Because we all need a good ol' fashioned *FACE PLANT* sometimes.
The Bible says in Psalm 30:5, "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." (NKJV)
Harvey Dent essentially says the same thing, too, in The Dark Knight : "The night is darkest just before the dawn. And I promise you, the dawn is coming."
So, whether it's from the mouth of God or the mouth of Aaron Eckhart (with all the glory excusively to You, J.C.!), we must take courage, fellow writers, that the dawn is indeed coming after the coffee-coma-d, sugar-induced, sleep-deprived, semi-hermit joy of all joys we call writing -or better yet: REVISING! ;D
In case y'all haven't heard via the Twitter-sphere and the Facebook-world, I completed the initial draft of my mystery novel on June 30th!!! Now, I may be in that rare percentile that sincerely enjoys the revision process, but even I can find the journey from first draft to finished pitch-/query-worthy product a daunting task. You may be haunted by such questions as:
Should I keep this chapter?
Is this character even relevant anymore?
Does my plot have enough arc?
What's the CLIMAX??!!?
...Wow, seriously, how could I have misspelled this many words with spell check on?
The Eleventh Hour is the difference between,
"WOW! I can't believe I wrote that!" and, "Wow...I can't believe I wrote that..."
Use it to your advantage!
We all know the feeling: you're shout-from-the-rooftops elated that your work of New York Times bestselling brilliance is almost complete, that literary finish line in your sights, when suddenly...something doesn't feel quite right... It's a buzz-kill we've all experienced, yet it is a vital twinge of artistic apprehension we cannot afford to leave unaddressed. We're not talking about self-deprecating doubt or insecurity here (which is never helpful or constructive), but the self-awareness it takes to discern when something isn't quite clicking within your piece -and to 1) be honest with yourself about it, and 2) to have the courage to face it head on and to invest the time and energy necessary to fix it. After all, you want your best work possible out there getting exposure to agents, editors, publishers, and, of course, your reader- (and soon to be fan-) base! Major and not-so-major changes can occur at anytime during the writing journey, but it is often the changes we make during the "Eleventh Hour" that make or break our newest novel's success.
But never fear, friends! If you find yourself in the throws of your own "darkest hour," take heart and know that your literary dawn is on it's way! Here are five helpful pointers on how to BE OPEN and embrace the Eleventh Hour:
1. BE OPEN to changing the title of your book.
I always have at least a working title because it makes a given project feel more personal than, "oh, that story-book-thing I'm working on." Things that have your heart are worth naming, so give that beauty a name (Not a curse word, now!) even if you're not 100% thrilled with it for the present, and know that an even better title will most likely be revealed as your piece develops.
2. BE OPEN to changing your characters' names.
Either your protagonist's, antagonist's, or any other kind of -ist's name just isn't jiving your creative mojo anymore. Or a majority of your characters' names unintentionally begin with the same letter. Or you accidentally gave two totally different minor characters the same name. (Haha, uh, guilty on that one!) Regardless of the reason- or for no reason at all -don't sweat it if you change names. No one's keeping score. Just make sure you make all the switch-a-roos before handing it over to your feedback circle -and especially before submitting it to agents or editors!!! Word's "Find/Replace" is a beautiful tool, friends.
3. BE OPEN to cutting scenes/chapters.
"WAIT! Did you just say cut a chapter?!" "Isn't that counterproductive?!" "My word count needs more words, not less of them!" "But, that scene's my favorite!" This is where you need to be the most honest with yourself. If a given scene or chapter feels clunky beyond the point of repair, is a logical hitch in the progression of the storyline, is waaaaay beyond the scope of a character's personality/behavior, and dare I even suggest...irrelevant to the plot (GASP!), you need to take a deep breath and hit the DELETE button, friends. Even if the portion up for debate is exquisitely written, it may not be what this particular piece needs. Still questioning a chapter's relevancy? Try reading through the first few proceeding and following chapters with and then without the chapter up on the chopping block. If you're still unsure, seek a second opinion. The silver lining? You can make up for that dent in your word count by being open to #4...
4. BE OPEN to re-writing, re-ordering, or adding scenes/chapters.
Very few of us (if any!) have the talent to write exactly what we want the first go-round -let alone, get everything in the right order! As tantalizing as it is to settle for "good enough" and stick a fork in it, don't sell yourself short by not adding scenes or entirely new chapters to help tie up lose ends, clarify something that may be misconstrued, etc. Yes, it's more time invested in creation mode, and may feel like you're taking one step forward and two steps back, but it always, always, always pays off in the end. (Plus, your editor or agent may ask you to do it anyway, so why not take care of business while you can on your own timeline?) Also, I find re-ordering the occasional scene or chapter very insightful, as well. Again, try reading through a sequence of chapters with the original order and then a different order, and assess how you feel about it.
5. BE OPEN to exploring key turning points in your plot in a totally new direction.
At the revision stage, playing the "what if" game can be downright terrifying -and, again, may make you feel like you're shifting into retrograde. However, if you've got a burning curiosity to know how things would wind up if A, B, then C happened, GO FOR IT! Jaunt down the rabbit hole for awhile with a rough scene sketch or dialogue interaction, and see if you wind up in a wonderland-like Renaissance or just a tunnel caked with dirt. Either way, no harm no foul, and you may even glean some unexpected inspiration for your next book while you're there! Plus, you'll have the peace of mind of knowing you explored all your options before your baby goes to print, and nobody likes regrets once that gem is pressed and bound.
TA-DA!!! THE DAWN!!! You'll be so happy, you'll give that manuscript a big ol' HUG!
And finally, AN ANNOUNCEMENT: In the spirit of embracing the Eleventh Hour, I myself have changed the title of my murder mystery from Kill Her Once, Kill Her Twice, to...(*drumroll*)...The Secret Keeper of Morgan County. After much contemplation and soul-searching to find a title I was totally in love with (mixed with a very strong desire not to sound cliché :P), my new title more aptly describes my piece and gives me peace of mind ;) I am excited, optimistic, and incredibly enthusiastic about this Eleventh Hour change, and can't wait to see where this labor of love takes me next.
In closing for today, be on the lookout for more posts this July in regard to my upcoming adventure to the MIDWEST WRITERS WORKSHOP!!! This lil' lady writer is Hoosier State bound in only thirteen days- wait! THIRTEEN DAYS?! Better get back to revising! :D
Keep Calm and Revise On, y'all!
~Riley
