This, in a nutshell, is what I did to get a book with my name on it.
NOTE: This is just my personal way of making the words go. Other people have different ways to make their words go. In the world of words, there are no right answers. There’s just lots and lots of tea/coffee/tear stains.
1). The Idea
When I get an idea for a story, I open up a document, label it “Brainstorming,” and start making a bullet list of events that consist of the plot.
It has to be an idea with tangible weight. A stray bit of dialogue or something vague like Halloween, that doesn’t give me much to work off of. Halloween creatures living on the same street where it’s Autumn every day– now that’s something I can build from.
What kinds of creatures are they? What do they do? What do their houses look like? The best ideas are the ones that spark more.
2). First Draft
This is the easy part- and the most challenging. Easy, because there’s literally no bar. I just sat there and typed. But it’s a huge mental challenge.
When I was in first draft mode, I wanted that story out. I thought that by making it such a rough, far-away version from the concept in my head, I was only delaying the day where I’d hold it in my hands. Turns out, that’s what got it to take on physical form in the first place. So I quieted down, grabbed my laptop and some hot tea, and typed.
3). Dissecting the First Draft
After I finished draft one, I printed it all off and highlighted the scant amounts that were passable for the next phase. Dialogue, descriptions, setting- anything that didn’t look like it was up to par was scratched out and omitted.
I call the above pictures A Slow Descent Into Madness.
4). The Second Draft
On a fresh document, I rewrote the story altogether- and it make a difference. I was coming up with things I hadn’t even thought of previously. And it was surprising how much better the plot was than the first time around. But it was still rough.
5). Draft Three
My method was to start with the bigger, more obvious issues and work my way down. Any plot holes I found were noted, and my outline was constantly under revision. I cut out entire scenes and made mental notes on ways they could be fixed/replaced.
This is where I started cutting chapters in half to make the story flow better- but I didn’t bother writing in usable chapter titles. Instead, I improvised:
6). Drafts Four and Five
These were dedicated to correcting the smaller, less obvious plot holes. This was the point where the story finally started to look close to what would become the final version.
7). Drafts Seven Onward
With the story line looking how I wanted, I then moved on to sentence structure. That one song that looked terrible? Rewritten. Over-the-top descriptions and excessive prose? Gone.
8). Editing and Proofing
This is where I had outside help. Besides this useful tool, I had two people check for spelling issues and the overall story. Once it was in decent shape to be made public, I asked for some additional help.
9). Betas
My betas were in the age range that my novel was geared toward, along with a couple of teachers and parents (as it was middle grade). I gave them the full manuscript, along with seven basic questions like “Which characters were your favorite/least favorite and why?” and “Was there a part of the story that didn’t make sense?”
I gave my betas three months to read a 42,590 word story, and by the end they gave me back the review sheets.
10). Final Adjustments
After I read over the reviews, I let the comments sit for three days so that I could proceed with a clear head. I smoothed out any flaws, scanned over the MS twice to make sure everything was right, and that is how I got to the end of writing my first novel.
Next comes publishing- which is a different beast entirely.
For future reference. Wow, what a comprehensive post.
I’d say no cheating, but there are already five aces at the table.
just a reminder that apparently anybody who isn’t ace cheats
this literally says the aces are cheating…………. because… you can’t have five aces in a deck………….it’s the Opposite of the second comment…
Atomic Blonde – Set in November 1989 on the eve of the collapse of the Berlin Wall, this spy thriller follows M16 agent Lorraine Broughton as she attempts to recover an important stolen item. Along the way she encounters Delphine Lasalle, a rookie french agent. The usage of two different contrasting themes of lighting in this movie is very striking.
Carol – Based off the 1952 lesbian romance novel “The Price of Salt,” Carol is set in New York City in the early 50s. It follows the love affair between Therese Belivet (an aspiring photographer and department store worker) and Carol Aird (a wealthy mother going through a divorce.) It’s a stunning portrayal of gay friendships and romance during a violently homophobic time.
Desert Hearts – Released in 1985 and set in 1959, this romantic drama is often hailed as the first film to present a positive portrayal of lesbianism. It follows Vivian Bell, a english professor in her mid thirties hoping to obtain a quick divorce and Cay Rivvers, a younger and free spirited sculptor.
Farewell, My Queen – French romantic drama set in 1789 during the last three days of Marie Antoinette, seen through the eyes of a young servant who reads to the queen. It discusses rumours of the queens alleged orgies with women and has a very subtle, entirely queer tone.
Heavenly Creatures – Psychological drama documenting the real life Parker-Hulme murder case. The plot centers around the obsessive and concerning relationship between two teenage girls, Juliet and Pauline. It covers their meeting in 1952 all the way through to the murder they commit together in 1954. The girls bond over a shared history of disease, and begin to indulge in delusions of a rich fantasy world and cult-like religion. Its a frightening look into the lives of the two seemingly normal teenager girls who teamed up to kill Pauline’s mother and only served five years for their crime.
San Junipero – Not technically a film, and not technically set in the past but I think it still counts! This episode of black mirror is praised for having a more hopeful & uplifting tone than the rest of the series and is first set during the 80s, following a lesbian named Yorkie and Kelly, a bisexual woman.
The Girl King – Biographical drama portrayal of the life of Christina, Queen of Sweden. Christina is a brilliant, powerful, and striking figure fighting conservative forces in her country. The film tracks her mission to modernize sweden and follows her awakening sexuality, yet another thing that sets her apart from former rulers.
The Handmaiden – South Korean erotic psychological lesbian revenge thriller. I can honestly say this is one of the most well directed and captivating lesbian films ive ever seen. Sook-Hee, a orphaned Korean pickpocket becomes the handmaiden to a wealthy Japanese Heiress and with the intention to assist a conman in relieving her of her inheritance. It’s loosely inspired by Sarah Waters novel “Fingersmith” but set in Korea under Japanese rule. The male gaze towards lesbians is a reoccuring theme and is accurately portrayed as a disgusting and vile thing in a way i didnt expect a male director to be able to manage.
The Hours – British-American drama based off the novel of the same name. It follows three different queer women of three different eras, all connected through Virgina Woolf’s novel “Mrs. Dalloway.” Clarissa is a bisexual new yorker in the early 2000s, planning an award party for a poet with AIDS. Laura is a pregnant 1950s housewife trapped in an unhappy marriage and Virgina Woolf is a novelist in 1920s england struggling with mental illness under the watchful and suffocating eye of her husband.
The Miseducation of Cameron Post – One of the newest releases, this film just came out this year! Set in 1993 and based off the novel of the same name by Emily M. Danforth, teenager Cameron is caught in the backseat of a car with the prom queen. Her aunt (a devout christian) ships Cameron off to a religious gay conversion camp called God’s Promise. The film documents the struggles, pain, and violence of existing in a space with no place for you.
i never published these sketches here. drawn at lucca comics and games 2018! also remember that i sell stuff (erasermic-themed inktober, female pro heroes and all that jam). also follow me on instagram because i almost never post here!
If I'm your savior, then you're mine. 