There is no such thing as a perfect book. There is no such thing as a perfect book. There is no such thing as a perfect book. There is no such thing as a perfect book. There is no such thing as a perfect book. 🙂 New mantra.
Substance over style. It's so easy to fall in love with pretty words that you somehow produced without thinking about if they contribute any value. Kill your darlings and all that jazz. Can I also add that after a long day full of work-worries it was nice to see this. This week your advice has me ready to take on revising a project that I have been avoiding. It might not be much but it's mine and for all the parts I hate I love the characters. Thanks, always.
Here's a tip for making your ms look different that will blow your mind: change the layout from portrait to landscape, then put it in two columns. NOW IT LOOKS LIKE A BOOOOOOOOOK. Seriously, it makes a huge difference.
@@RachaelStephen I set my margins really wide all around the text, like a copy-editor/proof-reader would on typset pass pages, and I only print on one side of the paper. That way there's loads of room for notes and changes. I tend to revise as I write quite a bit, so by the time I do an actual official edit I can't even see trees anymore, let alone the wood. The change in appearance needs to be as dramatic as possible (I change the font, size, spacing etc. too) or it just doesn't work.
The entire video, top to bottom, was useful. But this bit: "It's not about feeling that it's done -- it's about deciding that it's done," and making peace with the idea that our work can be flawed *and* finished, that resonates. It's like a little truth that was sleeping inside until you spoke it and woke it. Pinning that one to my work space. Thank you for that! And for the record, your accent rocks.
I recently realized I've been trying to outline one particular story for over 10 years now. Time's flying!!! >< I can't imagine also spending another 10+ years revising it after the draft's finally completed. Ewwwww! I'll keep (4) in mind once I get there. Thanks so much for this video! :D
I name my documents with the month I finished that draft. '[Novel Name] December '18 Draft'. I'm currently working on what will become '[Novel Name] March '19 Draft'. I like this system because I don't have to commit to a number (different people seem to have different ideas of what constitutes a first draft... e.g. they start off with 'vomit' or 'zero' drafts and then their first draft is actually their second... you know what I mean?) but I can still find the most recent draft by checking the date it was completed.
i'm not even a third way through my current WIP so I took notes for future use. I liked tip #5 change the format. I can see how working with paper in a different font and margins would make it unfamiliar and therefore newer. When I get there i think I want to format it like it might look on the page of a hardcover book (but still double-spaced to allow for pencilled in changes), ie, with facing pages and a gutter and page numbers in the outer upper corner.
Are you making it just different instead of better. That part stood out to me. Think it will help me when deciding which is my final draft. Thank you :)
I imagined spending my whole life editing my own narrative. That's where my mind went to first in this world of self-improvement but I think this was still helpful. Although I'm not dead and reborn with each new phase, I can see those as chapters ending. Done. Stop rethinking it once I've grown and got what I needed from it. Final final draft, no really this time. Final print ready Better print version Best version Also, love your accent. The almighty algorithm just showed me your stuff and you have some really healthy perspectives and awareness on life shit like the bullet journal mistakes. Kudos.
You're not just a hipster goblin, you're the RAD-est hipster goblin. This concept in general is helpful. I've been deleting my first chapter perpetually for a lot of these reasons. You're a hipster goblin savior of stubborn disorganized overambitious goblins such as myself. Sincerely, thank you. I adore your channel.
why did I just discover your channel? you have helped me so much! you have no idea. I am not a writer but you make incredible valuable content that is helping me clear out my head and ideas in every aspect. thank you
Thank you so much for this video. I'm revising the first book of my saga and that's so hard to know where to start ! The outline part and the plan were the most useful parts of this video for me. I'm so organised in my life and when it comes to the first draft but not at all when i go into revising ! I'm going to try and be more prepare before going back to my book 😁 thanks for the video again 😘
I didn't keep track of my revisions at first. I'd just delete 3000+ words and replace it. Then I got to the point that I'd just move the scene down, to choose between the 2 later. Now I have the Working Title and Rev1, Rev2, etc.
Thank you so much for this. Substance before style was what I needed most to hear. I had been agonizing over the prettiness of an entire POV for *years*, but I ended up scrapping the whole POV recently. I am finally allowing the structure of the story to shine through, and it's finally gotten me excited to revise the work again. PS. The editing for this video was nice with the transitions, and your desk is really pretty too
Thank you for the tips. I believe the part I found most helpful was the reminder to just write the best book I can now, as I will never write a perfect book.
Revising has always been a nightmare of mine. I revise constantly and uncontrollably (even while I'm writing!) so I was anxiously waiting for this video to get some useful tips and tricks, and I was not disappointed! Letting it rest for a while before revising, as well as overcoming perfectionism are probably my biggest struggles at the moment so your tips are exactly what I needed.
Maybe it helps to think of it this way: until you finish the draft you don’t actually know what needs fixing because you haven’t got a bird’s eye view yet. So you can waste a lot of time revising while writing only to later realise you shouldn’t have bothered. When you get the urge to revise while drafting maybe remind yourself you can’t revise objectively while writing, specifically BECAUSE you haven’t finished it, haven’t let it rest etc. so you’re not ‘equipped’ to make those decisions at the moment.
Maybe it helps to think of it this way: until you finish the draft you don’t actually know what needs fixing because you haven’t got a bird’s eye view yet. So you can waste a lot of time revising while writing only to later realise you shouldn’t have bothered. When you get the urge to revise while drafting maybe remind yourself you can’t revise objectively while writing, specifically BECAUSE you haven’t finished it, haven’t let it rest etc. so you’re not ‘equipped’ to make those decisions at the moment.
Hi Rachael. Would you please also give your thoughts on revise vs. rewrite, e.g. when, how, the cut-and-paste, ... Also: Looking forward & thanks for the opportunity.
Well, I'm afraid I will have to go into rewrite mode with one of my recent stories since too much has changed, e.g. POV which will affect the tone and voice and pacing. So, for consistency's sake ... I'm considering rewrite. @@RachaelStephen
I love your accent.. :) thanks. I really needed to hear that I have to let it rest. Because I can't waaaaiiiit XD I'm not even done (still 4 chapters to go) and I want to revise it already.
When you talked of revising on paper, it really made me want to go back to my first draft and finish it. Any tips on going back to finish a first draft? I stopped writing after 12 days during Nano, when I was actually ahead of my goal, but I really hitch to go back in and put the end into place.
Hi, Rachael! This might somewhat touch upon your topic: Do you happen to have any ideas on how to make non-fiction more pedagogical? Or rather: How do I get through the first draft without the urge to revise as I go along? I struggle a lot with perfectionism, which makes progress harder. That applies to both fiction and non-fiction alike. Looking forward to tonight's video! :)
Hey! I'm afraid I can't give you a way to eliminate the URGE to revise as you go along, we all get it, you just have to be strict with yourself and not give in to it! Have you watched my video on perfectionism?
I'll probably never get to his phase because high fantasy takes too much brainstorming and worldbuilding, then there's the characters, at least all my stories are character driven so once I get my characters I can make the plot based on them instead of external influences not related to them
Sweetie, how dare you talk about your writing like that. You can finish your book, but telling yourself it's impossible will make it impossible! I know you can do it!
@@RachaelStephen i will publish my story in some form either text or visual like a comic but I'm self criticizing and ridden with mental disorders. But that won't stop me I just have to power through this phase and try to stay on one story.
Revision outline - so important; learned the hard way. A personal choice will always be, what the outline will look like, though. (Depth, versatility & flexibility, ...) Still: Necessary, I'd say. (Idea, perhaps: Discuss / show how the outline develops over the course of plotting the first draft and subsequent drafts?"
The part about substance and style was most useful. Mostly because I’m doing the beta process right now and most of the things my betas are pointing out are style not substance. Which makes sense since I haven’t done line edits yet. :p
Ha! That’s funny 😆 yeah. Already did that multiple times. 2 of 10 betas actually get that. Oh well. I’ve just been thinking of it as crowd sourcing my first round of line edits
Rachel: It is never your aim to write a perfect book... Me: WHAT?! Rachel: You will never gonna do that... Me: Oh you bet? Rachel: There is no such thing. Me: .......... Me after few seconds: My whole life was a lie... Well I've got some issues here ok? Perfectionism is a big problem for me, but I'm working on it ;)
@@RachaelStephen I've seen almost all of your videos :) And I won 2018 NaNoWriMo writing my dream book with plot embryo :D And now I'm spending like second month trying to finish holes in strory I didn't write in november and figuiring out how to make this story better :D so this video is very useful :)
What part of this video did you most need to hear?
