Once More With Feeling: Revision Series

My amazing YA author-in-awesomeness Heather Demetrios (with whom I’m hosting the Pneuma 2018 Writing Retreat) has put together and AH-MAZING interview series all about revision called: Once More With Feeling!

If you fear revision, psyche yourself out, or feel like you have to write a perfect first draft, then this series is for you. Revision is something all professional writers grow to loooooooooove! If you feel like revision isn’t your cup of tea, spend some time reading through these interview to hear the tips and tricks that might just make you a revision devotee.


Interview #1 with Amy Ewing

“I’m not precious with my first drafts because I know how significantly books change over the revision process.” – Amy Ewing

“I don’t think any author ever feels their book is really truly done. But I trust my editor and my beta readers and at some point, you just have to let it go.” – Amy Ewing

Amy Ewing is the author of the New York Times bestselling Lone City trilogy. She lives in New York City, navigating the minefield that is single city living and traveling as much as possible to soothe the heartbreaks along the way.

Click here to read the full interview with Amy Ewing!


The Queen of Craft Talks Revision

Interview #2 with Ingrid Sundberg (That’s me!)

“When you stop trying to create perfection the first time you put your pen to the page, you start to discover the joy of revising. You learn that you don’t have to summon some in-human ability to write. You simply have to write; preferably in a way that makes you love writing.” – Ingrid Sundberg

“It’s hard to unlearn our expectations to create perfection in an instant. It’s like we have to unwind ourselves from years of educational bribery that’s taught us to equate our self-worth with an A.” – Ingrid Sundberg

Click here to read the full interview with Ingrid Sundberg!


Why Writing A Terrible Manuscript Is The Ace Up Your Writer Sleeve

Interview #3 with Lisa Papademetriou

“I think most writers fear revision for two reasons: overwhelm and mindset. When revising, writers often try to pay attention to everything all at once: character development, plot, syntax, symbol, description, dialog–it’s too much. It’s important to approach each draft with a single main idea/ intention with the knowledge that there will be more than one of these revision drafts.” – Lisa Papademetriou

Lisa Papademetriou is the author of A Tale of Highly Unusual Magic (a South Asia Book Award Highly Commended Title), the New York Times-bestselling novel Middle School: My Brother is a Big, Fat Liar (with James Patterson), the Confectionately Yours series (approximately one million books in print), and many other novels for middle grade and young adult readers.

Click here to read the full interview with Lisa Papademetirou! 


Gloria Steinem. Goonies. Little Women. How To Revise Like A Patriarchy Smasher

Interview #4 with Jessica Rinker 

“There are so many other things to freak out about…believe me. Revision is something you must get used to because you will be doing it for months—before your book is sent out, after your book is picked up. If you can deal with revision on your own you will be a much better writer for it, not to mention better prepared for the publishing process.” – Jessica Rinker

Jessica Rinker’s debut picture book biography GLORIA TAKES A STAND comes out from Bloomsbury, March 12, 2019, and her debut middle grade THE DARE SISTERS comes out from Macmillan/Imprint Fall 2020 and Fall 2021.

Click here to read the full interview with Jessica Rinker!


 

You’re freaked out about revision in general, or you don’t know how to do it – possibly, you’re both freaked out and not sure how to do it AT THE SAME TIME. Is there anything more to this process beyond nail biting and hand wringing? How do you even know where to begin? And what can you possibly do to chill out and enjoy revising your work?

Have no fear: your retreat leaders, YA authors Heather Demetrios and Ingrid Sundberg, are the kind of sickos that actually enjoy revising and are thrilled to bring you over to the revision-loving dark side.

 

Click here to learn all about the 2018 Pneuma Creative Writing Retreat!

Tags:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *