Changing As a Writer

KALI BY GABOR SOMOSKOI FEATURING ZSOFI FENYVESI (SOURCE)

When you get to be a certain-aged adult (which is basically anything over 25), you get this idea in your head that you’re the you you’re always going to be. It’s the idea that growing is for kids and once your body has settled on a shoe size, that’s that. You’re you.

I had this idea about my writing after I wrote my first novel. I drafted that sucker in a month. I felt pretty pleased with myself.

“That’s the kind of writer I am,” I told myself. “I don’t outline. I write fast. I love drafting. And I’m pretty sure revising is of the devil.”

I held onto that version of writer me. I am a pantster, a fast drafter, and a despiser of all things revision.

But by the time I was ready to write the next book, I was … broken. I couldn’t start it.

I became very shouty at myself. The Man sent me these really worried looks, then he put on his noise-cancelling headphones and mumbled something about writers.

“I DON’T OUTLINE!!” I said it over and over again. Except, maybe I do. Because for that second book, I made an outline. And then I could write.

So that was it. I had been mistaken after the first book.

“That’s the kind of writer I am,” I told myself. “I outline. I write fast. I love drafting. And I’m pretty sure revising is of the devil.”

I held onto that version of writer me. I am a plotter, a fast drafter, and a despiser of all things revision.

But by the time I was ready to write the next book, Gray Wolf Island, I was … broken again. Only this time it was worse. I outlined. I started it. And I was slow.

No, that’s a lie. I was SLOW.

“I AM A FAST WRITER!!!” I said it over and over again. I whined about it to friends who were very kind with my fragile writer brain.

No matter what I tried, I stayed broken. I wrote the entire book slowly. Writing each page was like pushing blood up through my pores. It was a disgusting and scary process for someone who still considered herself a fast writer who loved drafting.

When it came time to revise, I steeled myself for the horror.

It wasn’t there.

The revision thing? Way easy.

I had no idea who I was anymore, because the Writer Tracey I knew despised the whole ordeal, but this me? This me was tossing around words like “fun.”

Last week, I turned in a round of edits on Gray Wolf Island and the process was—yes, I’m going to say it again—fun. Unlike drafting my new WIP. Which brings me to a revelation I had: I’ve changed.

I’m not the type of writer I was when I first started. Drafting is full of doubts and fears, while revision is a process I love. And that’s okay.

I think we stuff ourselves into boxes, partially because so many writing articles force us into them: Are you a plotter or pantster? Do you write fast or slow? Do you revise as you go or do you get it all on the page first?

It’s taken me a long time to realize it’s okay to change. It’s okay to vary your process from year to year or book to book. We’re not expected to stay the same version of us from the cusp of adulthood into eternity.

Kind of freeing, isn’t it?

Pain-Free Guide to Slashing Your Word Count

In the before days (several months ago), I had a very specific and painful process for cutting words, sentences, scenes, and chapters from my books:

1. Procure chainsaw.
2. Slice off limbs.

It wasn’t the kind of approach to cutting I wanted to use long term. Mostly because I only have four limbs.

Fact is, cutting a manuscript hurts. After days and weeks and months of writing a story, the last thing you want to do is trash words. It feels wasteful. There are writers in the world starving for words, and there you go throwing yours out.

During my last round of revisions, I had a breakthrough. I’ve actually been holding onto this gem of a tip for months because I kept forgetting to post it I had really important things to do and stuff.

So here it is—four pain-free* steps to cutting your word count:

1. Print your manuscript.

After reading my book so many times on screen, doing a full read on paper is super helpful.

2. As you read, strike out words, sentences, paragraphs, even full scenes and chapters to cut.

Do not freak out. You’re simply scribbling out ink on paper. Your manuscript is still safe and sound—and in its original, lengthy glory—on your computer. Later, you can veto any marks you make, so go wild.

3. When you’re done editing on paper, open your digital file and highlight all of the sections you marked to cut.

Forget about all of your other edits. Simply go page by page through your printed manuscript and, whenever you’ve marked a word or passage to be cut, highlight it in the file.

I use Scrivener, so at this stage I simply highlighted words or chunks of text bright yellow, as noted on my printed page. I didn’t stop to think about whether I wanted to cut that text. It’s a very fast transfer from paper to Scrivener file.

4. Revise.

Now it’s time to revise as you typically would. I should point out that, at this point in my revision, I was completely unaware I was a genius. I feel very humble pointing that out.

Here’s what happened: Whenever I got to a word or section highlighted yellow, I knew I had two choices: cut or keep. Except in my mind, I’d already let those words go—twice. And so cutting wasn’t punch-to-the heart terrible like it was in the past.

It’s sort of like telling your brain to be prepared because some time real soon you’ll be getting rid of words and scenes and it better not put up a fight. And then telling it again. By the time you get around to cutting those words and scenes, your brain will be like YES, THANK YOU, I GET IT—NOW STOP.

Alright, lay it on me: What’s your best writing or revising trick?

*Results may vary.

