There comes a time in every writer’s life when we face the question: What’s wrong with my manuscript?
“What’s wrong?” is not a bad question. We strive to tell the best story we can. During rewrites, we need to know what’s working – dialogue or Storyworld maybe – but what’s not working can overshadow your moments of brilliance.
Today, MBT Retreats Coordinator Alena Tauriainen and MBT Skills Coach Beth Vogt wrestle with the question What’s wrong with my manuscript?
Read the RestNow that the joy of finishing my first draft has faded, the angst of editing the manuscript has begun. I completed the first draft, the rest should be a piece of cake. Right? Not. Even. Close. All of a sudden I had a multitude of questions and not enough answers. First I tried an easy approach. I purchased “Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing”. While it was an interesting read, it didn’t answer all the questions that arose while editing my manuscript. I also went to Chip MacGregor’s blog. He recently posted a huge list of resources to help writers. http://www.chipmacgregor.com/blog/career/150-resources-to-help-you-write-better-faster-and-more-persuasively/ Finally, I went to my friends Beth Vogt and Edie Melson for assistance. They suggested I look at the big picture and keep it simple. We […]
Read the RestDo you ever find yourself lost in the world of your wip only to hear the call of your family obligations? You know, simple things like picking up your kids from school and dinner? I do. I’ve been revising my fast draft and it’s been quite a challenge with end of school year activities. While my characters were going through great emotional angst, my kids were going through abandonment issues. “Mom, where are you? Are you picking us up?” Hmmm. This was not good. Praise God I only live 10 minutes away, but still. When kids get home, what’s the first question you hear? “What’s there to eat?” While I can be pretty inventive when I need to be, I’m no magician. So how do you solve this? Plan. On […]
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As a newbie writer, I completed my first Fast Draft. I was elated. I even did the happy dance. I couldn’t believe just how much I learned and of course, I had to share. Plot And Plot Some More! For me, it was truly a timesaver and stress reliever to have the story plotted ahead of time. I was really blessed; my friends helped brainstorm the story. Then I used The Book Buddy to get my thoughts down. It allowed me to have all the main points of the plot and the character development done before I sat down to write. It cut down on some of the “blank-screen-staring” that so many writers go through. At the same time, it still allowed me the freedom to change several scenes and […]
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