That's right! Week 4. And we're so excited about how much has been accomplished in theses last four weeks, along with the true show of community and support. It's been a blast.So much so that we told you earlier that we do have future plans for the smackdown. Stayed tuned to hear about them next week as June comes to an end.
Because...that's right...June is nowhere near over. You still have through Tuesday the 3oth to meet those original SRS goals.
But right now, we want to know how you did in week 4. Tell us...tell us...tell us!!!!
25 comments:
Wow, last week already! Time flies.
First, I really loved the Summer Revision Smackdown. It was great to assess goals with others and share tips. I will miss it!
I am satisfied with the goals I've met this week. I finally caught up to my illustrations and producing at a healthy rate. I work best in the mornings on them. I was able to work on both book illustrations and ones for the blog.
My second novel draft is headed in the right direction and I got to write a bunch on the weekend. I actually changed what my second book will be at the start of July. A lot of my writing went into plans, research, throw away drafts and such, but I feel that I know exactly what I want for the second book and confidant that the first draft will keep growing this summer. I will be using the tips you all shared!
I learned a lot about managing my schedule and knowing what times work best--and how easy it can slip away. The Summer Revision Smackdown helped me get back on track!
Thank you, everyone! And thank you, Holly and Cuppa for making the Revision Smackdown happen! It was very well organized and fun.
This week didn't quite go as planned for me for reasons that have nothing to do with writing, but I did get feedback from an editor on a PB and I worked through a very rough revision. I also revised 30 pages of my novel and came up with a new scene that will solve a problem. I didn't get to revise the PB I'd planned to revise, but I'm not complaining.
P.S. I meant to say "start of JUNE"...not July.
Even if you don't carry on the Summer Smackdown past this week, I think I will for as long as I can. My goal of 2 chapters/week has really kept me charged and I'm happy with how the revisions are shaping up.
I ended up using early mornings on the weekends to get chapters reworked and this totally helped. Between summer plans and getting ready for a mid-July baby, I don't think I would've gotten anything done otherwise.
Thanks so much for the encouragement! This was a great idea.
This past week I made fabulous progress! both on my novel and my NF project. I am totally energized on both these projects.
The best part of the smackdown for me has been reading all the comments from you all and the interviews on Holly and Jolie's blogs. Thank you everyone!
Since I completed my novel revision at the end of week 2 and then went on vacation, I've been out of the Smackdown loop. But the exciting news is that my agent, in his words, "really, really loved" my revision! He thinks one more quick polish, and the novel is ready to start sending out.
As I wait for his instructions for the polish, I've been working on my secret sinful project - a steamy romance novel - and getting some cool ideas for my next YA.
It's so exciting to see the Week 4 results from everyone! And definitely inspiring - otherwise Jolie and I would have just been trying to cracklimp licorice on our own and not making anywhere near as much progress. You've all inspired me.
This week turned out to be a quite productive follow-up to last--I went through the whole copyedit of TELL ME A SECRET and revised another 12 chapters of the second novel, almost to the halfway point! It was fun to get together with other Smackdowners Annie, Helen, and Marjorie for a little mini-cafe-licorice-lashing yesterday.
Wow, the month has flown by, and I'm so glad I participated in the Smackdown -- like Allison, the event helped me find that extra time I needed, and I feel like I can keep working that groove.
Since last Friday, I've been moving along on my revision-turned-rewrite and have 4 of 12 chapters freshly redone. I'm happy with the progress and even happier that the month helped me recognize what *actually* needed to happen with this manuscript, let go of what it was, and get down to biz turning it into what it will be.
Thanks again, Jolie, Holly, and the whole group of Smackdowners. It's been great!
I worked very hard this week and made my (revised) goal for the week (finishing the first stage of my mentor program assignment). I kind of feel like I nailed it. I'm directing all sorts of warm and fuzzy feelings towards my muse.
I've loved the smackdown. It's really helped me to prioritize my actual writing and illustrating work (as opposed to all the other stuff on my plate) this month.