Certainly substance vs. style. One might even break these down into several steps, depending on the personal working style. (At least, I do.)
There is no such thing as a perfect book. There is no such thing as a perfect book. There is no such thing as a perfect book. There is no such thing as a perfect book. There is no such thing as a perfect book. 🙂 New mantra.
Substance over style. It's so easy to fall in love with pretty words that you somehow produced without thinking about if they contribute any value. Kill your darlings and all that jazz. Can I also add that after a long day full of work-worries it was nice to see this. This week your advice has me ready to take on revising a project that I have been avoiding. It might not be much but it's mine and for all the parts I hate I love the characters. Thanks, always.
Space walk revision!
Definitely substance versus style. I've wasted tons of time polishing things that never made it to the final draft.
I will keep this close to me every day..."It won't be Perfect...but it will be DONE!"
Here's a tip for making your ms look different that will blow your mind: change the layout from portrait to landscape, then put it in two columns. NOW IT LOOKS LIKE A BOOOOOOOOOK. Seriously, it makes a huge difference.
Ohh good one! I’ve done this! Don’t think I could do it for intensive revision (not enough space) but for a light prose edit it’s great
@@RachaelStephen I set my margins really wide all around the text, like a copy-editor/proof-reader would on typset pass pages, and I only print on one side of the paper. That way there's loads of room for notes and changes. I tend to revise as I write quite a bit, so by the time I do an actual official edit I can't even see trees anymore, let alone the wood. The change in appearance needs to be as dramatic as possible (I change the font, size, spacing etc. too) or it just doesn't work.
This video came out 3 years ago and now I’m saving this to tackle my short story writing process.
The entire video, top to bottom, was useful. But this bit: "It's not about feeling that it's done -- it's about deciding that it's done," and making peace with the idea that our work can be flawed *and* finished, that resonates. It's like a little truth that was sleeping inside until you spoke it and woke it. Pinning that one to my work space. Thank you for that! And for the record, your accent rocks.
So brilliant to hear that, thanks pal
make peace with the fact that it must be flawed AND finished - perfect description
I'd buy that t-shirt! USE THE SHOVEL! :D
#USETHESHOVEL
I’ve seen a lot of channels about writing and this one is the best yet!
I recently realized I've been trying to outline one particular story for over 10 years now. Time's flying!!! >< I can't imagine also spending another 10+ years revising it after the draft's finally completed. Ewwwww! I'll keep (4) in mind once I get there. Thanks so much for this video! :D
Substance over style - really useful.
I name my documents with the month I finished that draft. '[Novel Name] December '18 Draft'. I'm currently working on what will become '[Novel Name] March '19 Draft'. I like this system because I don't have to commit to a number (different people seem to have different ideas of what constitutes a first draft... e.g. they start off with 'vomit' or 'zero' drafts and then their first draft is actually their second... you know what I mean?) but I can still find the most recent draft by checking the date it was completed.
Great tip, thank you!
I would soooo buy the "Use the shovel!" shirt!!! :D
Do you have a video about revision outlines? How do you make one of those? Is it the same as a regular outline?? Thanks for posting! :)
i'm not even a third way through my current WIP so I took notes for future use. I liked tip #5 change the format. I can see how working with paper in a different font and margins would make it unfamiliar and therefore newer. When I get there i think I want to format it like it might look on the page of a hardcover book (but still double-spaced to allow for pencilled in changes), ie, with facing pages and a gutter and page numbers in the outer upper corner.
Are you making it just different instead of better. That part stood out to me. Think it will help me when deciding which is my final draft. Thank you :)
Congratulations on this video. You gave advice which is didactic and incisive.
I imagined spending my whole life editing my own narrative. That's where my mind went to first in this world of self-improvement but I think this was still helpful. Although I'm not dead and reborn with each new phase, I can see those as chapters ending. Done. Stop rethinking it once I've grown and got what I needed from it.
Final final draft, no really this time.
