When Are You Really Done With A Manuscript?

By Christine Thackeray

Recently I went to the LDS Storymakers writing conference and Julie Bellon taught a class on editing. It was fabulous. Here are the highlights.

WHEN AM I REALLY DONE?

Julie told us that the key to good editing is simply using the CLAW.
That stands for:

C - Check off basic editing checklist
L - Let someone else read it (actually, three someones)
A - Always print out a hard copy and read it
W - Walk away and leave it for a while before your final review

That's it! Then you're done. She told us to be careful not to edit our projects to death. Stop there, send it out and move on with your life.

So let me go over CLAW in a little more detail.

1. CHECKLIST

Checking off the basic editing checklist is made up of two parts- the copy edit and the content edit.

THE COPY EDIT includes these 10 items.
1. Don't trust spell check. Read for common spelling errors like your and you're (one of my favorites), there and their, or the and then (another I like to make.) A friend of mine never wants to conjoin "in to."
2. Check page numbers and blank pages. Sometimes hard returns don't cooperate at the end of a chapter. Flip through the file and see how the layout works on the pages.
3. Check for too many adjectives and adverbs. Adding narrative action instead of simply using an adverb or adjectve is usually a second draft activity. (Even Heather Moore does it.) You can really deepen your characters and improve your story this way.
4. Tense consistencies and verb/subject agreement. This normally shows up green in Word but really, check your green.
5. Avoid cliches. Not only in phrases and descriptions but in storylines. She calls that combo meal stories. You want to be delicious and unique.
6. Repetitive words are a huge issue for people who tend to repeat a lot of things in a repetitive way over and over.
7. We all have favorite words that really don't say anything. They are the "Um's" of writing. Some of these offenders are some, just, really, thing, that, there, one. (I read through my first book and am horrified by the really's and just's. Hey, it was really just my first book, give me a break.)
8. Too many dialogue tags or not enough. (I hate it when you get lost.)
9. Point of view changes.
10. Balance your narrative, exposition and action.

After finishing your Copy Review, you are ready to face the dreaded CONTENT review. For some reason Julie likes the number ten because there are ten of those too.

CONTENT REVIEW
1. Show don't tell. Do a search for the words feel, feelings or felt and replace it with emotive action.
2. Keep the voice active. Passive voice adds a form of to be. See how many was's you can get rid of.
3. Point of view shifts AGAIN. It's really important NOT to head hop. (Again, a rule I broke constantly in my first book but who's counting.)
4. Chapter Hooks!!! Go to the beginning and end of each chapter and make sure you start with something great and end with a cliffhanger. If you've ever read R.L. Stein's Goosebumps, he was great at this even though he totally cheated. Okay, so don't go THAT far, but it's still worth doing.
5. Does each character have REAL motivations? Sometimes readers won't notice motivations but many writers and ALL editors do. Don't cheat and manipulate characters into behaviors they wouldn't do. In another workshop someone gave a perfect example. If you have a babysitter who needs to go in the attic, and you just have a sound up there so they go to investigate, you have an idiot as a main character and we want to throw the book across the room. If, on the other hand, she is playing hide-and-seek with the kids and she hears a sound in the attic, thinking it's a child she is watching, we are there with you and want to read on. Motivations are REALLY important.
6. Does the setting contribute to the piece? Why have you chosen the setting? Looking at the whole, would a change make it better? You aren't stapled to what you've written yet. Also, do you really describe the setting or just assume we know where you are.
7. Is the timeline consistent? I know writers who use planners or calendars to track ther timelines. Use something because this can be an HUGE mistake.
8. Does the conflict continue to increase throughout the story? Sometimes we try to end the conflict too soon and then keep on writing. Things should get worse and worse for our main character until they are almost defeated. In the end they should have to reach in their heart and find a strength they didn't know they had to finally succeed.
9. Does it have a natural flow or is it too contrived? Could this really have happened? Are there scenes you have to give up or adjust to make it believable?
10. Look through each page at your white space. Are there any pages that are too heavy? If so, add dialogue. Don't make the reader want to skip pages. We are all natural eavesdroppers so use it to your advantage.
***11. BONUS POINTER- Lean up! Cut any scenes that doesn't further the plot, reveal important character points or add intrigue. Okay, so I added this one but I know it's true because I like to go on and on, touching on tangents that impact the story in a serious way and have very little to do with it, sort of like what I'm doing right now.


2. LET SOMEONE READ IT

Now, if this seems like a lot to you, don't fear because the next step is easy. You get THREE other people to read it. Three is a great number, if they are the right three. You should get:
-one avid reader who loves your genre,
-one reader who is a strong technical editor and
-one who understands plot and characterization.

Almost everyone knows someone who loves to read. If you are on Good Reads, you might find a fan or you might have a friend who is a total read-a-holic. The gift of this review will probably be more general and the discussion with this person after they read your work may be more useful than what they write down in the margins. Oh, and remember to give this person a hard copy.
Your other two readers can be other writers. If you swap manuscripts, you can develop a nice pool of potential readers that will stay fresh for a long time. If you aren't willing to read other manuscripts, you may find that after a few projects, you've burnt out potential friends- so be careful. Give as much as you take.

When you get back their edits, go through each separately. This will provide three more reviews of your work. Remember, you are almost done.


