SRS Wednesday Whip Tip #4

Number 4...really!?! I can't belieive it. I hope this final week is turning into a whip-crackin'-get-it-done week! And, can you believe there are still tips to be had? Truly...amazing tips!

Today, Holly has Tina Ferraro. Don't miss it.

I'm thrilled to welcome Liz Gallagher, author of THE OPPOSITE OF INVISIBLE. Be sure to check out her personal blog as well as Through the TollBooth. And Liz recently joined readergirlz as their Seattle Host/Events Coordinator...too cool!

Welcome, Liz!

Liz offers the following tip:

I'd say my best revision tip is to become a stranger to your work. Which is as difficult as it sounds. But if you can manage to read your work as if you didn't write it, you're likely to spot bumps and bruises while there's still time to heal them.

I find this technique to be best for when I'm at the point where I'm pretty sure the content of what I'm reading is set. If I know a chapter's plot and events are in stone, so I don't have to worry about them for the moment, and I want to make sure that chapter reads well, I'll step away from it for a bit and then read it just for language and flow--and, perhaps most importantly, what I think of as the emotional arc. Can I read it and feel what the character is feeling? I'm looking for snags.

If I don't find them, then I'm happy to become me again and be proud of a smooth chapter. And if something snags, I'll smooth it, and then I'm doing good revision work!

Love this, Liz. Thank you! I think it comes at a perfect time.

Ah, and tomorrow, our very last Lash Flash (sniff-sniff) with Kristin O'Donnell Tubb (here) and Mitali Perkins (over at Holly's).