Today I'm pleased to introduce one of my favorite authors, Leah Cypess, talking about the process of revising Nightspell
.In the first parts of this feature (at See Michelle Read and Books Complete Me), I talked about the first two stages of writing Nightspell: writing and research. Here I’ll talk about the third: revision.
There were, roughly speaking, two stages of revision for Nightspell. The first was guided by my editor, who sent me huge heavy packages full of revision letters and marked-up manuscripts. Her notes spanned things from, “This character’s actions here make no sense,” to, “this seems like the wrong word.”
Some of the issues she pointed out could be fixed quickly. Others required me to go through the manuscript and change entire scenes, or write in adjustments that had to be made consistent over the course of the entire book. During the process of revision, I re-read Nightspell three million sixty thousand forty-eight times. Give or take.
Since Nightspell is told from the point of view of three different people, with the motives and knowledge of various other people to take into account, I also had to make sure that after all this revision was done, the manuscript still made sense. This wasn’t as easy as it sounds. My first step was to buy out Staples. Then I got to work. By the time I was done, I had an entire folder full of timelines, outlines, maps, and motivation charts.
The oaktag chart idea, which was the most useful, came from Lon Prater, a fellow writer and member of my online critique group. Diana Rowland, another writer, said she uses post-its on the living room wall. But I think my kids would find that a little too tempting. So for now, I’ll continue to use my assortment of charts and graphs… and be thankful that Staples opened a branch around the corner from me.
