak in the bathtub.
Day 305
RENEW
RENEW Day 4
There’s never a bad time to take care of yourself physically and emotionally. Did you put off scheduling a yearly wellness exam? Your muscles may be cramping and your back aching from hours of sitting. Maybe your wrists are irritated and dictation looms in your future.
Our physical well-being often plays into the emotional. Don’t forget to assess how you’re feeling inside and out. You could be ecstatic, but also drained or even let down. You just accomplished a major goal and lifelong dream...but now you’re wondering why you’re not happier?
Authors often explore their own heartbreak and pain to bring those emotions to life on the page. That’s very powerful. While it can be cathartic for some, it can be unsettling for others. Respect your emotions and don’t be afraid to talk to someone, a friend or a therapist.
JILL: I try to take a low-impact walk everyday. But, if I’m bumping up against a deadline, I’ll ditch the walk. Problem is, my body is never happy when that happens. Every time I feel sunshine on my face and breathe in fresh air, I remember how much I love that walk, how much I need it. Usually the relief of completing a novel doesn't hit me until a day or two later.
GENA: To help me physically and emotionally simultaneously, I’ll sometimes volunteer at a shelter and walk dogs. (As I’m typing this, I’m wondering why I haven’t volunteered to nap with cats. An-n-n-nd yes. Now there’s a new item on my to-do list.) Not only is walking dogs good for me and the canine, petting those goofy furballs injects rainbows straight into my heart. I may have even brought a dog home once or twice. I said may!
Your assignment: Pamper yourself physically and do whatever you need to do to aid your emotions.
Day 306
RENEW
RENEW Day 5
This is the time we like to engage with those who gave us space while we were writing.
This is the second book we’ve written together, so we’ve communicated about the book’s development from start to finish. Usually, we write on our own and when we’re both done, we meet for lunch and order a feast, then tell each other all about the characters and plot. We won’t mention the number of times we’d had to rewrite a book because the other one picked up a plot hole.
Don’t forget to engage with your readers, either. Even if you haven’t published a book yet, future readers are out there! You can start building your readership now, even before the release of your book, by posting updates about your progress and snippets from the book itself.
If you plan to self-publish and hope to book a freelance editor, you might want to contact one to set up a time ASAP. Check out the online pages and book dedications of your favorite indie authors–they might mention their editor by name.
Your assignment: Keep renewing! Engage! Meetings don’t have to be face-to-face. Skype or have a Facetime call. There’s nothing like seeing another’s smile to lift your spirits.
Day 307
RENEW
RENEW Day 6
Is today a good day to glean inspiration from other sources? Several art galleries and museums have virtual tours available. Try that recipe that’s been tempting you. Like to work with your hands? Maybe woodworking or knitting is more your style. Take a class or watch instructional videos. Turn on some music and dance. Work a puzzle or play a video game. Active play and learning gets your brain ready to tackle the revising to come!
JILL: This is the time where I’m ready to explore a new hobby. So far I’ve tried making candles, embroidery, scrapbooking, sewing and gardening.
GENA: My hobbies include cutting split ends, bird watching from my window, and playing a ridiculous, never-ending merging dragons game. For me, these mindless activities open the door for new ideas.
Your assignment: Renew your mind with other activities and keep recharging with active fun!
Day 308
Reflect and Catch Up
Tomorrow, we begin 30 days of editing your manuscript, tackling at least one chapter a day. Have more than 30 chapters? You might need to double up some days, doing two chapters at a time. Be sure to plan accordingly!
Day 309
Introduction to Editing
We prefer to edit one chapter a day. If you edit less, you can miss repeated phrases within the same scene, inconsistencies in your plot and character growth.
All Write Already gives you enough time to edit a 100k book using the one chapter a day method. If your book is on the shorter side, this back half of work will be less intense for you, but still necessary.
After you’ve gone through your book chapter by chapter, then we’ll have you do one final read-through. After that, your book could be ready to send out for submission–if you wish to go with traditional publishing. Or, if you plan to self-publish, your book could be ready for beta readers/proofers/formatters.
This editing stage is the time to get brutal with your words. You are no longer the artist who is simply getting your thoughts on paper. No, you are the savage curator deciding which words should stay and which get axed. Eliminate pride and rethink your love of certain phrases. From this moment forward, you should read each word with a critical eye.
