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 Rest
Hello Everyone! I just finished a novel. As I write to you from my turret tower, my friend Carrie sitting on the floor with my dog Lola, I gaze out my window at my farm… Wait, there’s no farm. Pardon me, I’m a bit punchy. I lapsed into Christmas in Connecticut. I just finished a rewrite, Once Upon A Prince, in about 20 days. I know some people who shall be nameless, Susan May Warren, write whole books from scratch in that amount of time, but I am not such a writer. I’m getting fast but I’m like to mull. Chew. Think. I’m the kind of person who comes up with a fabulous retort or brilliant response to a conversation three days later. But then no one cares to hear my […]
Read the Rest
