Craft post: Manuscript Makeover

It has been awhile, a long while since I have done a craft post. Recently I discovered the book, Manuscript Makeover Revision Techniques No Fiction Writer Can Afford to ignore by Elizabeth Lyon and I suspect that the book will eventually be on many fiction writers shelves, right next to Self Editing for Fiction Writers by Brown and King.

This book is not about crafting a novel but rewriting and revising. It does what it says on the tin.

It is not flashy but full of good ideas and has helped give me ideas of how to improve the current wip.

It is a matter of application of various techniques. It is also a general revision book, rather than one specifically geared to romance or commercial fiction

Divided in several sections-- Lyon first looks at the novel outside in with techniques about revising for style. Most published authors do not need this section and it is amply covered in Self Editing but it is interesting to see her take. Then she goes into the structural problems, mainly using a 5 act structure and finally she looks at character and how character drives the story.

Each chapter is has boxes of easy to digest info and the chapter summaries with check lists.

For example, the chapter on movement and suspense also includes a section on why a hero might be considered passive and what to do about it. And there is a chapter on character dimension and theme which from my POV is worth the price of the book. It set light bulbs off and it reminded me of what to look for in my characters. In other words, it helped me solve problems by reminding me to ask question of my characters and reminding me of the pitfall. For example, yes I have a back story wound but without the desire to go beyond and actively change, the heroine can seem passive and static. The reader needs to see the struggle.

There is a ton of info here. And it is up the writer to use it. As Lyon points out in her introduction -- different writers work to different method. Dean Koontz in his last typewritten novel figured that he did approximately 31 drafts of the novel (based on the amount of paper used) before he reached the end. He was also told about that novel by his publisher that he was a midlist suspense writer and he should cut the novel in half. he cut five pages. The novel, Whispers went to number 5 and has remained in print for 2 decades. Other authors say to revise a novel no more than 3 times, keep marketing, and writing new stories. Eventually you break in as your writing improves. Each to his own. She recommends taking the book and making it your own.using what you need. As she says, encapsulating the whole conundrum of writing craft books -- there is a world of difference between reading about how to revise and actually applying it.

I intend to apply it to my writing but then I love revising and the whole process of trying to get my words to convey my vision.

It is a book that is most useful if you have the raw material (i.e. a first draft) rather than if you are crafting one. And my poor critque partner is probably going to get me being rather tough on her as the book has given me Ideas!

What is craft?

I happened to be re-reading Robert McKee Story over the past week or so. It is one of those craft books that bears re-reading and re-absorbing and I came across the statement craft is more than mechanics. It struck a chord.

Writing craft is not just about the tools you use to make a story good but how you apply those tools. Some authors can use a blunt instrument and wring every ounce out of the story. Others use very fine tools and slip up because their sense of proportion and balance is wrong. Still others will use what seems to be the wrong tool and produce an absolute masterpiece. Whether they can do this consistently or not is a matter of conjecture and debate.
Think for example of a hand knit sweater -- same pattern, needles, and yarn and yet it can does take on the shape and personality of knitter. Sometimes there is a dropped stitch or the tension is not right. Sometimes, it languishes in the bottom of drawer for ages, and sometimes the pattern is incomplete. Knowledge of craft never diminishes creativity. It enhances it.

In other words, you need to learn the how and why, and how you apply the tools. And sometimes pure nerve and determination can carry it off. But it works far better when you understand the principles behind it.

Because writing is a medium that can never fully be mastered, there are opportunities to grow and expand your skill.

The other question which can be debated is can craft be taught. There is not an easy answer. You can show the skills, You can explain but whether or not the other person is listening or can apply the knowledge is open to debate. It takes a long time and patience to hone skills. The whole 10,000 hours bit. And with authors sometimes there can be a grass is greener or a tendency to want to run before they can walk. Why isn't everything happening to me now? Actually the reason why first book mega sellers hit the news is that they are NEWS. They are rare and generally unanticipated.

Anyway, I generally discover a craft book around this time. This year, Trish Wylie inspired me to get The 38 Most Common Fiction Writing Mistakes and how to avoid them by Jack M Bickham. I will admit to having read his stuff many years ago. I preferred Swain. However, the first chapter has a hit chord -- the number one mistake fiction writers make is to make excuses why they can't write. I have been there and done it. I will probably do it again. Right now though it is about showing up and writing. If you want to understand more see Trish's blog.

