The Rewrite!

“All Writing is Rewriting”

-John Green

“Rewriting is a pain in the…”

-Paul Heingarten

I don’t know about you, but of all the parts of the writing process there are, re-writing is a strong contender to be my least favorite.  The forming of ideas, characters, themes, plot elements and weaving them together… lots of fun.  But after everything it takes to put a story of any length together, isn’t it enough?

Isn’t it… done yet?

When I wrote my first manuscript, I had little to no knowledge of the writing process like I do now.  I was at least several months out from finding the Bayou Writers Club for one.  The school training I’d had for writing of any kind came from one creative writing class in grade school and the writing for TV/Newspaper/Radio in college.  I could write a sentence but the concept of editing was not really something I dealt with much.  Tweaks for news stories, OK.  But when I worked for the school newspaper I relied on others, the copy editors, for more in-depth editing.

Fast forward to now, and I’ve been establishing a method for writing.  I wouldn’t say I’ve embraced it, but I’ve found a way to at least get through it.

Last year, my wife Andrea and I went to Comicpalooza, an annual comic convention in Houston, TX.  There, we saw a presentation from Pamela Fagan Hutchins, an award winning author of several bestselling books (Her website is http://pamelahutchins.com).  This particular presentation dealt with rewriting.

I’ve incorporated much of what Pamela spoke about in her presentation.  Here’s a list of several items I use when I rewrite:

·       Start from the beginning of your manuscript and work your way forward page by page until the end.  Maybe this is redundant or obvious to most of you, but when I was just trying to rewrite something, I was hopping around the pages, trying to catch things.  No.  Front to back.
·       If you add things to your story: characters, plot elements, etc… do you follow through the entire manuscript with them?  Don’t let something major you added for resolving the plot go unexplained until the end like a Deus Ex Machina.
·       Have you met your story objective?  Has the plot been resolved satisfactorily?  Good or bad endings for characters aside, make sure things get wrapped up to some kind of resolution.
·       Does a scene matter?  Does it help move the story along?  If not, remove it.

Those are a few points I look for.  There are more but I think you’ll find as you start to rewrite, you will develop your own method for what you look for and change.  Like anything, practice makes perfect… or just better than before.

Another thing I do on my rewrites is to not try and get it done on a single rewrite.  Again, maybe this is redundant to some of you as well.  But I’ve been a “planner” writer more or less since I’ve started writing novels.  And as a planner, I always have some small feeling in the back of my head that when I’m done writing the story, it’s done.  And when I’m done on a rewrite, it’s done.

The way I got away from that mindset is to do my rewrites in passes.  In other words, when I start on a rewrite, I make up my mind to look for either one thing or a small collection of things in my manuscript.

Here’s how that might look:

·      Pass 1: Add scenes that I’ve come up with for beefing up the story.  Make sure the parts of the story the new scenes might affect are also adjusted so each new scene is now a needed part of the story, not just added fluff.
·      Pass 2: Check the dialogue for all characters.  Make the dialogue less formal.  Break up the lines of dialogue if necessary so each character doesn’t speak a soliloquy each time they say anything.
·      Pass 3: Make sure your characters each have a distinctive voice.  Perhaps you can give one of them a catchphrase they use a lot, or maybe an accent, etc.

I think you get the idea.  Of course, every story is different so I don’t use the exact same list of passes I mentioned each time.  But I think multiple passes is what finally got me to get through the tall (but necessary) task of rewriting my projects.

Happy rewriting!

Paul Heingarten

http://www.paulheingarten.com

Another Word on Writing your Bio

By Libby Prifogle 

A few weeks ago Dr. Kelley gave a wonderful class on bios and it made me realize how essential the "bio' is to all aspects of the publication process. I am picking up on a little resistance in writing bios from the group, so I wanted to share my experiences in writing bios for literary magazines/websites. 

