5. FIRST:
TAKE A FEW DAYS OFF.
Then, PRINT your story and READ
it from beginning to end, to see if it
makes sense.
6. Ask yourself:
Would someone reading your novel be able
to follow the sequence of events without
any confusion or difficulty?
Think about movie bloopers where
something inconsistent or incoherent
happens. Are there any inconsistencies in
your novel?
7. A noveldoesnâthaveto berealistic,butit shouldfeel
to thereaderlikea long,continuousdream.
Is thereanythingyouforgottomention?Arethere
placesinyournovelthatfeellikea disruptionof the
continuousdreamyouarecreatingforyourreader?
Anypartswhereyourreadermightâwakeupâandsay
âThatdoesnâtmakesense!âorâHuh?What?â
9. Nowdo it! Findone scene
in yourdraft that needs
more vividdetail, andadd
that. Thinkabout what your
character shouldbe seeing,
feeling, tasting, smelling, or
hearing.
Ready, Set, GO!
10. Tip: Is thereanythingin your
draft whereyouforget the
maximâShow, donât tellâ?
Make sureyouare letting
events unfoldina dramatic
wayandreallyshowing
them, insteadof just
recountingthem.
12. Next, read your draft again, from
beginning to end, but this time,
READ IT OUT LOUD.
(Audience optional.) ï
13. In this phase, youâre listening for how
your novel SOUNDS.
âą Does the dialogue sound believable, like real
people talking?
âą Does the dialogue always move the story
forward?
âą Do descriptions take too long, or take away
from the action?
âą Is the pacing right? Are there spots that seem
too slow or too fast?
14. Is everything accurate? Is there anything
you might have gotten wrong?
This is really hard and you may want the help of one or two readers you
can trust. You want to make sure that you havenât made any assumptions
about society, nature, science, people or animals that are incorrect and
easily disputed.
âą If your story has a dog in it, give it to a dog owner to make sure the
dogâs behavior sounds realistic.
âą If your story is about a person from another culture, give it to
someone from that culture.
âą If your story takes place in outer space, give it to someone familiar
with science and physics so that they can make sure your scenes are
plausible.
15. When youâre giving your story to someone,
BE HUMBLE. BE GRATEFUL.
Donât argue with them. Take everything they say as
a GIFT. It truly is a huge gift of their time and their
trust in you, to be brave enough to tell you what
they think of your story.
16. After youâve fully investigated any inaccuracies
or inconsistencies, and made sure your plot is
believable yet suspenseful, youâre done with
Draft #2. TAKE ANOTHER BREAK!!
During this break, read at least:
âą 20 poems
âą 3 short stories
17. Immerse yourself in great literature that you like,
and read it OUT LOUD.
Listen for the lyricism of the writing. This is a good
time to read âclassicâ or âaward-winningâ
authorsâuniversally acknowledged good writers,
not beginners. Let these master craftsmen sink
into your subconscious so that you will internalize
their wisdom.
18. Joseph Brodky, How to Read a Book, 1988:
http://www.nytimes.com/1988/06/12/books/how-to-read-a-book.html?pagewanted=all
19. CHAT CHALLENGE:
List three poets that you like, and that
youâre going to read during the break
between your 2nd draft and your 3rd.
20. Canât think of
any? Hereâs what
your peers
suggested â write
these names
down!
21. CHAT CHALLENGE:
List three fiction writers that you like, and
that youâre going to read during the break
between your 2nd draft and your 3rd draft.
22. Canât think of
any? Hereâs what
your peers
suggested â write
these names
down!
30. Use different types of sentences.
Highlight each instance of passive
voice and consider maybe changing it
to active voice.
âą The forest fire destroyed the whole suburb.
(active)
âą The whole suburb was destroyed by the forest
fire. (passive)
31. Change these examples!
âą The man was bitten by the dog.
âą The savannah was roamed by beautiful
giraffes.
33. Once youâve revised it this time, youâll
have a strong 3rd draft and itâll be time
to start seeking the opinions and
feedback of readers!
REMEMBER YOUR CRITIQUE
ETIQUETTE. BE HUMBLE. BE GRATEFUL.
34. That DOESNâT mean that you have to revise it the way
someone else tells you to.
This is your book. Youâre the only person who can revise it
while preserving the original intent. If they say something
is inaccurate or incorrect, fix that.
But if they say: âWhy donât you write it like thisâŠâ DONâT.
JUST NOD AND SAY THANK YOU. Then rewrite the way
YOU would rewrite it.
35. Whenyouârereadyto finda readerto give youan
honest critique, use the âForumsâtab at the top of
the NaNoWriMosite to findthe âCritiques and
Feedbackâdiscussionboard:
38. And donât forget the library
when youâre rich and famous!
I know you all are very
talented and will go far in your
writing. I hope to see your
published books in the library
someday. ï