Job Searching, Writing, and Sometimes Revision

Page two of my own ELEVEN revision notes.
(Picture intentionally blurry!)

Hello everybody!

As you may or may not know, I recently moved to California. I came out here to follow my dreams and to become a big name! (Just kidding. I moved here because I needed to get out of Illinois and my sister lives here with my brother-in-law.)

I thought I was ready for the real world when I was still in school, but now that I'm in it, I'm pretty much falling apart. Okay, well, I wouldn't say that, but I am stressed! I've applied to so many jobs, I've lost count! Because of all the time I've been working on applying to jobs, my writing has taken a back seat. Now, that doesn't meant I've stopped writing! I am definitely still writing! It's just not as much as I'd like to be.

I recently beta-ed my second Nano book to a friend. When I got it back, I had SEVEN single-spaced pages of revision notes. That's not including all the comments actually made ON the manuscript. After reading through them, I agreed with almost all of the notes/suggests/please-change-this-now's. So that's what I've been working on. It's not going to be done as fast as I had originally hoped, but it's coming along.

What's nice, and interesting, about another person looking at your work is, it bring a whole new light to your story. I realized things about my characters I wasn't even aware of. I fixed melodramatic story elements, that originally, I thought were perfect.

For instance, the ending of my manuscript ended in a HUGE way. In fact, it was the original thing I thought up in my mind that my story was based around. (Let's say it involves a crash and public transportation.) It was melodramatic and over the top, but it was the first thing I had ever thought up for this story.

When my friend read it, the only note she put was "Are you serious?" and I knew, deep down, that it was no longer right for the story I was trying to tell. Yes, my entire story grew around this incident, but there was something I hadn't noticed. My story had outgrown it. My story was so much more than that incident now.

So I cut it.

And my story has never looked better.

Epiphany: Outlining

owned by.... well you know

Have any of you ever had an epiphany moment? When you're just sitting there, day dreaming when you should be doing something else, and you just think, "Yes! Yes, this is it!" Well, I had one of those.

I was sitting in class, talking about a super long poem that I actually enjoy, I was just ready for Friday, and I started thinking about my trilogy I've had in mind for a long time now. Along with that I was thinking about an old Veronica Roth post about how she hated outlining also. (Which you can read HERE)

So, after deciding that, even though I hate outlining and it may not be that bad to do, I started thinking about what would happen in the second and third books, if I do go on with them. In my head I now have planned what will happen with almost every character in my series! I understand that these things may change and what not but, for now, they are planned. It's an exciting thought to know exactly what will happen (roughly) later on!

Another thing Roth pointed out that I had never thought about was, if I outline my story I don't have to write it in order if I outline. Let's face it, sometimes there is a part of our stories that we just don't want to write but it necessary for the story to progress or make sense. Roth made me realize that with an outline I can write any part of the story I want because I know what is happening now, then, later, always. I love it! Now I'll be able to write every day because I won't be forced to write that scene. I won't moan and say, "Oh, I'll just get to it tomorrow!" I'll do it now.