How To: Revise Like an Amateur

Things that I am a self-proclaimed expert on*:

- Disney World
- Sims
- Procrastinating
- Overthinking things
- Avoiding adulthood
- Writing a term paper in eight hours the day before it's due
- Smiling at rude people when I really want to punch them in the face
- Making lists

*Disclaimer: May not be 100% accurate

Notice how nowhere on this list does it say, "Revising a novel". Also notice how the title of today's post does not, in any way, promise advise from a pro. This is advice from an amateur, aka someone who is 0% sure of what she's doing 100% of the time.

Then again, when do I ever?

I've written first drafts before. Dozens...maybe even hundreds of them. Trust me when I say that I'm very, very good at writing crappy drafts. But do you know how many of them have made it to the active revising stage? Like, .7 of them. And none of them have made it past that to the end.

Honestly, I find that revising can be very overwhelming sometimes. You have to sift through all 50,000+ words of your story--which, come on, is a lot--figure out what works and what doesn't, what to cut and what to add in. Are you telling me that after 30 odd days of pouring my blood, sweat and tears into these words, I'm supposed to cut half of them out? Or, God forbid, start over completely?! No, thank you! Me and this sorry excuse for a novel will be over there in the corner if you need us. Who needs to be published, anyway?

I suffer from a little thing I like to call Perfectionist Writing. That is to say, I have a very strong tendancy to edit as I write--to change something midway and double back to fix the beginning, or to rethink every word or phrase I type as soon as it appears on the screen. You know what that results in? A big wad of nothing. A mountain of unfinished projects, half-assed premises, and characters that are flatter than my nonexistant rear end.

So yeah, that's my first tip. TIP #1 - DON'T DO THAT. Complete your first draft à la NaNoWriMo. Get it down first and leave the rest to Future You.

TIP #2 - LET IT BREATHE

Your novel is finished, and it is flawless. Perfect. A true classic in the making. Go ahead and allow yourself to live in that beautiful fantasy for the time being.

Let your novel sit for a few weeks, maybe a month. Work on something else. Go for a walk, enjoy the sun and the fresh, beautiful oxygen. Appreciate the world around you, because it's not gonna look so great once you dive back into your fiction.

When you come back, read it. All of it. And try not to cry.

TIP #3 - OUTLINE. TWICE.

Or three times or four, however many it takes to work out that muddled plot of yours...but make at least two. The first will be sort of a reversed outline of your first draft. It'll have everything that happened and with accompanying notes of the things you already know need fixing. (It's okay if this list is a mile long; that's normal.)

The second is where you fix them--or attempt to, anyway. I think I'm on outline number four right now. But hey, sorting through a broken outline is a hell of a lot easier than sorting through a broken draft, so have at 'er.

TIP #4 - POST-ITS

I am enraged to have neither been introduced to this method sooner, nor to have thought of it myself.

PLOTTING. WITH POST-IT NOTES.

Clear that bedroom wall of those ancient Jonas Brothers posters and grab yourself a fresh pack of post-its (or several, of varying colours and sizes, if you're an absolute dork like me) and a sharpie. Make a few headings for chapters and leave space underneath for your plot points.

Plot points. On post it notes.

Dedicate each post-it to a different event. Major, minor, whatever you want. Put them in their designated chapters, move them around. Add new ones in, throw old ones out. Reverse the entire plot! SO MUCH EXCITEMENT AND FUN! This method allows for complete scatterbrains like myself to actually organize our thoughts and get our act together!

TIP #5 - THE MASTER OUTLINE

This is the most extensive, in depth, pain in the ass document you will ever create, but holy crap will it ever be helpful! I recommend doing this digitally, but if you would rather use the equivalent of the Amazon Rainforest in paper, then be my guest.

Because this document? It's gonna have your plot--extensively. Like, Wikipedia-synopsis-of-your-favourite-movie extensive. It's gonna have timelines, from years before your story starts to years after it ends. It's gonna have character biographies and backgrounds--everything from their favourite colour and whether or not they still love Let It Go, to their deepest fears and bigger-than-life dreams. Do they have a weird habit of waking up exactly seven minutes before their alarm everyday? Include it. Include everything.

Keep this massive beast saved. Everywhere. Twice. Keep, like, twelve back-ups of this thing, because it'll be hell if you lose it.

TIP #6 - REWRITE. LIKE, A MILLION TIMES.

Or rather: don't be afraid to rewrite it a million times.

Rewriting is scary. It's like throwing everything out and starting from scratch again, which can seem super discouraging; almost like all the work you originally put into it was a waste.

