On Revising Your Old Books
Joanna Penn shared how she revised her first 3 novels on an episode of her show. I love how she broke it down and shared several craft tips. I've been mulling over a rewrite of my first fiction series for quite a while. Of course, I wish I had a clone to make all of the updates while I get on with life, but we're not quite there yet. 🤣 👉 🤖
Let's say you want to do a "facelift" on your old titles. Here are 2 simple takeaways you could do to make your writing more dynamic:
1. Banish all adverbs. Search your manuscript for "ly." They weaken your writing.
"Sarah proudly admitted her crime--gulping down the last Oreo."
becomes
"A grinning Sarah admitted her crime--gulping down the last Oreo."
2. Remove dialogue tags and replace with character action.
"They'll devour us all," Jane said.
becomes
Jane aimed her shotgun at the wave of approaching zombies. "They'll devour us all."
(Also, consider removing other dialogue tags such as mumbled, hissed, spat, garbled, muttered, etc.)
Those simple updates alone can strengthen your writing. I recommend Marcy Kennedy's book Deep POV to strengthen your writing. It's all about making simple changes to your writing to immerse your reader in your character's world.
On Ukraine
The stress of world events has taken a toll on so many people I know and continues to be a source of stress. I hope you are faring well. The worries of my life seem trivial in comparison to what's happening to the people of Ukraine. If you'd like to consider helping, here are resources (h/t Jonathan Fields).
On the Power of Persistence
One of my book launch clients recently landed an interview on The Today Show! I spoke with her about it, and this is what she shared:
"A talk I gave about my story in 2016 has been up on Youtube and now h
as over 300,000 views. That one speaking engagement led to me meeting another author. Over the years, I've kept in touch with her, and she recently asked me to interview for a spot on The Today Show!"
I'm so excited for my client's opportunity! It's a testament to her persistence in doing all the not-so-glamorous things of running an author business:
Sending a regular newsletter
Writing blogs
Going on podcasts
Engaging with people 1 on 1, every day
So often I hear from authors who want a magic marketing solution or a "set it and forget it" approach to book launch and marketing. Those types of strategies may work in the short-term, but are often not sustainable.
My client's story inspires me to KEEP GOING. I hope it inspires you too. Every relationship we forge, every reader interaction can truly lead to great things, even if it doesn't happen right away.
For Fun
A lizard getting CPR (there's a happy ending). Amazing how creatures great and small fight to survive!
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