Final print ready
Better print version
Best version
Also, love your accent. The almighty algorithm just showed me your stuff and you have some really healthy perspectives and awareness on life shit like the bullet journal mistakes. Kudos.
You're not just a hipster goblin, you're the RAD-est hipster goblin. This concept in general is helpful. I've been deleting my first chapter perpetually for a lot of these reasons. You're a hipster goblin savior of stubborn disorganized overambitious goblins such as myself. Sincerely, thank you. I adore your channel.
PAL. STOP DELETING YOUR CHAPTER ONE. Drafting Chris doesn't get to decide if it's good or not - that's Revision Chris' job for later. (also thank u)
why did I just discover your channel? you have helped me so much! you have no idea. I am not a writer but you make incredible valuable content that is helping me clear out my head and ideas in every aspect. thank you
This video helped a lot. Numbering my drafts may help me
You rock, Ms Rachel. Been enjoying your videos so much. I love people willing to point out when the emperor has no clothes.
Thank you so much for this video. I'm revising the first book of my saga and that's so hard to know where to start ! The outline part and the plan were the most useful parts of this video for me. I'm so organised in my life and when it comes to the first draft but not at all when i go into revising ! I'm going to try and be more prepare before going back to my book 😁 thanks for the video again 😘
I didn't keep track of my revisions at first. I'd just delete 3000+ words and replace it. Then I got to the point that I'd just move the scene down, to choose between the 2 later. Now I have the Working Title and Rev1, Rev2, etc.
I love the flawed but finished!!!! I needed that! It's stuff i tell other people and genuinely mean... but forget when it comes to my own work! Thanks
Thank you so much for this. Substance before style was what I needed most to hear. I had been agonizing over the prettiness of an entire POV for *years*, but I ended up scrapping the whole POV recently. I am finally allowing the structure of the story to shine through, and it's finally gotten me excited to revise the work again.
PS. The editing for this video was nice with the transitions, and your desk is really pretty too
Ahh I’m so glad! That one shift is such a game changer
HOW DID YOU KNOW I NEED THIS TODAY - sincerely, someone slogging through revision hell
I have my ways 😂
I really needed to hear the bit about style vs substance. Thanks for that! I’ll be using the shovel!
#USETHESHOVEL
My computer broke last week and I lost 100+ pages of writing! I’m trying to look at it positively as an opportunity to do some major reworking
Thank you for the tips. I believe the part I found most helpful was the reminder to just write the best book I can now, as I will never write a perfect book.
very obvious sentiment. much harder to actually believe it 😂
Revising has always been a nightmare of mine. I revise constantly and uncontrollably (even while I'm writing!) so I was anxiously waiting for this video to get some useful tips and tricks, and I was not disappointed! Letting it rest for a while before revising, as well as overcoming perfectionism are probably my biggest struggles at the moment so your tips are exactly what I needed.
Maybe it helps to think of it this way: until you finish the draft you don’t actually know what needs fixing because you haven’t got a bird’s eye view yet. So you can waste a lot of time revising while writing only to later realise you shouldn’t have bothered. When you get the urge to revise while drafting maybe remind yourself you can’t revise objectively while writing, specifically BECAUSE you haven’t finished it, haven’t let it rest etc. so you’re not ‘equipped’ to make those decisions at the moment.
Maybe it helps to think of it this way: until you finish the draft you don’t actually know what needs fixing because you haven’t got a bird’s eye view yet. So you can waste a lot of time revising while writing only to later realise you shouldn’t have bothered. When you get the urge to revise while drafting maybe remind yourself you can’t revise objectively while writing, specifically BECAUSE you haven’t finished it, haven’t let it rest etc. so you’re not ‘equipped’ to make those decisions at the moment.
I love and hate the revision process all at once. Great video!
I love the first few months of it 😂
The changing format was interesting. I've been fighting printing my manuscript, but I will definitely be doing that for my next draft.
Hi Rachael.
Would you please also give your thoughts on revise vs. rewrite, e.g. when, how, the cut-and-paste, ...
Also: Looking forward & thanks for the opportunity.
So far I've never done a complete re-write so when in doubt I always say revise. But I'll keep this topic in mind for future videos!