Currently: The Summer Edition

Listen, I know Currently posts are supposed to go up on Tuesdays but I’m a hard-core rebel and nobody, not even the internet, tells me what to do.*

When you finish rolling your eyes, read on:

LOVING

The flowers are blooming, the sky’s ultra blue, and stepping outside feels like walking into someone’s mouth. It’s summertime.

For me, that means drive-in movies. I’m lucky to live close enough to two drive-in theaters that I don’t even have to build a time machine and rewind to 1955. Though I’m sure I could rock a conical bra.

Last weekend, The Man and I saw X-Men: Apocalypse at the theater. Days of Future Past is still my favorite, but this one was fun, too. Bonus: James McAvoy’s voice.

READING

About a billion books came out on Tuesday and I pretty much want to read all of them. But I’m most excited for My Lady Jane, a not-quite-true tale of Lady Jane Grey. 

To be honest, the Princess Bride mention in the blurb sold me. But on top of that, I’m a big fan of Jodi Meadows’ Orphan Queen series and Cynthia Hand’s Unearthly trilogy (best love triangle ever—even if you hate love triangles).

WATCHING

I’m in that in-between space where all of my usual TV shows have gone on vacation and I spend 60 percent of my time explaining to The Man exactly why overpaid Hollywood actors shouldn’t get months and months of vacation when none of us do. And then he puts on his noise-cancelling headphones and I have to feel the injustice alone.

Anyhow, I recently found this trailer for Space Between Us. It’s about a teen who grew up on Mars and steals a rocket to fly to Earth for the first time. It looks a lot less crazy and a whole lot more adorable and heartbreaking than my description. And it’s starring Asa Butterfield, who I absolutely adore. (I just saw him in A Brilliant Young Mind, and he did a fantastic job portraying a boy with autism.)

LISTENING TO

I’ve been revising Gray Wolf Island, so naturally I’ve been listening to the playlist on repeat. (You can see the entire playlist here. One day when I befriend a web designer and exploit our friendship for a fancy website, I’ll have the whole playlist on here.)

Here’s one that will make more sense when** you read GWI. It’s the song I imagine for two of my characters’ first kiss. I’m pretty sure connecting this song to the scene makes me super cheesy (and not, like, Roquefort or something fancy; I’m talking neon orange “cheese”) but WHO DOESN’T LIKE CHEESE?

I guess maybe the lactose intolerant? In any case, cheese is delicious and I’m keeping this as my first kiss song:

THINKING ABOUT

My first round of revisions for Gray Wolf Island are due back to my editor on July 1, which means 80 percent my brain is dedicated to my revision. In case you’re curious, the other 20 percent is split like this:

15 percent: cute puppies on Instagram

5 percent: food

But the unexpected good news? I’m enjoying the revision process. A long time ago I thought I was a pantster who loved drafting and hated revising. Now drafting is a bit like bloodletting and revising is freeing.

If that makes no sense to you, just mutter “perfectionists” and give a disapproving shake of your head.

This round of revisions also reminded me that I had a breakthrough during my first round of revisions and never shared it with you. How greedy. So next week I’m blogging about the painless process that helped me cut words from GWI when it was just a young WIP.

Yep, painless. It’s a trick-your-brain kind of trick. 

ANTICIPATING

All the 2017 books. I’m lucky enough to belong to the Swanky 17s, a fantastic group of YA and MG authors debuting in 2017. There’s been a ton of cover reveals recently and some of them … you have to check them out for yourself.

WISHING

You’d like my brand-spanking-new Facebook page. I’m cringing so hard while writing this. You can’t see that because of the whole being on the other side of the internet thing, but it’s true. I’ll probably have wrinkles from it years later, and I will call them my cringing wrinkles, or crinkles for short.

In any case, if you like Facebook and you like liking things and you think you might like my page, then have at it.

MAKING ME HAPPY

I’ve been playing this puppy video on repeat. I can’t tell you why I love it so much (I don’t want to spoil the twist) but it has the power to restore even the most shriveled of hearts.

So, what’s new with you this week?

*I forgot.

**If

Currently: Read This Book Now

A little late to the game today, but here nonetheless! Let’s do this:

LOVING

This new journal my aunt got me for Christmas—and, yes, I am that behind on sharing my favorite gifts on Instagram, which is where all good gifts go for validation. The question, of course, is whether I can bring myself to mess it all up by writing on its pages.

READING

I devoured These Vicious Masks, a YA historical that’s pitched as Jane Austen meets X-Men, which is appropriate but not nearly the best part. That would be Evelyn, who is full of wit and sarcasm and whose quips had me laughing throughout the whole thing. Bonus: While there are two men interested in Evelyn, her major focus is on finding her missing sister, so while I was swooning, she was not. Somehow, this made the romance even more fun. (I plan to review this in more detail one of these days.) Next up: The Love That Split the World, which sounds just as amazing as it looks.

VIA

WATCHING

I’m super exciting to start Hulu’s 11.22.63, a time travel drama starring James Franco that’s based off the Stephen King novel. But what really sold me was J.J. Abram’s involvement because I’m a sucker for anything he creates.

LISTENING TO

I stumbled upon Daughter’s “Youth” in my endless Spotify list, something I’d added before I wrote Gray Wolf Island, and realized it was perfect for the story. I’ve been listening to it on repeat ever since.