As we all tackle submissions in literary magazines this year, you'll have to submit a bio and/or cover letter with each submission. If they don't ask for one with the submission, the editor will need one for the publication. While each publication will have different requirements, it is generally between 50-150 words (and if you are a few words off, it's probably going to be okay). I think it's understood, but just wanted to add - the bio needs to be written in 3rd person unless otherwise noted. If it seems daunting to sum up your life in 50-150 words - well, it is a challenge. I write and rewrite my bio and in my opinion it's never going to be a final draft (I gave mine a complete overhaul as I wrote this post). This is my current bio:

Lisbeth Prifogle served her country as a United States Marine officer and is working on a memoir about her experiences in a war zone. Lisbeth holds an MFA from Antioch University - Los Angeles. Her work was featured in Poem Memoir Story, The Splinter Generation, Citron Review, In the Know Travel, Hormones Matter, and the forthcoming veterans anthology, Homecoming. Lisbeth is an active member of the Bayou Writers Club where she gives presentations and writes articles on the craft and business of writing. She lives in Louisiana. 

All publications will have a bio or byline at the end of a story/essay/article. Generally speaking, most periodicals (commercial magazines and newspapers) use bylines and literary magazines use bios (each publication makes that determination). As Kelley brought up during her presentation, it's good to have a byline as well as a short, medium, and long bio prepared so when you're asked for it, you can promptly provide it. For ideas and examples, read other writers' bios in your favorite literary magazines or books, although I think you get a wider variety in literary magazines.

Quick tip: Go to the "Editors" page of any literary website for a quick list. For example, these editors have bios around 50 words: http://www.splintergeneration.com/category/editors/. 

Printed anthologies are also a great quick resource.

Don't have anything published yet? No worries. First, write something for the Bayou writers blog. I keep mentioning this at the meetings and I'm saying it again because it's a great way to get published and show you're a credible writer. Second, talk about what you are working on, and anything relative to writing (degrees, writing classes or retreats you regularly attend), what you like to write, where you live or like to read. For example (totally made this one up - working up the courage to try fiction again some day):

"Lisbeth Prifogle grew up in Manhattan and fled the states as soon as she turned 18. At the moment, she resides in Thailand. Lisbeth annually attends the ExPat Writing Association's writing and publishing conference and regularly attends online writing seminars. Currently, she is working on a dystopian novel that follows survivors of a global financial collapse. Lisbeth keeps a travel blog titled Unexpected Journeys, it can be found at www.unexpectedjourneys.com.

This bio tells readers that this parallel universe Lisbeth travels, treats her writing as a profession, and probably has some interesting stories that likely show up in her fiction. You want your bio to be interesting, but remember this is your introduction as a writer so focus on writing. 

To pick on an active member of the group for another example, Chris always participates in the clever prompts (that I find to be really challenging) and shares them at our meetings. Chris your bio could, and in my opinion should, include somewhere in it: "Chris is a master at golden shovel poetry form, zhongs, and micro-fiction."  

The members who present for The Business of Writing and/or Reading like a writer segment can include that in the bio. "Dennis is an active member of the Bayou Writers Club and gives regular presentations on the craft and business of writing at bi-monthly meetings." 

In closing, start working on your bios and bylines. Don't be intimidated if you don't have a degree/certificate in writing publications, you're a member of the fastest growing writing club in Southeast Louisiana so submit your work to be posted on the Bayou Writers blog and submit submit submit!

And because I haven't written my byline yet, here's a first draft: 

Lisbeth Prifogle is a graduate of the MFA program at Antioch University - Los Angeles. Her work has appeared in Poem Memoir Story, Splinter Generation, Citron Review, In the Know Traveler, and the forthcoming veterans anthology, Homecoming. 

Short Stories are HOT!

Hey, Bayou Writers!

Dennis here, and I’m starting a semi-periodic post to our blog concentrating on the short story form, including flash and micro fiction, and, frankly, anything else that strikes my fancy.

A couple of meetings back, I highlighted the Nov/Dec 2014 issue of Writers Digest, which had an guest column specifically aimed at short story writers: Anne R. Allen’s article in the Inkwell column entitled “Short is the New Long”. I’ve been drawn to short stories for several reasons, chiefly: 1) They force you to be economical and precise in your writing, and 2) They allow for multiple experimentation in genre, style, voice, whatever, over a reasonable period of time. Even if you’re writing a novel and it’s taking you years, taking time off to write a few short stories can restore your creative juices.

