Plot, Pacing, & Patience
Life lessons in the first round of revisions for my novel
This month, I finished the first revision review of my novel-in-progress. Coming to the fiction revision process with not an ounce of experience — because every other story draft has been…abandoned at one point or another — was terrifying. I had no idea what to expect, how to proceed, if there were best practices and advice and guidelines for “how to revise a novel.” Yes, I did Google that.
What ended up making sense to me, so the process wasn’t totally overwhelming, was to split my reviews into themes/concepts. For example, read through the first time for plot and pacing, read through the second time for consistency in timeline and characters, etc. I already came into the revision process knowing I needed to fix my dialogue, so that became another box to check off on the list. I had been so focused on creating the plot that my description/imagery/language I’m so proud of in my poetry was lacking…so I added it to the list.
So far, I think I have about six or seven different items I want to tackle in different reviews. After a few, I’ll start some additional drafts — currently, I’ve just been making notes of what needs to be added/expanded/removed. And then, hopefully in the fall, I’ll be ready for some beta readers! I’m hoping the fall will be a return to poetry as well — my inspiration has fallen short while I’ve been so embedded in this book, but I’m seeking it out again little by little. Patience is a virtue, so I’ve been told, but I’m still looking for it. One step at a time!
With that being said, I learned a lot when I read through my novel for plot and pacing. Those were my biggest worries — that I would have gaping plot holes, the action would move too fast or too slow, etc.
Here are my takeaways from my first read-through:
My novel has good bones but needs to be cleaned up.
I didn’t find any glaring plot holes and seemed to tie all of the ends together, but the transitions can be a little jolty. A byproduct of not plotting beforehand? Maybe.
Weaving in hints to plot twists is really fun.
Obviously, I can’t give these away, but let’s just say this was one of my favorite parts of writing my book. I love reading books with twists and turns, and I can’t wait for readers to find mine.
My ending is a whirlwind and information overload.
Pacing really didn’t exist in the last few chapters of my book as literally everything hit all at once, back to back, in 2-3 chapters. My biggest notes are to flush this one out in upcoming drafts.
I open chapters too many times with some variation of “the next morning…”
This isn’t plot/pacing-related, but this one was a slap in the face to realize. When in doubt, make it a new day…that seemed to be my thought process. Once I noticed, it was everywhere. Better transitions incoming!
My male characters need names.
Again, not plot/pacing, but right now I have placeholders for so many names and they really need some actual names. Anybody have male names they associate with bad memories/reactions? It would fit the bill! Hint, hint.
Bear with me on my chaotic Substack schedule (or lack thereof) while I try to get my book to a query-able state by the end of the year. If process insights are your jam, you’ll get many more of these. If there is anything specific you’d be interested in hearing about from the perspective of a first time fiction author, the comments are open!
Stories I’m Loving Recently
Here’s what has been inspiring and speaking to me recently. Book recommendations, publications, organizations — if it supports the purpose and passion here, it deserves to be amplified. All book links reflect a different independent bookshop — for this post, we’re supporting Grolier Poetry Book Shop in Cambridge, MA.
Books:
Bluets by Maggie Nelson (Wave Books, 2009)
I kicked off my summer with a binge read of this in the park and wow, I loved it. As someone who wants to dabble in hybrid forms, this lyric book was inspiring with the play of language, interconnected themes, and format. It had been on my TBR list for ages and I’m so glad I finally found the time to pick it up.
Publications:
In an increasingly hostile world, it’s heartening to see that there are still good people out there trying to make the world better for those living in it. The three stories below show me that there is still hope for humanity and those who want to improve it.
Allyson Felix and the first ever Olympic nursery
Melinda French Gate and her philanthropic commitment to women
Becka Robbins and her fight against LGBTQ+ book bans
Cover photo credits: Amador Loureiro on Unsplash