But it wasn't a waste, as unlikely as it seems. You can't get everything right on the first try, and your novel is no exception.

Rewriting takes a lot of time, though. The more you work on your plot outline beforehand, the fewer times you'll have to rewrite it later--so if you're not satisfied with the outline, take another look before you dive back into writing. But if you're getting restless, go ahead and dive back in. Planning is boring sometimes, and all work and no fun will just make it harder to find the motivation to work on it.

TIP #7 - KNOW WHAT WORKS

There's a difference between giving up and knowing that a story just isn't working. Unfortunately, the line between the two can be blurred and faded when you're feeling down and discouraged.

I haven't quite mastered the art of telling them apart (like....at all). I'm not sure that there is a way. All you can do is set it aside and let it breathe for a bit. If you find yourself letting it breathe more than drowning it in the sweat of hard work...well, maybe that's a sign.


I will admit: most of these tips and strategies are still in the experimental phases. But they've been working okay so far, so hopefully you'll find some use for them, as well!

Until later,

- Justyne

How to: Create Regular Content

Do you read any weekly blogs? Do you follow a webcomic that updates with new strips daily, or subscribe to a YouTuber that seems to have an endless supply of ideas up their sleeve, never making you wait too long for something new?

I want you to do something for me, alright? Go to their social media profile. Twitter, Tumblr, I don't care, as long as it has some kind of messaging system. Click on that message button, and write them a letter telling them how fantastic and amazing they are, and how much you love and/or appreicate their work.

Because making regular content? It's hard. Like, really hard. Whoever said that deadlines motivate you was wrong. SO, SO WRONG.

Now clearly, I am no expert on making regular updates. (If anything, I'm an expert on breaking promises to complete strangers.) But hey--it's been just over two years and this blog is not only alive and kicking, but with three times as many weekly updates as I started with! Pretty impressive, if I do say so myself.

So, over the past two years, I have learned a few tips and tricks for making sure that your regular updates--whatever the project may be--stay regular.

TIP #1 - SET A SCHEDULE

First things first: if you want regular updates, you need a day to update on, whether they're weekly or monthly or somewhere in between. Pick a day and label that as your update day--that is the day your content will go live, so make sure it's ready!

TIP #2 - BREAK IT UP

When I first started my blogging experience, I wouldn't even think about my Friday post until Friday afternoon. In fact, that's the entire reason I picked Friday as my update day--I was a student, so blogging on Friday meant I could focus on it entirely, without having to worry about finishing up last minute homework. It seemed like a good idea a tthe time.

I very quickly realized, though, that it wasn't the best system. It involved too much staring at a blank screen, procrastinating the hours away, and stressing over the fear of never having anything to blog about ever again. If you've been here since the beginning, you know that many of my Friday posts were uploaded on Saturday, Sunday, even Monday. They were starting to look less like "regular" updates and more like "whenever" updates.

Don't be like me--break it up into smaller chunks, to be done over the course of several days. Your content quality will be smoother and better overall! For my Friday posts, I try to finish the rough draft on Wednesay, edit and revise on Thursday, with one final readthrough before uploading on Friday! It works (sometimes).

TIP #3 - BRAINSTORM

Trying to come up with a blog topic on the spot is not fun, especially when you feel pressured by a close and fast approaching deadline. Some weeks I'm lucky, and know immediately what I want to write about.

Other weeks, not so much.

If I don't have any immediate ideas, I spend the majority of the week thinking and brainstorming up ideas--evwen if it's only Monday. It also helps to make a list, so you always have something to check when you're super stumped. But that also brings me to...

TIP #4 - DO IT EARLY

If you have a sudden strike of inspiration, get the whole thing down. Right now. I don't care how early it is...do you know how rare these sudden bursts of simultaneous inspiration and motivation are? Take advantage of it! I don't know how many times I hda an idea for what was destined to be the Best Blog Ever, only to completely forget what it was when I finally got around to writing it! Any note I had left myself wasm ost often too vague for me to remember what the idea actually was.

Besides that...getting it done early feels amazing, and you have the rest of the week to play sims work on other projects!

When the inspiration's gone, it's super hard to get it back. Make the most of it when you can!

TIP #5 - MAKE A BUFFER

A "buffer" is, essentially, a supply of pre-written blog posts or pre-drawn comic pages, ready for upload weeks and months before they're scheduled to be finished.

You know what's awesome? Vacation time. You know what's not so awesome? Having to worry about uploading content instead of relaxing, or knowing that your previous streak of uninterrupted updates will be shattered over the course of a weekend.