THINKING ABOUT

Beginnings. And how much I hate them. This is about writing, but it might as well be a metaphor for my life. I’m always a nervous wreck when starting something new.

Multiply that by a thousand when it comes to writing a book. There’s something about that first chapter that makes my insides seize and my brain go mushy. So there you have it: Beginnings hit me like food poisoning.

ANTICIPATING

Is Tuesday too soon to look toward the weekend? No, I really don’t think it is. And I’m antsy to spend long stretches of Saturday and Sunday working on my new story. You have permission to clobber me over the head if I’m still struggling with Chapter 1 by then.

WISHING

I had married a massage therapist, or at least a guy who could feel the difference between tight muscles and shoulder blades. (The Man has other fine qualities, I assure you.) Anyone else feel like they’ve gone 12 rounds with a ninja after writing for long stretches of time?

VIA

MAKING ME HAPPY

Rebecca and Rebekah. How’s this for happy-making:

Rebekah Faubion sold her YA fantasy, Of Blood and Promises, which will release in Fall 2016. I was so very lucky to get a chance to read this story, and trust me when I tell you to add it to your TBR list right now. But be warned: Rebekah really knows how to punch you in the feels.

Rebecca Barrow sold her YA contemporary, You Don’t Know Me, But I Know You, releasing in 2017 release. I haven’t read this one, but it sounds ah-mazing. Read the blurb on Goodreads.

Congrats, ladies!

What’s new with you?

On Reading, Writing & Addictive TV

I tried.

I even had one of those reminder things set on my calendar to yell at me twice a week about being lazy and not writing my blog posts like those highly organized and industrious bloggers. (You know who you are.)

I even knew that on Tuesdays we post Currently. The problem is that I spent half this week with mixed up days. I blame the day off on Monday and a weekend full of Making a Murderer. My brain is still 84 percent righteous indignation, so I’m sure you can understand.

Anyhow, two days late, but isn’t half of winning playing the game? Even if it’s on the wrong day? On the wrong field? GIVE A GIRL A BREAK.

LOVING

I’m feeling rather British with the new electric tea kettle I added to my writing space. It makes it a lot easier to drink fifty cups of tea while attempting to create worlds and whatnot.

The downside (because of course there’s a downside, this is Real Life) is that I’m forced to choose between hot tea and electricity, what with the number of times the tea kettle, upon reaching a rolling boil, shuts off the entire right side of my condo. And then The Man has to come home and wonder whether writing in the dark is some sort of metaphor for the state of my mind while attempting to write the first line of this new story.

Yes. Yes, it is.

READING

I’ve basically promised my firstborn child to The Man should I not read Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One soon. It’s not really that huge of a motivator considering my firstborn child would be his, but he says it with menace so I get the point. Plus I want to read it anyway, even though I’m not into video games and am, in the words of my dear husband, so not fun. 

I’m also antsy to read Marie Lu’s The Young Elites. The Man got me a signed copy for Christmas because despite his child-stealing threats he’s a nice guy.

WATCHING

I try not to brag about my ability to binge (because some people call sitting on the couch all day lazy) but I’m going to brag about my ability to binge: In under two days this weekend, I’d watched all Making a Murderer episodes. I have three recommenations:

1. Stay away from cops.
2. Stay away from Wisconsin.
3. Watch this show, pronto.

Aside from the true crime documentary, I also watched The Shannara Chronicles, which was surprisingly good and filled the Game of Thrones–sized hole in my life. (Though no one will take the place of Tyrion, may he never meet the sharp edge of George R. R. Martin’s pen.) The two female leads are equally kickass and all sorts of awesome, and Will is a fun sort of idiot who I can’t help but like. I’m on board, even though they killed the super hot elf whose voice was an exact replica of Finn’s from The 100.

I also watched Shadowhunters, which hahahahahahahahahaha. 

LISTENING TO

I’m pretty much playing this song on repeat as I brainstorm my next friendship-heavy story:

THINKING ABOUT

Writing a multiple POV novel for the first time. Writing third person for the first time. Whether I’m clinically insane or just headed in that direction.

VIA

ANTICIPATING

The nine gajillion 2016 books I’d like to download to my brain right now. And I’m both anticipating and anti-anticipating The Raven King because A) the series will be over and B) Gansey’s life will be over. And I’m not sure I’m ready for that.

WISHING

That you’ll check out this post about a young black girl who was frustrated with a lack of diversity in the books she was reading. She decided to start a book drive (check out the hashtag #1000BlackGirlBooks), and she’s aiming for 1,000 books with black girls as the main character.

MAKING ME HAPPY

Writer friends! Writing a book is such a mental game for me, and I can be pretty mean to myself most of the time. I tell myself I’m not capable. I tell myself I’ll fail. I tell myself my ideas are crap and my words are dumb and I’m having a really, really bad hair day. (Okay, that last one is true 99 percent of the time.)

So I’m happy I have friends to support me. My lovely CP Liz Parker is the equivalent of a cheerleader and pro-bono psychiatrist, and she gets full credit for my sanity.

What’s currently making you happy?