So writing short stories can be good for your craft, but what if you want to be a published, author whose work people actually read? And pay for? Allen’s article addresses just this issue. Here is the “Readers Digest” version, but I urge you to check out the full column:

 

SHORT IS THE NEW LONG

“[Many writers equate] short fiction with those finger exercises piano students do before they graduate to real music. If you’re serious about a career in fiction, you write novels….right?”

“Wrong. Short stories are having a revival in the digital age….thanks to consumers who want quick bites of information… It seems the short story is back—on an iPhone near you.

“Here are nine factors working in favor of a short story renaissance:”

“1. SMALL, PORTABLE SCREENS ARE CHANGING THE WAY WE READ. ‘The single-serving quality of a short narrative is the perfect art for for the digital age…Stories are models of concision, can be read in one sitting, are infinitely downloadable and easily consumed on small screens,’ bestselling short-story writer Amber Dermont told The New York Times.”

“When Amazon in 2011 launched its Kindle Singles program—which publishes works of fiction or creative nonfiction of 5,000 to 30,000 words—it sold more than 2 million short titles in 14 months….Today, [Amazon is] further promoting short fiction with a Short Reads section…and Day One magazine, which showcases short fiction from new authors. (Find submission guidelines at tinyurl.com/pwc2lrj.)”

“2. ANTHOLOGIES ARE HOT. Multi-author anthologies are a great sales tool, and they’ve been reborn in the e-book space, where they’re inexpensive to put together and provide wide visibility.”

“3. PUBLICATION IDENTIFIES YOU AS A PROFESSIONAL. If you’re on a career track, you need to show agents, publishers, and reviewers you’re serious. Placing stories in respected literary journals will do that.”

“4. NETWORKING WITH SHORT FICTION EDITORS CAN FURTHER YOUR CAREER. Editors at small magazines often have connections in the publishing world.”

“5. FILMMAKERS BUY RIGHTS TO SHORT STORIES.”

“6. ONLINE RETAILERS FAVOR AUTHORS WITH MORE TITLES. The more titles you have in an online bookstore, the more visible you are.”

“7. SHORT FICTION CONTESTS CAN BUILD YOUR BIO. Contests are easy to find and enter in the Internet era….(fundsforwriters.com) and (winningwriters.com) are good free sources for vetted and free contests, and established publications (including WD) often sponsor competitions that provide opportunities for authors in all genres. A win or even honorable mention looks great in a query or bio. Some of the biggest awards…are still for short fiction, sometimes offering a prize as high as a standard novel advance, as do the Pushcart and O. Henry Prizes.”

“8. SHORTS KEEP FANS ENGAGED AND DRAW NEW ONES. Forward-looking agents encourage authors to self-publish short stories—especially when writing a series. Shorts keep fans interested while they’re waiting for the next book, and a free story in between is a great marketing tool. …a couple of shorts about your main character…may get you through a tricky spot in the big work and give you a salable product for laters. (Also, many great novels started as shorts. A story about a minor character may expand into a novel of its own.)”

“9. TODAYS SHORTS STORIES MAKE MONEY AND HOLD THEIR VALUE. Per word, a story can make more money than a novel. Not only does it take less time to write, …[it may sell for] the same price as a novel-length e-book…Some large magazines still publish short fiction, and such publications as Asimov’s, Ellery Queen, and Woman’s World still pay top dollar for genre stories…”

“Short stories…can keep your prose from getting flabby. Don’t give up your magnum opus, but try a few ideas out in short stories. You’ll be grateful you have inventory when opportunity comes knocking.”

[Anne R. Allen is the author of seven comic mysteries and co-author of How to Be a Writer in the E-Age: A self-Help Guide, written with Catherine Ryan Hyde.]

The full article may be found on pages 10-11 in the Nov/Dec 2014 issue of Writers Digest or on WritersDigest.com at

http://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/9-ways-writing-short-stories-can-pay-off-for-writers