We all need a break sometimes, even from the things we love. When I was in Disney World, do you think I wanted to spend all of my time thinking about blogging? HELL, NO! I wanted to spend every minute I had soaking up the Disney magic!

Most arty, content-related websites had a scheduling feature, so use it to your advantage! Get all of your content ready before you leave, and schedule it to upload while you're gone. Nobody will notice any different!

(Side note: It's also nice to have a back up buffer, consisting of one or two pieces, just in case you're unable to find time to update because pesky 'ol Life decided to intervene. When you have a chance, spend a day whipping up content in bulk. Leave it on the side as your emergency stash, or schedule it for upload and keep up with your schedule as normal. If you ever get sick or stressed or in any way don't think you'll be able to provide content for the week, you won't feel guilty!)

TIP #6 - START SMALL

When I get a new idea, I get extremely impatient. No, I don't want to wait until I finish this other thing....I want to do it RIGHT NOW! When this happens, there are two expected outcomes:

1) I give in and work furiously on this project, only to lose interest quickly (normally after the appearance of a new New Idea), my previous passion burning out like the end of a sparkler;

2) I succeed in avoiding the temptation of this New Idea...but in an effort to avoid working on it, I end up playing Sims, instead;

OR SUPER SECRET OUTCOME 3) I try to add the new project to my workload ("I've got some spare time, I can handle it!"), only to get stressed and overwhelmed ("oH MY GOD I CAN'T DO ANY OF THIS"), which eventually leads to the extremely helpful (</sarcasm>) coping method of just shutting down and playing Sims. ("I may be a failure, but my sim is PRESIDENT OF THE WORLD!")

With this blog, I wanted it to be different. I wanted it to last. Sure, I had all of these ideas for challenges and multiple update days and whatnot...but I knew if I started it all right away, this project would end up like all the others--sitting in a lonely little corner of the internet, collecting dust for the rest of time.

So, for the love of God, START SMALL! Pick one project, with one regular update, and focus as much time into it as you can! Eventually, you'll start to recognize what you're capable of doing and how quickly you can get things done, with the added bonus of improving the more you successfully do it! Only then will you be able to tell when you're capable of adding more to your plate.

TIP #7 - DON'T GIVE UP

Obviously I'm not perfect. I miss updates all the time. (This post may or may not have been intended for last Friday.) I've gone months at a time without so much as a peep, for a variety of reasons.

But one missed upload does not equate to failure. Failure is thinking you've failed after one mistake and giving no effort to rectify it. If you miss a day, try not to feel bad or guilty about it! Post something late, or start getting ready for next week!

BONUS: DON'T FORCE IT

If something's not working, there's a reason. Whether you need to revamp it or set it aside completely is something only you can decide. I've started dozens of blog posts, only to realize midway that the idea itself wasn't as good as I imagined it to be.

Sometimes, an entire project isn't working. Figure out why. You aren't giving up if you're making the conscience decision to let it go and move on!


I hope some of these tips will help you with whatever projects you have growing inside those huge minds!

Until later,

- Justyne

How to Be a Writer: A 10-Step Guide, By Me (A Writer)

STEP 1: Read a lot. All the time, in fact. Read the classics, read the modern. Read the popular and the unpopular, the good and the terrible. Read what you love, and take note of what you hate and why you hate it. But don't turn reading into a chore--if you don't enjoy reading, you certainly won't enjoy writing.

STEP 2: Dream. Dream big, dream small, dream far and wide. Dream at night, while you sleep and before you drift off. Dream of the impossible and make it so. Create fantasies and goals. Dream your dreams and write them down.

STEP 3: Make a list. Turn your dreams into something tangible. Cross them off. Not next year--today. As soon as you can.

STEP 4: Look for inspiration everywhere. Bookmark quotes you love and pin things on Pinterest. Take pictures of amazing sights. Take mental notes of the people and conversations around you.

STEP 5: Motivate yourself. Nobody will do it for you; even if they try, they won't succeed. The best motivations are internal motivations--yourself.

STEP 6: Avoid distractions. No, you can't work with the TV on. No, checking Twitter won't take two mintues. Lock yourself away. Turn off your phone. Unplug for an hour.

STEP 7: Stop procrastinating. You're doing it. Right now.

Stop.

STEP 8: Don't get it right. Don't get it perfect. Get it down. Break it first, fix it later.

STEP 9: Yes, your writing sucks. See above. It won't suck forever.

STEP 10: Ignore everything. Just write.


Until later,

- Justyne