Wednesday 9 June 2010

Revision Road (Week 1)

Moving on from The Beginning I head into Week 1 of my travels along Revision Road...

Thursday, 3rd June 2010

Taking deep breaths. I can do it! I can do it! Just stay calm. First step - answer Wild Rose Press (WRP) editor and Weronika. Second - print both ms out in full. Print both editorial letters out. Third - do only household chores that are urgent and important (the filing can wait, piles of washing can't, nor can the insurance claim for the burst geyser). Finally, start with Project B (romance novel). Highlight what editor sees as critical.  Decide how to approach it: line-by-line or focus on specific sections requiring major re-writes and worry about line editing later? Will see how it goes. Okay, stop dawdling and get moving. The washing won't wash itself and the ms is not going to revise itself! 

Friday, 4th June 2010

Concentrating on Project B (revision letter from WRP editor) as, if I get it right, could lead to publication, while Project A's revision letter will lead to an agent's desk. Both good opportunities, but Project B is more urgent.  Have committed to a date of 8th July to have revisions completed. Analysed editor's letter. Three main areas to work on: motivations, POV changes and passive writing. Finished Chap 1 yesterday, which is not as impressive as it seems - only 8 pages. Took 3 hours as well. My brain is awfully rusty.  Drank a lot of tea, but didn't seem to help. Won't get such a big block of time again until Monday. Will need to work faster, but finding it difficult to identify the passive writing, which I've decided to attack first. It looked easy in the articles I read, but this "show, don't tell" is a deceptively simple phrase!

Saturday, 5th June 2010

Dragged myself out of my warm bed early to sneak in some revision time as today will be busy with Husband's Jo'burg birthday party. Theodora not impressed at being disturbed, but bribed her with cat pellets. Friday's revision went well - found a large section that I actually recognised as needing re-working and got my teeth into that. Getting amazing support from all my writing friends! With cheerleading like that, motivation is strong. But writing time is in short supply today, so no time to chat. Hey-ho, hey-ho, it's off to work I go...!

Sunday, 6th June 2010

Good day yesterday. Managed one whole chapter of revisions, as well as the party (which was such fun!).  Today must spend time on answering emails that have been building up, and also get some housework in. Luckily, Husband must also work today (a new tax bill is out and he's got a meeting about it early next week) so should be able to get in a good few hours of revisions.

Monday, 7th June 2010

Average day yesterday. Felt like I was revising revisions the whole time. Hardly did any new work.   Kept losing the threads and having to go back to double check. On the good side, I did as many chores as possible and today (except for patting and feeding Theodora) I can concentrate on revisions the whole day. Goody!

Tuesday, 8th June 2010

Monday was a great revisions day. Worried about the POV changes - did I still head hop too much? Didn't want to bother WRP editor, but wrote and asked for more guidance. Rather do a good job of the changes now than have to go back and revise again later.  Pulling the 'phone out and avoiding the 'net until after I'd finished for the day helped my productivity! Must do it more often.

Wednesday, 9th June 2010

Tuesday was an awful writing day. Woke up with fibrositis in right shoulder (thanks, Princess Theodora, for hogging my bed and leaving me to cling to the side at an awkward angle); went to Sandton Mall to do the shopping I've been avoiding for a week to find pre-SWC2010 chaos (only 3 more sleeps and its Soccer World Cup time!); popped in to check on the parents; rushed home to unpack groceries and...and..and...! By the time I sat down to write had a thumping headache from the pain in my shoulder. Struggled through 3 pages and re-revised a couple of earlier pages, but unhappy with all of it.  Will have to re-check those pages today.

And to think tomorrow is the beginning of Week 2 of the revision road. Where has the time gone?

5 comments:

CA Heaven said...

And on Friday soccer world cup starts ... >:)
Have you got tickets?

Cold As Heaven

LARCHMONT said...

This sounds really productive, actually. For a week, it sounds like you accomplished a lot!

Amanda Holly said...

It's a great start Judy! Hats off to you for keeping it going. Very good discipline.

Fingers crossed for a Bafana win tomorrow!

Claire Robyns said...

Wow, Judy, you're very organised and it looks like revisions are steaming ahead. LOL on revisions revising themselves, wouldn't that be a bonus?
Have you heard back from editor on your clarification email?

Judy Croome | @judy_croome said...

Cold As Heaven : No tickets for games, but do have tickets for the Andrea Bocelli concert which is part of the celebrations. The SWC has been terrific so far! Great vibe here in Jo’burg!

Samuel: Thanks, that’s encouraging! I thought I was going along so slowly!

Amanda: At least it’s a start, Mandy, although not so sure about it being good discipline Mandy! Bafana did so great against Mexico. And today is the Urugauy match – have high hopes for them!

Claire: Received a lovely useful email from the WRP editor about my query. They really are good about getting back and are very helpful. A pleasure to work with!