Well, I'm afraid I will have to go into rewrite mode with one of my recent stories since too much has changed, e.g. POV which will affect the tone and voice and pacing. So, for consistency's sake ... I'm considering rewrite.
@@RachaelStephen
Final Final Draft. After that one decided it was not the final draft, I started using numbers!
Can you please do a video on ending your first draft?
This video was really helpful, thank you!
I love your accent.. :) thanks.
I really needed to hear that I have to let it rest. Because I can't waaaaiiiit XD I'm not even done (still 4 chapters to go) and I want to revise it already.
When you talked of revising on paper, it really made me want to go back to my first draft and finish it. Any tips on going back to finish a first draft?
I stopped writing after 12 days during Nano, when I was actually ahead of my goal, but I really hitch to go back in and put the end into place.
Hi, Rachael!
This might somewhat touch upon your topic: Do you happen to have any ideas on how to make non-fiction more pedagogical? Or rather: How do I get through the first draft without the urge to revise as I go along? I struggle a lot with perfectionism, which makes progress harder. That applies to both fiction and non-fiction alike.
Looking forward to tonight's video! :)
Hey! I'm afraid I can't give you a way to eliminate the URGE to revise as you go along, we all get it, you just have to be strict with yourself and not give in to it! Have you watched my video on perfectionism?
@@RachaelStephen I'll rewatch it for renewed encouragement! :)
Stian Kallhovd the post-it tip might be helpful!
I'll probably never get to his phase because high fantasy takes too much brainstorming and worldbuilding, then there's the characters, at least all my stories are character driven so once I get my characters I can make the plot based on them instead of external influences not related to them
Sweetie, how dare you talk about your writing like that. You can finish your book, but telling yourself it's impossible will make it impossible! I know you can do it!
@@RachaelStephen i will publish my story in some form either text or visual like a comic but I'm self criticizing and ridden with mental disorders. But that won't stop me I just have to power through this phase and try to stay on one story.
💕💕💕
I find your accent charming.
Revision outline - so important; learned the hard way. A personal choice will always be, what the outline will look like, though. (Depth, versatility & flexibility, ...) Still: Necessary, I'd say. (Idea, perhaps: Discuss / show how the outline develops over the course of plotting the first draft and subsequent drafts?"
I've actually been thinking of doing a video showing all the various drafts and outlines I went through for State of Flux in this vein!
:-) @@RachaelStephen
USE THE SHOVEL.
Sound advice for revision, and the zombie apocalypse.
Whichever comes first.
Both, probably
I've seen maybe 5 mins, but I loved the soundtrack XD XD
The part about substance and style was most useful. Mostly because I’m doing the beta process right now and most of the things my betas are pointing out are style not substance. Which makes sense since I haven’t done line edits yet. :p
You can definitely ask beta readers to ignore spelling/grammar and focus on story/substance in their feedback if that’s what you’re looking for!
Ha! That’s funny 😆 yeah. Already did that multiple times. 2 of 10 betas actually get that. Oh well. I’ve just been thinking of it as crowd sourcing my first round of line edits
I've got something the algorithm can do to itself.
I think I most needed permission to print and revise on paper. Revising on the computer alone has been a special kind of hell.
Consider this your official permission! 💕
Draft 3> Final Final Draft
but Eternal Recurrence tho!
lowkey though it's not just the paper. like printer ink costs $$$$$$$
Anyone triggered by the shelf over her shoulder? haha God I hope it's just the camera angle!
Rachel: It is never your aim to write a perfect book...
Me: WHAT?!
Rachel: You will never gonna do that...
Me: Oh you bet?
Rachel: There is no such thing.
Me: ..........
Me after few seconds: My whole life was a lie...
Well I've got some issues here ok? Perfectionism is a big problem for me, but I'm working on it ;)
Did you already see my perfectionism video? 😂
@@RachaelStephen I've seen almost all of your videos :) And I won 2018 NaNoWriMo writing my dream book with plot embryo :D And now I'm spending like second month trying to finish holes in strory I didn't write in november and figuiring out how to make this story better :D so this video is very useful :)
Final Final Super duper Final Draft
Well, for revision in a differenr medium, I write on the phone, and revise on the PC so... Win-Win? hahaha
is that heterochromia I see?