Saturday, May 12, 2007

Pushin' a rock...pushin' a rock...More Revision questions

Here we go again. A few more fabulous questions from Nancy Mercado's session on Revisions:

7. Is your first chapter actually about your main character? Does it set the trajectory for the rest of the novel?

8. Have you shown instead of told? (don't show solely through body language...do more)

9. Do you give us a reason to care about your Main character on the first page?

10. Is your first line exciting enough? Does it grab readers?

11. Are there too many stage directions?

12. Does what you've written make you laugh or cry? (It should!)



So there you go...a few more good questions to guide your revision work. I have just a few more tucked away for another post. I'm still marking finals, so my revisions have been on hold for the last couple of weeks. But tomorrow...

6 comments:

  1. ooh, excellent questions.

    I'd say I'm safe on #7,9,10 and 12.

    for 8 and 11 though, I'll have to give some serious thought. I have to go and check to see that I haven't relied too much on body language because I know I do that quite a bit. I think I'm safe with the stage directions, but I'll definitely be more aware now.

    Thanks for the tips.

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  2. Ooohh, good points! Certainly some good information to bear in mind. Thanks for sharing it.

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  3. Always good questions to ask one's self while writing. Thanks for the list!

    Amy

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  4. OK, I'm making a list! I just read through all your notes on revision. Thanks for sharing the highlights Nancy Mercado's session.

    I heard her speak a number of years ago at the very first SCBWI Editor's Day that I went to. I was so new at this back them, that it got me thinking... I should look through those notes again and see what I might get out of them now.

    We have Editor's Day coming up again this weekend (My fifth one now). I'll be sure to pay it forward and share notes that I take. Thanks again for sharing and stopping by at my blog too!

    gail

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  5. Good list! (I like the most recent list, as well.)

    PS--Is that "pushin' a rock" thing from the America's Funniest Videos circa 1989? Too funny!

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  6. Thanks, gals. Glad you liked the revision questions.

    Anna, that reference does come from AFV by way of the myth of Sisyphus. (what can I say...I'm an English teacher!)

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