I wish I’d had this when I was working on my last book. Thankfully it arrived just as I was entering the pit of despair with my new one!
Sara’s calm, encouraging words not only provided a light in the darkness for a writer stumbling lost and alone – but the structured exercises illuminated multiple ways to drag my story out of the pit and make it better!
The introduction states that “The difference between a good novel and a publishable one is a rigorous revision process.” It echoes the answer Ernest Hemingway gave to the Paris Review when asked why he rewrote the end of A Farewell to Arms thirty-nine times – Hemingway explained that he was simply “getting the words right.” But it’s not just the words — it’s the structure, the pacing, the opening, and of course, that killer ending! This book guides you through them all.
Although the idea is to use this (work)book to help you through the process of revising once you have a first draft, there are also exercises here that will help get the spark of an idea down on paper. The early chapters dealing with interrogating your idea, character and plot, certainly helped me sift through the mess of what ifs and maybes buzzing around my head, so I could start writing with more confidence and intention.
There are also sections covering authenticity and integrity, with particular focus on writing for children and young adults, plus advice for taking your – now lean, mean and polished – manuscript out into the world, with tips on how to put together a submission package, and working with an agent.
Full disclosure — the author, Sara Grant is a friend, but this is not a plug for a mate. Sara’s advice has helped me more times than I can count over the years, and this book includes much of that advice and more. I’d have bought and cherished my copy whether I knew her or not. So, whether you’re working on your first book, or your fifteenth – my advice: don’t start your next edit without it!
The Ultimate Guide to Editing your Novel by Sara Grant is published by Bloomsbury.