I revised my overall original goal for the month a bit last week so I could make sure I stayed on track with my summer mentor program assignment as well as my work-in-progress dummy. So to sum up: this month I finished the first stage of my mentor program assignment (!) AND I substantially revised/polished 9 drawings for illustration spreads in my work-in progress dummy (my original goal was to revise 10).
I feel like a kite.
Thanks ladies.
Thanks to the Smackdown I met two of three goals (revising PB#1 and stitching the fragments of a YA draft together/reading it/identifying gaps for next effort).
The stitching was easy; the reading was harder. But doing both meant that, while on a plane a week or so ago, I caught an unexpected inspiration wave and basically redrafted my "treatment" of the whole story.
My goal for Tuesday is to pound my rough draft of the treatment into a more focused/outline-ish version so I can use it to plot my "to do" lists in the coming months.
Thanks, SRS!!!
Brian aka StinkyLulu
I've definitely had highs and lows this week.
I discovered some (more) issues with my plot and had to stop revising in order to brainstorm again. It really jarred my progress and I had a couple days where I really wanted to throw the towel in on this novel and start something new.
But I didn't. I pulled out some colored note cards and went to town rearranging scenes and thinking up new ways to tackle my plots. I have a new game plan now, and started revising again today.
This Smackdown has been an amazing source of support and motivation. Revision isn't for sissies, that's for sure!
It's great to see so many writers making great progress on their revisions! Keep at it everyone!
Finished revising another act - two down, only one to go! Woohoo!
Ooh! Fun to hear about a smackdown get-together! I don't think anyone is crackin' the whip in my area--but please let me know if I'm wrong.
I did pretty well this week, especially since it was my first week home with the girlies. I got through the whole ms, but there's still so much left to do. It was fun to print it out today. Something about seeing that thick stack of paper and feeling the weight in my hands somehow felt like a measurement of progress I don't experience sitting in front of a computer screen.
Now, I'll read through the ms, marking it up, stick more in, and look for holes, cracks, messes (and shiny stars!).
Congratulations, everyone, on all the work you're doing!
Kjersten, can I borrow your muse for a bit?
Okay, this week: I came home from a week in Tahoe and read through/thought about all the comments and suggestions from readers who had kindly agreed to read my boy book (Thank you, among others: Robin and Suzanne).
It took about 60 hours to revise that.
Yesterday, I found out I'm a finalist in PNWA's 2009 Literary Contest for an adult short story.
And just before stopping here, I sent back the MS to the editor.
Now, I am hoping, hoping, hoping...
And thinking about querying agents. And thinking about getting out the new MS, a thriller, to start revising tomorrow.
Yeah Jolie, we'll have a SRS work party, just jump on the boat. Or just head to North Beach and we'll shout at each other across the water. Or send bottles to each other with licorice inside. I actually will be in PT mid July on way to and from conference-formerly-known-as Haystack. How bout coffee?
And I went and DUBBED another SRsmackdowner again at my blog.
As for my goals. This week I returned from a trip and have been trying to get back into the swing. Am finally getting there. Making progress but not reaching my goal, but hope to get a bunch done today and the few remaining days of the smackdown. It certainly has been AWESOME and I will keep trying to meet my goals going forward. Thanks Jolie and Holly for taking so much time to give us all this place to meet for encouragement/licorice whippings.
Great work everybody. Keep it up.
Oh and can we all agree that StinkyLulu is the best name here? CuppaJolie is pretty dang close too. But well done stinky. I laugh everytime i read your name.
May the Smack be with you all.
Wow . . . already week four? Okay it was a good writing week -- beginning with struggle to get in voice and stay in voice, plot- plan, then write scene to scene.
Completed the first three chapters of the new book and wrote a breathtakingly terrible synopsis! Went into revision mode next thinking if I get it spiffed the opening 30 pages might work as a book proposal.