We like to conduct the first pass of our draft directly at the computer with a notebook nearby.
Jill prefers to make easy changes first. She changes tenses and words as she goes, then comes back to larger items later. In a notebook, she jots down the manuscript's page number and what she needs to fix/research, gaining a special satisfaction in crossing off things she’s completed.
Gena prefers to focus on the big picture items first. She writes down every major change she plans to make—and why—considers the domino effect and other changes she’ll need to make to ensure the new storyline works, then makes ALL CAP notes for herself throughout the manuscript. Then she goes back to the beginning to read one chapter at a time.
So grab a notebook and pen and let’s get to work!
Your assignment: Let’s do a little planning first. How many chapters does your book have? For the next 30 working/writing days, we are going to ask you to edit a chapter a day. If you have over 30 chapters, however, be sure to double or triple the amount of work you do as many days as needed.
Read and edit the PROLOGUE (if you have one) and CHAPTER ONE of your novel with these questions in mind:
Is this word/phrase/scene important to the story?
Does this word/phrase/scene move it forward?
Will this phrasing seem awkward and rip the reader from the story?
What can I add or subtract to make this the best it can be?
Did you show instead of tell?
Have you created an info dump?
Did you catch the reader’s attention and make them want to know more?
Is your ending hook in place?
Day 310
Go Back To Theme
Every chapter should somehow reiterate the theme of your novel, even in the smallest of ways. As a reminder, the theme is the underlying message you wish to convey to your readers. It’s part of your big idea, and the passion that drives you to finish.
Do what your character say and think support the point you are trying to make?
Your assignment: Read and edit CHAPTER TWO of your manuscript.
Bonus assignment: Reread the list of themes you created. Did you convey your t
heme all the way through your book? Did you change your theme in the middle of your story?
Day 311
Your First Three Chapters
Your draft is written. You know more about the idiosyncrasies and quirks of your characters, the story world and a million more details than you did when you started. Did the setting change? Around “Chapter Three” did a much-needed sister arrive on the scene...but your main character is an only child in the beginning?
Chapter One, heck, the first paragraph, can be make or break for many readers. There are many amazing books out there, so make sure your opening grabs a reader’s attention from the very first word.
Your assignment: Read and edit CHAPTER THREE of your novel. As you work, be on the lookout for repetitious was/were/are sentence construction, as well as our quick words to reconsider, then challenge yourself to find more dynamic wording. Remember to PRESS but not OBSESS.
Day 312
Show Versus Tell: The Challenge
Did you do more telling than showing? Be on the lookout for scenes in need of showing. Take your writing to a deeper level. Show action. Show emotion. Show relationship. Don’t always tell.
Tell: I felt the wind and it left me cold.
Show: The wind brushed icy fingers against my skin.
Your assignment: Read and edit CHAPTER FOUR of your novel. As you work, look for places you’ve told rather than shown and consider revising. Challenge yourself to use character thoughts, the five senses and dialogue to eliminate unnecessary telling.
Day 313
Let’s Talk Homophones
Homophones are words that sound alike but have completely different meanings.
There — They’re —Their
There is the store. (As in, look over there!)
They’re going to the store. (They are going.)
The store is theirs. (It belongs to them.)
Your — You’re
It’s — Its
Then — Than
This is your book. (You own it)
You’re such an amazing author! (You are)
It’s mine! (It is mine. It belongs to me.)
This book is on its 232nd day. (“Its” references the book)
Let’s go then. (Emphasizes a references)
I’d rather write than watch TV. (Compares two things)
Peek — Peak — Pique
I took a peek at his butt. (I looked.)
He stood atop the peak. (The highest point.)
He piqued my curiosity. (He roused my curiosity.)
Your assignment: Read and edit CHAPTER FIVE of your novel.
Day 314
Deus Ex Machina
Deus Ex Machina is a Latin phrase that basically means an “act of God” saved your plot. This is not to say a Deus Ex Machina won’t work. In a favorite movie, The Wizard of Oz, The Wicked Witch of the West melts from water–a surprise to absolutely everyone. But it is Oz, so it all works. Readers are more forgiving and willing to suspend disbelief. Editors, not so much.
