Surgery Part 1

I read somewhere once that writing is like surgery, but I think they meant revising is like surgery.
My post about my Revision Plan was very broad; it didn't include the steps I would take to actually revise it. I'm kind of playing it by ear, charting the land as I get to it. I have a couple of steps in my head so I'll know where to go next, but I'm not quite sure beyond that. Right now I'm in between Steps 1 and 2.
Because I didn't quite know what I was doing when I started this novel and because I started it so long ago, I'm starting out with, so to say, mapping out my novel into parts. I would do scenes, but I didn't necessarily plan it in scenes so the lines are fuzzy. I've picked up my scalpel and sliced where I thought necessary, cutting my novel into 106 parts. 
Now I'm going to go through and make notes on each individual part, decide what I think should be rewritten/deleted/etc. I've already labeled 78 pages of cancerous writing. The tumor. I'm thinking that it will all have to go and be replaced with viable parts.
So that's what I'm doing now. I'll let you know how that works out for me when I get to the next step. This is all new for me.

My Revision Plan (How to be my Critique Partner)

So, I'm about to begin revising my first novel. I've been doing a lot of research on revising, and have compiled a list of how I plan on doing this. This is my plan, but feel free to follow any steps you wish on revising your own novel. Also, if you are a potential critique reader, I may be sending you to this post. So read carefully. I may even copy and paste it in an email for you, along with a bunch of other stuff. Be warned. Have a nice day. Good luck with revisions.(:
P.S. If you are interested in being my critique partner, please do leave a comment below or send me an email at flynn.elle@yahoo.com.

My due date: I made a vow to myself a little while back (right before last November, I think) that I would have this novel finished and polished and ready for whatever comes after by January 1st, 2013. So that is my goal for when I want my revisions to be finished. That gives me...six months? Does that sound plausible?


Step 1: Send out complete rough draft to a trusted and smart critique partner(s). Ask he/she/them to read over the entire MS and look at big picture things, i.e. pacing, character development, irrelevant scenes, plot, etc. Beg them not to bother with grammar and sentence structure just yet unless it's super distracting or they're afraid it may be missed later; that part will come soon enough. Ask them to send comments that include their emotional reactions to the scenes. Do they like them? Do they not like them? What don't they like about them? Also, include their overall reaction to the story and anything else they feel necessary in their critique. Beg them to be nice even when they have to be tough. Beg them to BE TOUGH.


Step 2: While waiting for critique(s) from partner(s), start looking at MS. Make notes of what you think should be changed. Scenes that should be deleted or moved or changed. Characters that are irrelevant. Pacing issues. Plot development. Character development. Voice. etc.


Step 3: Receive critique(s) from partner(s). Look at their notes. Look at my notes. Compare. Contrast. Merge.


Step 4: Fix stuff.


Step 5: Send fixed MS to critique partner(s). Say sorry for taking up so much of their time. Ask them if they approve.


Step 6: If they don't approve, fix stuff (maybe). If they do approve, start looking at sentence structure and grammar and word choice and metaphors and cliches and edges and go crazy while hopefully fixing them.


Step 7: Once everything you can do is done, send it to back to your poor, poor critique partner(s). Ask them to look at the smaller things too because hopefully they are better at grammar than you.


Step 8: Receive line-edited MS. Read it over. Make more corrections if necessary.


Step 9: Go to lulu.com and pay a small fee to have novel (privately) printed and bound in paperback style. Read it. Get another one. Start distributing to beta readers (i.e. mother, friends, cats...)


Step 10: Take in suggestions from beta readers and maybe fix more stuff.


Step 11: Read it over again.


Step 12: Maybe fix one more thing.


Step 13: Write a blurb because maybe you haven't done that yet.


Step 14: Get out of house. Do something crazy. Have fun. Eat chocolate. Bake brownies. Watch
movies. Read books. Write other novel.


Step 15: Decide what to do next.

Here are some more articulate revision plans and how to's.
http://bethrevis.blogspot.com/2009/06/now-what.html
http://hollylisle.com/how-to-revise-a-novel/
http://maggiestiefvater.com/blog/revision-trouble-shooting-your-novel/
http://www.yarnagogo.com/blog/2011/11/how-to-revise-your-novel.html
http://www.writersrelief.com/blog/2008/10/how-to-revise-your-novel/
http://suite101.com/article/revising-a-novel-a72335

Hospital Life

Today is July 1st, 2012, officially marking the end of Camp NaNoWriMo. I did win, in case you were wondering. It was close, but I did it. (Much thanks to the support of my cabin mates.) So tomorrow, I shall begin my revisions on my first novel. A couple minutes after I post this, I will be posting my revision checklist of sorts. It's also a guideline on how to be my critique partner.
You can expect regular posts about my journey through editing my first novel. I'm pretty nervous about this. I put the manuscript on a shelf in my room that I can't reach without a step ladder and I've been staring at it all month long. Tomorrow I finally get to take it down.(Eek!)
Since Camp ended last night, I've spent my time developing a rather critical addiction...to Grey's Anatomy. I'm not kidding. So far, I've watched the entire first season and half of the second one. I've barely slept. I keep saying that each episode will be my last for the day, but then it ends and I find myself starting the next one. They're all just right there. I can't help myself. I need to check myself into rehab.
Or go to Seattle Grace Hospital and have them call for a psych consult. D;