I’d seen so many writers quit when trying to revise their novels, but the question was: what could I do about it? I wanted to make a resource any writer could use with any fiction genre to guide them through the revision process. After creating The Complete Revision Workbook for Writers: Tools for a Polished Novel, I wondered if I did just that. Reviews trickled in. Word of mouth spread. Speaking events were booked. But I still wasn’t sure if the writing community found my resource helpful. Then in October I got my answer. The Revision Workbook won Gold in the General Catch-All category at the 2019 Royal Palm Literary Awards. I share more about the process of revision, developing tools for writers, and dealing with pressure in this week’s RPLA showcase.
My Writing Journey
It all started with a terrible manuscript. Although it’s been shoved to the darkest recesses of my laptop’s files, I occasionally scroll past it and wince. This thing was a beast–a 120,000 word fantasy romance with stereotypical characters and a shamble of a plot. I made many huge changes as I drafted: switched a major character’s gender, created an entirely new transportation system, reinvented the entire back story, and more…all as I went. The revision work would be monumental. I set about to attack this thing and tried several times. Then I stopped. I told myself there was way too much to fix and I wasn’t good enough to do it. I abandoned my book. Guilt would consume me whenever I thought about the project for the next two years. It was as if the characters were standing on my notes and glaring at me saying, “You’re really going to leave us like this?”
I did.
I moved on to other projects, other genres, other books. Got pretty decent with short stories and flash fiction. Picture books, too. The memories of the fantasy romance faded, replaced with new passions. Then I became a writing coach and worked with writers in various stages of their careers. The worst part was after helping some would-be authors through their first draft, they would become completely overwhelmed with the revision process and quit. They’d never finish their book. How could they do that?!
Oh, right.
I knew that feeling intimately. I had also spent years since then learning how to revise and edit successfully. I wanted to combine my knowledge of the fear, frustration, and insecurity that comes with fixing up a book with the technical skills I’d gained. I didn’t want any more writers to make the mistake that I did and abandon their book dream.
The Winning Entry, The Complete Revision Workbook for Writers
Logline: From messy draft to polished novel, all the tools any writer at any level needs to revise their fiction manuscript.
It’s easy to monitor your progress when you’re drafting. All you have to do is track your word count. Progress in revision is harder to see, and it can feel like you’re going in circles without getting anywhere. I wanted to give writers a route to follow, point A to point B, so they could finish revising their books. The challenge was that revision is different from person to person and from project to project. I needed to create something that could work for everyone.
I started by breaking revision into three steps and using the information from those steps to make an overall revision plan. Your revision plan is based off your project and will be different for each book. I designed the workbook to be a pick-n-choose resource with pages for the writer to work through whatever specific problems they are having. There are pages and pages filled with common problems and solution ideas along with work pages to work through issues. So if you have too many characters, you can go to the Cutting a Character or Merging Characters work page and figure out how you’ll apply this solution to your storyline. Then you can add those notes to your revision plan. The workbook also opens with a section on mindset and motivation to hopefully tackle all those pesky negative thoughts before they become a problem. My goal is to have writers pick the tools they need and stay motivated to finish their project.
Read an excerpt of The Complete Revision Workbook for Writers here.
“Dear Me,” (Advice to My Younger Writing Self)
The first and most important thing I would tell myself is to stop putting so much pressure on everything. Timelines are things that exist in your head. Relax. You don’t need to get worked up when things don’t happen as quickly as you want them to. Enjoy the process. There are a lot of ups and downs in this industry…and it honestly feels like there are more downs than ups. Take the time to celebrate the good stuff. You will make books and do all the things you want to do, but you need to learn to smile along the way. Otherwise it will just be an endless treadmill of you pushing yourself on and on without any joy.
Be patient with marketing. It takes time. Oh lord, does it take time. I’m talking YEARS. Every release, try something a little different. Don’t be afraid to experiment, with the exception of paying for ads. Do your research and be smart about where you pay for advertising. In-person events require patience. You’ll figure out which ones make money, which ones make connections, and which ones are a complete bust. It’s a learning process that takes time, effort, and money. Find ways to market yourself that you’ll enjoy and it won’t feel too laborious.
Track your income and expenses right from the start. It’s a huge pain in the butt to go back and look all that up for the year. Find a system that works for you where you’ll save receipts, list expenses, track inventory, and record payments. Quick Books really isn’t that bad after you watch a few video tutorials. But if that’s too intimidating, just use a spreadsheet. It will also be a good way to keep yourself in check and realistic about what you’re spending versus what you’re taking in. It will take some time to get in the black, that’s completely normal.
Other Works 
I am the editor of an anthology series called How I Met My Other. The first book, True Stories, True Love was a collection of true love stories covering a variety of unforgettable couples from sweet to funny to timeless. The second volume, Furry Friends, True Tails, comes out in January and will be stories of how people met their special pets. We’ve even got one about llamas!
I also write picture books. Grumbler was featured in the May 2019 issue of Kirkus Reviews magazine, received a five star rating from Reader’s Favorite, and a Bronze RPLA this year. Grumbler lives alone in the dump and that’s just the way he likes it. But when a stray tuna can accidentally brings Grumbler a new friend and this strange thing ‘love’, he must get rid of the tingly, terrible, thing. As he travels through the forest trying to give love away, more and more seems to come back to him. How will he ever get rid of it? This book was inspired by Warren Buffett’s quote, “Love is a strange thing. You try to give it away and you get more back.” Grumbler is a story of humor and personal growth where we learn that sharing love can bring the greatest joy in life.
Joyride just released this November. Leo the cat likes his happy place at home, no matter how much Daisy the dog pesters him to go on adventures. But when a mischievous cricket hops in his path, Leo can’t resist the urge to chase, even if it takes him on a terrifying journey with Daisy. When Leo confronts something he detests more than adventures, he must choose whether he wants to stay miserable or try and find happiness. Joyride is a story of trying new things and learning how to find happiness wherever you are.
Next up is another workbook! The Complete Worldbuilding Workbook for Writers will be coming out in spring of 2020. It’s for fantasy and science fiction writers and has all the elements to help create a layered world for total reader immersion. It will also be published by Writer’s Atelier Books.
Connect with Me
I share new writing blog posts and do giveaways on my author newsletter. You can sign up at www.orangeblossombooks.com. You can also find information there about my writing coaching, publishing consulting, and editing services there. I am also on Facebook and Instagram @orange_blossom_books. My books are all available on my website store as well as on Amazon.
More about RPLA
The Royal Palm Literary Awards competition is a service of the Florida Writers Association established to recognize excellence in members’ published and unpublished works while providing objective and constructive written assessments for all entrants. Judges include literary agents, publishers, film producers, current or retired professors, teachers, librarians, editors, bestselling and award-winning authors, and journalists from across the nation. Entries are scored against the criteria set by RPLA using rubrics tailored to each genre. Winners are announced at the annual FWA conference during the RPLA awards banquet. The 2020 guidelines will be posted in January.
Amarilys Rassler
Thank you! Encouraging, instructional … so helpful!