3. ALWAYS PRINT IT OUT

With copy and content edits and the three reader's edits complete, it is time to print out the entire manuscript. No, you can't just read it off your computer. Actually spend the time and money printing the thing off, even if you have to buy a new ink cartridge. Then read it OUTLOUD. It doesn't matter that your neighbor thinks you've finally gone crazy because you're talking to yourself. You'll see things that may have worked on the page, that don't work in your mouth. Also, it's a great thing to do, if ever you get that book on tape (dream of dreams.)


4. WALK AWAY

Not forever. Just for a few weeks. Do something that totally takes your mind off what you've done. Start outlining a new project, clean out your garage or edit someone else's manuscript. When your brain has unraveled its tight grasp on your current project, you are ready to go over it one last time. Enjoy it. See if there is any part that bores you or doesn't sound smooth and clean. Catch the little typos you overlooked. Once you've made it through this final read, YOU ARE FINISHED!!!!



There are very few things in this world that feel better than writing those two little words - THE END. But it doesn't take long to figure out that they are really only the beginning of the editing process. Now, thanks to Julie, I finally know when THE END is really THE END.

THE END

BYU Writer's and Illustrators Conference For Young Readers Review

By Kimberly Jensen

Last week was the annual Writer's and Illustrators Conference For Young Readers at BYU that brings together authors, illustrators, agents and publishers. I had the honor of meeting some of the best illustrators and writers for children in the market and talk with them one-on-one. Here are some of the highlights;

-Wow an editor with a fabulous first page, hook them in the first few paragraphs.
-FIND YOUR VOICE, FIND YOUR VOICE, FIND YOUR VOICE
-Find out how to write for teenagers without sounding like an adult, trying to be a teenager (they'll call you on it!)
-Read books on writing and read books like a writer
-Write your first draft, put it away for a while, then rewrite!
-Join a writer's critique group
-Write what you love
-Those who make it in the publishing world learn how to break through the brick wall of rejections, again and again.
-Learn how to market yourself, don't depend solely on your publisher

I would highly recommend this conference for anyone who writes for children. And I must give a plug to the fabulous children's authors who attended. Please check out their websites and their books:
Rick Walton
Kathy Appelt
Claudia Mills
Jeannette Ingold
Jeanette Rawlins
Brandon Sanderson

The Evil -ly

By Christine Thackeray

So I went to the LDS Storymakers Conference last week and its effects are still sifting through my brain. One thing that was stressed was how we should avoid using words that end in "-ly" as much as possible. It is part of the "show not tell" theory.

Well, this weekend I also got to pick up my first book from CFI, "The Crayon Messages; A Visiting Teaching Adventure," hot off the presses- it was wonderful. But the next day on the ride home I read every word again and was pricked every time there was an -ly word. This sentence almost stabbed me clear through-

• "You are new, and the ladies from the Mormon Church, who probably knew exactly what they were doing, strapped you with a totally incoherent visiting teaching companion and a bunch of inactives?"

Actually, the story is so incredibly good, I really think the reader will probably simply overlook my many silly faux pas rather easily. Wouldn't you agree?

Blabber Mouth

By Christine Thackeray

You know how you can tell you are really excited about something? You tell everyone you see even if they aren't interested. It just blurts out and you can't help it because you're so excited. You want to stop your mouth but your brain is so turned on by the thought that the flow of words is too powerful and sloshes from your lips in bright detail.

Well, I've been getting ready for this writer's conference and the more I shop and pack and copy out examples of my work, the more excited I have become. Yesterday my cleaning lady came (it's only because I sold a book and I want to stay married) and I couldn't shut my mouth. I even read her a snippet of my work to ask her if it was good enough to use. I wanted to slap my own hand for talking so much, but just kept going.

Then a friend arrived to put stuff in my garage for our YW garage sale and I started on her non-stop. When she left, the property manager drove up. I was going to stop, I really was but when she walked into the kitchen and saw all my stuff out, she asked what I was up to and I did it again. Telling her about the Whitney's and that there is a chance my first book will be out and all the cool stuff I'm going to learn.

Ahhh. I did it again, didn't I? Maybe I should just wear a sign that says stay away from me until after the conference. But then I'll have all the good stuff to share that I learned. OK, so it's endless.

LDStorymakers Conference

By Marcia Mickelson

On Wednesday I will be flying out to Salt Lake to attend the LDStorymakers Conference. I have wanted to attend this conference for several years and am so excited I finally am able to. Getting away by myself doesn't happen frequently, okay never happens. It's almost impossible to do with three little ones. My boys are 2, 5, and 8 and I have rarely been away from them for more than a day or two. In fact, it's only happened once about 5 years ago when what was supposed to be 2 days turned into almost 5 due to major snow storms in the Northeast, but that's a story for another day.

When I told them I was going away for five days this time, I didn't get the panicked reaction I was expecting. They actually took it well. What makes it a little more challenging is that this week is Spring Break, so all three kids will be home all day long, instead of just one. Grandma and Grandpa are being very kind to watch them for two whole days while my husband is away for work. They're very excited to go to their house because they have cable and we don't. They love Nickelodeon, and since they don't get it at our house, they love going there to watch their favorite shows. In fact, I'm worried they'll watch entirely too much television while I'm gone. I tried to set up a few play dates for them while I'm gone, so hopefully that will take them away from the TV for a little while. Thankfully, my husband will be back on Friday and then he'll have them all weekend.

This trip will be great because I'll be meeting a lot of people that I admire and know only in Blogland and I'll be catching up with a few friends and family in the area.

Anyone else here coming to the Conference? I know Rebecca and Doug said the would be there. I look forward to meeting you and anyone else who I happen to see there.