tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post1711403202537901721..comments2023-10-30T08:00:54.059-04:00Comments on Laurel's Leaves: Spring CleaningLaurel Garverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03657218435228802535noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-2860032364539722472010-03-24T22:57:27.829-04:002010-03-24T22:57:27.829-04:00I don't move scenes around, but I do a lot of ...I don't move scenes around, but I do a lot of adding and deleting. It definitely does feel like spring cleaning.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-70466398581428413492010-03-24T08:47:28.735-04:002010-03-24T08:47:28.735-04:00Mary: Scofield argues that every scene should have...Mary: Scofield argues that every scene should have a mini plot arc, which a rising action, climax and denouement. I'd argue that for pacing's sake it's a good idea to split chapter-end scenes just before a scene climax, putting the rising action in one chapter and the climax and denouement in the next. It's an easy way to create a page-turner.Laurel Garverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03657218435228802535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-16218807356323390162010-03-22T23:16:23.658-04:002010-03-22T23:16:23.658-04:00No, to most of those questions. I like the advice...No, to most of those questions. I like the advice to make the scene an event. That the MC needs to change within that scene. I've always thought of the character's change as an overall picture, not the step by step, scene by scene journey, but of course, that makes sense. So, thank you for the tip!Mary Aalgaardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08051735579638637382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-14518226790687787812010-03-22T21:57:25.338-04:002010-03-22T21:57:25.338-04:00Amber: Sounds like narrative summary could be your...Amber: Sounds like narrative summary could be your friend--not every thing that happens deserves a fully dramatized scene. Perhaps you just need to compress. <br /><br />Jemi: I've found that in places too--when I get stuck, I back up and look for where I took a wrong turn. Cut that material, then back on track.Laurel Garverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03657218435228802535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-7535799511355883692010-03-22T21:54:12.112-04:002010-03-22T21:54:12.112-04:00Yat-Yee: Oh for sure, sometimes revision is far mo...Yat-Yee: Oh for sure, sometimes revision is far more like remodeling than cleaning. I'll check out the post you mentioned. Thanks!<br /><br />Scathing: when I was a kid, I would clean my friends' closets during sleepovers. Weird huh?<br /><br />Sarahjayne: The machete and backhoe have come through my manuscript! Definitely a gardening analogy for revision could be helpful too. <br /><br />Tara: those whole scene cuts can be painful, don't you think?Laurel Garverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03657218435228802535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-36073385793577627782010-03-22T21:46:25.902-04:002010-03-22T21:46:25.902-04:00Anne: I'm impressed--35K of cuts. I'm tryi...Anne: I'm impressed--35K of cuts. I'm trying to get 102K down to the 75-80K range. Tough work. But definitely, the rearranging is better left till you have a draft in hand.<br /><br />Talli: Great questions to ask one's self! I overwrite some places and underwrite others. <br /><br />Nicole: I've found that I can often "Frankenstein" a pretty line or image into a new place when the scene it had been in isn't pulling its weight. But sometimes, as you say, pretty words still just aren't fuctional enough to keep.<br /><br />Crystal: Thanks so much. I highly recommend Scofield's The Scene Book, it has grown me so much.Laurel Garverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03657218435228802535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-8495754976412586572010-03-22T20:34:33.964-04:002010-03-22T20:34:33.964-04:00I couldn't finish my ms. I wrote the first par...I couldn't finish my ms. I wrote the first part of the end a bazillion times. Each time I stalled. Finally clued in and deleted one more chapter. Magic. :)Jemi Fraserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02214408467456320167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-88008114363331536702010-03-22T18:45:04.641-04:002010-03-22T18:45:04.641-04:00This is the exact reason I am struggling with the ...This is the exact reason I am struggling with the middle of my ms. When my Laurel goes off to college, she meets a new friend, blah, etc... but how is it furthering the plot? It isn't. Yet.<br /><br />But rather than get frustrated, I am attempting to make it further the plot... somehow, some way.Leigh Hutchens Burchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13974935740527936303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-88747656983090209792010-03-22T17:07:35.343-04:002010-03-22T17:07:35.343-04:00I do it all! I am on another round of revising now...I do it all! I am on another round of revising now, and I've cut some scenes that I really love, but didn't further the book in any way. Others I've only had to tweak and add more tension.Tarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09008153523366719973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-46876317843874623642010-03-22T15:57:41.828-04:002010-03-22T15:57:41.828-04:00You have the best posts. :) It depends. Sometimes ...You have the best posts. :) It depends. Sometimes all I need is a little tweeking of a scene to get it right, but other times, like in the novel, I take a machete, a back hoe, and a fine-tooth comb to chop scenes and pages.sarahjayne smythehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02589820347348973092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-8578240142925409062010-03-22T15:34:55.145-04:002010-03-22T15:34:55.145-04:00perhaps you need to visit my house a bit. I don...perhaps you need to visit my house a bit. I don't see anyone interested in spring cleaning.Suzy Thompsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03871418126183916932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-38581072880065491602010-03-22T13:10:07.858-04:002010-03-22T13:10:07.858-04:00Well, for my MG novel which I had torn down and re...Well, for my MG novel which I had torn down and rebuilt a few times, I am on yet another pretty major renovation: moving around weight-bearing beams, adding new rooms, knocking down others, taking out windows and rebalancing with wall space. <br /><br />It's interesting you should describe revisiong the way you did in this post. Over at Writer Unboxed, a reader commented on the three levels of editing. Have a read. <br /><br />http://writerunboxed.com/2010/03/19/should-you-hire-a-professional-editor/Yat-Yeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04028075516122778317noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-52782781280937423252010-03-22T12:43:01.403-04:002010-03-22T12:43:01.403-04:00Laurel I love your posts :) They always motivate m...Laurel I love your posts :) They always motivate me to work harder at my writing, and I think of things differently that would work better. Thanks :)Crystal Cookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06665844725894074136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-23625325062678338952010-03-22T11:41:16.510-04:002010-03-22T11:41:16.510-04:00Awesome post!! I'm not revising, but I have g...Awesome post!! I'm not revising, but I have gone back to re-start my project. I agree with Scofield, every scene, every description, every spoken word should reveal something about a character, or event, that is important to the plot. If it isn't, no matter how beautifully it is worded, it should be ruthlessly cut from the draft. Roger Ingermanson, author of the Snowflake Method which is my air and food these days, says it this way: "You cannot afford charity for a single sentence that is not pulling its weight."<br /><br />Good luck with your spring cleaning, both in your house and in your MS!!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01899768909313326172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-4921245137568010562010-03-22T11:38:21.478-04:002010-03-22T11:38:21.478-04:00I love axing scenes and sometimes I can be a bit t...I love axing scenes and sometimes I can be a bit too ruthless! I tend to over-write a lot in the first draft, so usually my second draft is asking myself: do I actually need this! Is it going in the direction I want; is it going anywhere? If not, it gets rewritten or chopped. <br /><br />Love the spring cleaning analogy!Talli Rolandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04780882465745107715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-25594798630453358402010-03-22T11:32:32.984-04:002010-03-22T11:32:32.984-04:00With my last book after 3 revisions, I fianlly rea...With my last book after 3 revisions, I fianlly realized if it didn't move the story along it came out. I took out scenes, paragraphs and a whole chapter. The end result was what I queried with. From 130K to 95K.<br /><br />Now I'm on the first draft of my new wip, I can't really do any rearranging until the whole thing is done. Unfortunately, hopefully, my spring cleaning will have to be summer cleaning.Anne Gallagherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05816355522284492131noreply@blogger.com