NaNoWriMo begins on November 1!

Revising and Rewriting Resources

AmaranthMuseGlowing Halo
Revising and Rewriting Resources
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Posted on:
Nov 29, 2010 - 13 47

See how I used those multiple "Rs?" Hee!

This thread is intended to compile a list of useful revising, rewriting, and finishing resources for those of you who are going to tackle taking your lovely gem of a book and subject it to the cutting, polishing, and setting process so it really sparkles with a certain amount of fire. Feel free to add whatever you like below!

Writing Excuses: Managing Your Influences: completely inspired this post as they talk about how you try to extract other voices than your own, different influences, and people's suggestions from your work. I'll add more as time allows. :)

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NaNoWriMo region: Ferndale, MI | Naperville, IL
Genres: Urban contemporary; fantasy, sci-fi; speculative; historical

AmaranthMuseGlowing Halo
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Posted on:
Dec 27, 2010 - 10 10

Put me on the list for this please. I'd be interested in it.

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NaNoWriMo region: Ferndale, MI | Naperville, IL
Genres: Urban contemporary; fantasy, sci-fi; speculative; historical

AmaranthMuseGlowing Halo
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Posted on:
Dec 1, 2010 - 09 34

Blockbuster Plots (the Plot Whisperer) has the gist of how to set up plot. The blog-stress, Martha, publishes on how to improve stories through plot AND she has a long series on bringing NaNoWriMo plots into a finished product. I printed out all her blog posts for this last year and shall bring to the next Caribou session.

Plot Whisperer will post 31 days (or so) of how to improve your plot, take what you've written and polish it up. HIghly useful if you're trying to decide 'how the hell do I revise this!?'

Her youtube feed is highly useful (though sadly about two months late for some of us!), and covers the gist of what she goes over in her blog.

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NaNoWriMo region: Ferndale, MI | Naperville, IL
Genres: Urban contemporary; fantasy, sci-fi; speculative; historical

AmaranthMuseGlowing Halo
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Posts: 69
Posted on:
Dec 1, 2010 - 09 25

On my never-never list:
sudden
suddenly
very (unless it's "thank you very much" or something in dialogue)

On my "hack it if you see it" list:
had
was
back
away

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NaNoWriMo region: Ferndale, MI | Naperville, IL
Genres: Urban contemporary; fantasy, sci-fi; speculative; historical

KatherineWritingGlowing Halo
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Posted on:
Dec 1, 2010 - 07 16

While at a Caribou write-in, I mentioned my 'list of bad words' and people asked me to share them. These are words that I've noticed that I tend to overuse which brings down the prose. A few can be globally replaced--like still, just, very, really--some sentences may read 'off' but by not having them in the sentence I usually find better words in the second or third draft.

A lot of these words are perfectly fine words, but my stories are better without so many of them. I'm not suggesting that yours would be. That's for you to decide.

Most of these have to be individually checked--and I have a long list. Each year a few words get overused, and I add to the list. Some are a problem one year, and not so much the next. Some come back every single year, but I don't fret about them anymore--I know I'll fix them in the second draft. (Usually before I print anything out.) I just checked on 'just' -- and deleted hundreds of instances. I don't delete all ly words on my first pass--but by the time the chapter has been revised through critiquecircle, almost all of them are gone.

A few of them are too hard to be able to remove while watching TV (which is how I usually get through this)--like was, had--but I try to go through them at some point and look for better verbs. I used to leave a lot of 'was verbing' but have discovered that verbed works most of the time and reads better for my writing.

Remember, this is just what I do. This is not general writing advice. You're in charge of your writing. Feedback is good to get, but you decide what changes and what stays.

Anyway, here's the list:

still
just
really
very
But
ly words
realized that
going to
starting to
beginning to
start
begin
felt her
lots of
at least
merely
a few of
Hopefully,
Eventually,
surprise
sudden
Although
some
a lot of
truly
couple
about
anyway
sure
all
No
much
got
realize
And
even
only
does
actually
that
silly
noticed
yet
So,
back
to get
a bit
right
I'll be right back.
did
so
get
was
had
go and

A note on But, And, So -- I try to limit the number of sentences that start with these words, that's why they're capitalized here. A critiquer once counted up my sentences beginning with But--over a dozen in one chapter. She was right. The chapter was better without so many. I still use them, but try to go lighter.

cooldoctor1Glowing Halo

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Location: Geneva-St. Charles, Illinois & Champaign-Urbana, Illinois
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Posted on:
Nov 30, 2010 - 20 17

In particular, I'd be interested on any opinions regarding Stylewriter:

http://www.stylewriter-usa.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Hb2iglXs1M&feature=related

Or Autocrit:
http://www.book-writing-software.info/autocrit-editing-wizard.php

Thank you.

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Sincerely, Cooldoc.

cooldoctor1Glowing Halo

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Posted on:
Nov 30, 2010 - 11 26

Master Edit---

I own a copy of this software: see video here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4JkbdpI5dc

It's good, but very simple. It does it's job effectively. One must cut and paste their text in it, then if make changes, cut and paste it back to the original.

If anyone knows of a more sophisticated software that does similar review as Master Edit, I'd be interested to know about it.

If anyone wants to try Master Edit at a write-in, let me know and I'll bring it on my flash drive.

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Sincerely, Cooldoc.

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