Your Assignment: Read and edit CHAPTER SIX of your novel.
Bonus assignment: Re-examine your plot. Have you solved plot points through an act of God? You can still make this work, go through your manuscript and plant seeds, so when the solution is presented, readers aren’t getting whiplash wondering where that came from.
Day 315
Reflect and Catch Up
You haven't written your best book yet. A while ago, I said this to another author. I vaguely remember doing so, but I say a lot of nonsense, so the words came out of my mouth and I totally forgot about them. Then, a year or so later, she posted a picture of those words on her office wall and a short caption about how she reminds herself of this before she starts each book and thanked me for the piece of advice that I had forgotten about. But seeing the picture, I realized this, at least for me, is one of the best pieces of advice to operate by. Why? Because every single time you sit down to write another book, it’s an opportunity to write your best book—an opportunity to do better, to go further than, to enthrall yourself and readers, and to always, always improve. It’s an opportunity to make every book your best book.
—New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout
Day 316
Character GROWth Chart
In real life, characters grow emotionally. They should grow in fiction, too. Well, some of them. Probably most of them.
G—gain
R—reasoning
O—or
W—wither
It is when characters grow that they earn their happily ever after.
Example: Hero starts of bitter and closed off–> by middle he’s softening–> by the end he’s open to love
Your assignment: Read and edit CHAPTER SEVEN of your novel.
Bonus assignment: Create a growth chart for your main characters. How do they start out in the story? How do they feel and act in the middle? How do they feel and behave by the end?
Day 317
Still Editing
Look for places with longer than average paragraphs within your pages, as well as multiple pages with introspection and no dialogue. Have you provided too much information there? Can that information be chopped up, bits and pieces moved around and pasted elsewhere?
Your assignment: Read and edit CHAPTER EIGHT of your novel.
Day 318
Say It Loud!
At the revision and final edit stage of a manuscript, read the whole book out loud. Anything that trips you up or makes you pause needs to be reevaluated.
Your Assignment: Read and edit CHAPTER NINE of your novel.
Bonus assignment: Search how your word processing program can dictate your book. Play around to see what works for you. Read from the screen as the manuscript words are spoken. Maybe you can do some mundane tasks like folding towels while your computer reads your book to you. Whether this approach works for you, always always always read your dialogue out loud. If your characters are speaking in ways that no living, breathing human being would, your reader will notice. (Computers and aliens are exceptions to the rule, of course.)
Day 319
The Words Make You…You
Search And Replace Or Search And Destroy?
Your book might have a word that you’ve used over and over again. In Jill’s book, At the Heart of Christmas, her editor pointed out that she’d used the word “door” over a hundred times. In Gena’s book, The Darkest King, it was “as if.” Often you don’t even realize you’re doing it. A critique partner, editor and/or software programs can help you find yours.
As you write more frequently, you’ll discover other phrases that somehow manage to slip into each of your books without conscious thought. For Jill, it’s “manage to.” For Gena, it’s “catapult.” A catapult of feminine fury. A catapult of lust. A catapult of frustration.
These shorthand-phrases help you get your words on the page as quickly as possible. They are words you don’t have to think about. You’ll begin to recognize your shorthand-phrases, which means you can fix them as you go or highlight to fix later, as we’ve advised in the past. That way, you can continue to put your words on the page.
Below, we give you a list of words to rethink. Sometimes you can find a more dynamic word to use in its place. Other times you can cut the word completely. Or, you might decide that word everyone hates is actually beautiful and leave it as is. The one thing to always keep in mind: YOU ARE THE WRITER. This book is your vision and your story, and only your name will be on the cover. You must be happy with what’s inside it. Just don’t dig your heels in too deep. We all need editing, and no one can see every mistake they’ve made. We get too close to the story sometimes.
Note: When editing, remember dialogue is a different beast than prose. Regionalisms and quirky words—they can be necessary in dialogue, and removing them completely may make the conversation stilted and unnatural, or even flavorless.
Quick List for Words To Reconsider:
That
Began to
Very
Pick up
Sit down
About to
Fixing to
Now, let’s look at the word “was” for a moment and analyze its place in your manuscript.