You probably haven't tried this revising trick ✏️
Today's guest is author Allegra Goodman
How do you revise?
Do you wait for feedback from your critique partners or revise as you go? Do you tackle the edits in chronological order or jump around?
Just as there’s no right way to write, there’s no right way to revise.
Slow down to work through the issues.
If you’re writing on deadline, you may be tempted to speed through your revisions ASAP. But sometimes working through big-picture issues takes time. Allow yourself the space to think deeply about your story.
In today’s interview, author Allegra Goodman shares her unconventional revision method, why walking away will do wonders for your writing process, and her love for dialogue.
OUR SPECIAL GUEST TODAY IS…
Allegra Goodman
Author
New novel available for preorder: THIS IS NOT ABOUT US
What is the most memorable writing tip or technique that you have heard, and how did it influence your process?
My best tip is to revise by hand. I print out my draft and revise with a pen and then type in all the changes. This process slows me down. I have to make decisions on the page and then again when I choose whether to use, ignore, or alter the changes I’ve made.
I’ve found that slowing down is necessary in order to solve problems and do serious thinking.
When life gets busy, how do you protect your time to write?
I try to protect the morning hours for writing. That’s when I have the most energy and come up with my best ideas. In order to protect those hours, I unplug as much as possible and push meetings and appointments to the afternoon.
What’s one thing you do (creatively, mentally, or physically) that helps you stay in it when writing gets hard?
When writing gets hard, I step away to do more thinking. Stepping away may involve taking a walk. It may involve doing some reading. Or it may involve taking a nap.
Ready for feedback that takes your story to the next level?
“I have greatly benefitted from my collaboration with Alyssa; I would not be where I am today without her! Her developmental ideas and vision for my novel taught me so much and helped to elevate my work in highly effective ways.
Her editorial fingerprint is evident in the final result—a novel on bookshelves nationwide.
—Jill Beissel, women’s fiction author
What part of the writing process brings you the most joy?
Writing dialogue brings me joy. When I know my characters well, and I know what they will say to each other, I feel as though I am just writing down their conversations. That’s magic.
What’s one thing about the publishing process no one tells you, but should?
No one tells you just how much waiting you will do and then how much hurrying you’ll do to meet sudden deadlines.
ICYMI…this week on YouTube, I’m showing you how to turn your book idea into a killer pitch!
Isola is a fantastic book. I wrote to goodman asking for advice and she wrote back! Great interview
I always print my manuscripts before revising them. But recentöt I have realized in my head that my WIP will need a lot of plot revision.