Fire In Fiction (or not)

Super agent Donald Maass has published another writing book --Fire In Fiction. It is about putting the passion into your fiction writing. However, because of the scope and the scale of the book, it ends up retreading much of his earlier work and indeed some of the exercises are the same as Writing the Break Out Novel Workbook. I think the wholesale repeating of the exercises was the most disappointing part. There again the skills of writing a best seller do not really change. Much of the theory was articulated brilliant in Swain's book -- Techniques of the Selling Writer. It is how a writer applies these techniques that matters.

It is quite possible my expectations were far too high after all I had several epiphanies when I first read the Writing the Break Out Novel duo. I still use my Workbook and certain exercises every time I write a manuscript. My copy is now dogeared. None of the new exercises grabbed me but it could be the stage of my writing and the way I work. And maybe that is an epiphany in itself.

Maass' The Career Novelist which is available as a free download gave me a lot of useful info about how publishing works and why it is important to do the local PR work. And despite being dated, I do recommend it.

Somehow Maass's words seemed flat and he did not appear to have as much raw passion about this book as he did with the others. With The Career Novelist there was a sort of raw excitement as there was with Breakout Novel.

I suspect that the subject is very difficult to explain as because the passion and drive must come from within. It is not something that can be taught. It is part of the raw storytelling talent. And sometimes, the teaching of various parts falls into the mantra -- keep your eye on the doughnut and not the hole. Too often, Maass seems to have his eye on various potential holes, rather than on looking at the story as a whole.

I do agree with Maass that writing is a career for the long term and the most important part of writing is making sure that the book goes up to the next level. Because the concept of storytelling is so huge, you can never fully grasp it and there are always parts which one can polish.

I will go back over the book and see if there is anything more I can glean (the bit about turning points looks interesting). Sometimes, gems can be hidden and missed on the first read.

Will I buy his next book? The jury remains out. It depends on the subject matter.

Should aspiring writers buy this one? It depends. I prefer Writing the Breakout Novel duo but that is me. The one advantage this book has over Writing the Break out Novel is that the exercises are contained within the book. But umltimately is all about applying techniques so that you can achieve a page turning read.

The fire in your fiction has to come from you as the novelist. The way you temper and shape that fire that is where craft comes into. But ultimately you have to have that drive to succeed and to craft your stories. Some authors are able to simply write and never worry about the construction of their rainbows. Other writers worry too much about the construction and do not pay attention to the reason why people gasp. I like to think I do both. But I am at the latter stages of the early part of my career and therefore am starting to grasp what works for me.

The last page of your book sells the first page of your next book.

Ultimately the only thing I can control is my writing and the knowledge of craft can help. It is the application of that knowledge that makes for a page turning read. And an author should never be satisfied. It is always all about how to make the current story absolutely sing. If readers get an emotionally satisfying read, then they will be back for more or at least it is what I keep telling myself.

On not getting writing craft books

Cheryl St John posted a comment on my blog about not getting The Writer's Journey. Cheryl, in case you have not read her , writes wonderfully clear stories that if one is to analyse them probably do follow the exact pattern of the Hero's Journey. But she does not need to know what the journey is to make it.

Some books speak to you more than others. Some teaching methods/explanations work better at one time than others. Some days things seem to be blindingly clear and other days the same words can be a fog. It is the nature of things.

I was reminded of this yesterday when my middle was struggling to understand her math. It took her awhile to figure out that K simply means a constant number, and then to come up with a method for finding K and figuring out the formula. We worked together and the clouds disappeared from her eyes. My fingers are very crossed that her test goes fine today.

The post brought a reprint of A Week at Waterloo -- Magdalene de Lancey's first hand account of the battle and her fight to save her husband's life. They had been wed only a few weeks before the battle. The account is said to have inspired Thackerey. Dickens wrote that he should never forget the lightest word of it. Part of the proceeds from this edition goes to support the AFF (Armies Families Federation) Andrew Roberts has written a brilliant introduction.

Anyone who is interested in the Battle of Waterloo should read this book.