Two things bogged me down. First the *%@$&%#(*&$)!!! synopsis: second I faced a violent action scene that terrified me. I dealt with this by using major procrastination techniques and by revising the first two chapters ad nauseam. Still when I finally got to chapter three the scene I'd been dreading practically wrote itself. So my lesson of the week -- go boldly -- be fearless -- make big mistakes if I have to just Get er Done.
Janet
I have been nibbling away at my goal of revising my current PB dummy, (I have secretly revised my SRS goals from two to one so that I can feel PROUD!)words and sketches, and I am almost there. Not sure if it will be 100% done by June 30, but pretty darn close. The big scary part of revising my dummy looms ahead...revising the finished art. But I have been strategizing, and it shouldn't be too bad if I could just get a chunk of uninterrupted time so that I can at least squeeze out a little paint, and use it before it dries into unusable lumps!
If one of my goals this month had been to read lots (and for me, at this time, lots is a relative term) of GREAT middle grade and YA novels, I would be pumping the air, because I would have really knocked that goal out of the ballpark, relatively speaking. Summer reading at it's most productive!
hooray! i just finished my manuscript revision! it is ready to be distributed to my crit group on monday. hooray!
i am sooo grateful for this smackdown. the energy, inspiration and encouragement pushed me to start and finish the revisions on my graphic novel. i even made good progess on illustrations.
jolie and holly, the dynamic duo, thanks again for all your whipcracking. you have assembled and inspired this creative community, of which i am thrilled to be a part.
and one more thing. i was wondering, does kjerstin's muse have a sister?
Hi Everyone,
Thank you for all the encouragement! Since I live pretty far away from just about everyone, it's been great participating in the smackdown.
This month was a little rough for me, but I do have 60+ pages of my screenplay in novel form right now. Obviously, I still have a long way to go. Back to work...
Good luck everyone!
Well... I have to admit that I did not meet my very ambitious revision goals for the month. But I've had a great time! And I have LOVED getting all the wonderful advice from all these writers and creative people! Thank you ALL so much. This whole idea was fabulous. I'll look forward to hearing what form Revision Smackdown will take next!
Thanks a bajillion!
Molly
Although I was pretty negligent about posting my revision progress, I actually did make progress on my early middle grade novel. I've set a new goal of August 31 to have it done (once and for all--smile).
In the meantime, I have read some great middle grade books which I've posted about on my blog. So whether I'm reading and posting about other people's books or writing my own, it's all good. Onward!
Thanks for doing this guys! It was great for me to focus on my revision. I knocked out a bunch of concerns and questions about my WIP, and made a great deal of revision progress. I did not reach my entire goal, but I'm not worried as I feel my vision is much clearer--Is that a word? Anyway, I've much to do this week, and then next weekend I'm back at it. BIC! My long term goal is to have the whole novel revised by the end of August for my critique group. With this jump start I'm almost halfway there! Yaya!
shelley s.
Yikes, I can't believe it's almost over! A vacation this last week really threw me for a loop, but I was able to rewrite my first two scenes to make them more fast-paced and less background-y. Felt good!
I won't be able to finish and reach my goal - I'm a bit far from the place I hoped I'd be @ the end of June! - but this was definitely a cause of much-needed motivation to finish writing my darned first draft. The first is always the hardest, so I probably shouldn't have kept it for SRS, but I'll continue writing it through the summer - I just want to have it done by the end of the summer. :)
I'm so glad I got to jump in on the Smackdown - it's definitely been helpful. I'm going to do some crazy marathon writing sessions these next couple days to see how close I can get to finishing, but I'm naturally a slow writer.
Thank you, Jolie & Holly, for the Smackdown!
June has been a good month for revising. So good, I think I'll carry it forward into July and August...
I haven't been good at week by week goals, but do keep plugging away on my MG novel. The good news is I (once again) deleted Chapter 1 and think I am FINALLY happy with the beginning. Two of my characters have gained more depth and I'm working my way to a better ending. I've been encouraged to focus more on the "fun" in the book, so I think I'm going to just have a lot of fun myself this summer to put myself in the mood!
Thanks for the motivation.
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