Revising Book Two…

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alisha costanzo, author, blood, blood phoenix, bosex, Broken World, character development, claimed, editing, process, publishing, reverse outlining, revision, Ria, self-published, story arc, synopsis, vampires, writing, writing tips

Reverse Outlining. Sounds like an exciting practice, right? Well, the exciting parts come with a greater understanding of a finished work as a whole.  I recently performed a reverse outline on my second novel, BLOOD PHOENIX: CLAIMED, and was reminded that my overall arc for my story and character development worked.

This process is rather simple but time consuming. I went through and summarized each chapter, hitting each plot point as I would for a synopsis. For example:

Chapter One – Personality differences, catch up, touching issues between the two. Dress. Vision of Logan.

Short, simple, and sweet. Much of my notes only make sense to me, rather like a shorthand for my world.

What I did next was to cut the synopsis into pieces and put them up on my board. (I used the white board my husband set up on my easel.) I pinned them in place with magnets and arranged them part from memory and part from what made sense. I had to move a few to strengthen the plot.

And finally, I stared at it and stared at it and stared at it, taking notes as revisions came to me. This is what the final product looked like:

I even marked specific satirical remarks on pop culture that I wanted to include in black, and the accumulating scars on my poor main character, Ria, in blue. You can see at the bottom that I have notes for book three in the bottom corner. (And another side note of “Debbeimage” from my husband misreading my handwriting and wanting me to use this word.)

It’s a great way to re-acclimate with a novel, create the bare bones of a synopsis, and to organize revision.

Now, all I have to do is get my hands dirty and implement all those wondrously pesky notes I made. I can’t wait.  Wish me luck!

Whoa Is Me’s of Revision

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alisha costanzo, beta readers, blood phoenix, book, Broken World, editing, editor, fantasy, horror, humor, myth, novel, paranormal, process, publishing, revision, self-publish, urban fantasy, vampires, weres, writing, writing tips

Okay, it’s been a bit of a while, but I’ve been busily editing away at Blood Phoenix. Well, I finished my final round of self-edits today—ahead of schedule mind you, and I felt such a keen sense of joy and accomplishment.

Here’s the thing most readers and non-readers and would-be writers don’t generally understand, and quite frankly, I didn’t understand for a long time, either. (Until my recently finished and defended thesis this April). Writing is only one small step to the whole process of creating a story that OTHERS want to read.

My husband lectures me about this concept, about writing for myself rather than for others. That’s why it’s still a hobby and not a job. But I don’t see why the two have to be mutually exclusive, as I’m sure most other writers see it.

But the process is far longer than I imagined (minus that I’ve been tinkering with this novel/series for over a decade). Writing seems hard when that’s the step of the process I’m in; however, that’s the step I revel in. I LOVE to write, to create and develop characters and story arcs and tensions, etc. As much as it sucks when I get stuck or something doesn’t come out right, I love every step of marring that blank page to writing that final word. It’s a yogic paradise for me, seriously.

The first draft isn’t the hard part. Not even close. The book isn’t even really finished. After that initial (shitty) first draft comes so many edits it’s unbelievable. Then again, maybe I’m a perfectionist, but I use beta readers and language Nazis and free online software in stages. And I generally have to rewrite chunks of the storyline to keep the pace and the reader intrigued. Maybe this will lessen with more practice. But self-editing is the most daunting task.

Of course working with an editor comes after this, and as I sat on the other side of that table for a while, I want to say this next step will be the easiest—minus actual self-publication. After my MFA program, constructive criticism won’t dent my pride one bit, and the editor I chose (J.M. Martin) seems to run along the same type of thinking, or at least style, that I do. It’s nice to have someone else put in the hard work after so many runs through a draft, especially since at some point, the author grows blind to mistakes, inconsistencies, and gaps.

So, after my tenth time through this novel in the last year and cutting over 2,000 words on this last run through, here I come easy street. Okay, well, easier street. Mark me up, Joe! I can’t wait to get my baby out for public consumption.

Happy reading and writing, y’all.