Avoiding Leaky Final Drafts

While unloading groceries this weekend, one of the bags (reusable, of course!) tumbled off the counter. It held cream soup cans, a jar of salsa, Reddi-Wip, wraps, salad, baby carrots, onions, and peppers. I glanced over it all, but there seemed to be no damage. I put the food in the designated areas. 

The next morning, hubby made super duper yummy homemade chocolate chip pancakes. I set the table, complete with juice, syrup, whipped cream- EEEEEK! The can of Reddi-Wip had leaked all over the refrigerator door. Thick, milky, gloopy cream covered the top shelf, seeped down the back, and dripped all over the jars and bottles on the middle and bottom shelves. I inspected the can much more thoroughly this time and saw noticeable punctures at the bottom. How had I overlooked the obvious damage the day before? In my rush to finish finish putting away the groceries, I placed the leaky whipped cream in the fridge without noticing the can’s holes. The goopy mess could’ve been prevented! 

The leaky Reddi-Wip can reminded me of the first time I submitted a story. I wrote it, immediately revised, submitted, and hurried on to my next idea. When the generic rejection letter came, I read through my story again and suddenly saw the punctures. How had I not seen the damage before? How could I have overlooked ambiguities or under-developed characters? Why did I ever think the story was ready for submission when it had these holes? 

I wanted to revise it again and send it somewhere else, but it was just a big, leaky mess. My rushed revisions had made my story even worse. I needed to clean up my revision process, take my time, and closely inspect my stories for those obvious punctures. 

Here are four ways I try to avoid leaky messes in my WIP:

1. Set aside in a corner (maybe wearing a dunce cap). After I write my story, I no longer immediately revise it. I set it aside for some time and work on something else. After a couple days, I can take it out and view it more objectively. I catch so many more errors after letting my WIP sit for awhile. Actually, I’m kind of embarrassed by how many errors I see after a few days! (Hence, the dunce cap!) It’s funny how the brilliant parts seem worthy of a dunce cap and other parts are not as crummy as I first thought.

2. Read aloud from the rooftops. Okay, maybe not really from the roof–though that could be a quirky writer trademark when famous!–but reading aloud helps catch many hidden errors the eyes don’t see. It’s difficult for me to stay focused when I’m editing on the computer screen, especially if I’m tired. I print out my WIP and walk around my apartment as I read it aloud. I hear the many punctures in my WIP– slow pacing, odd dialogue, grammar errors, etc.– and since it had sat for a few days, I’m more objective and revise accordingly.

3. Borrow another pair of eyes. Sometimes after reading the same thing over and over and over, my words kind of blur together and I can’t tell if my revision is even written in English. So my husband’s eyes are my fresh pair. I’m near-sighted and he has perfect vision, so it only makes sense that he should read my WIP for me! He catches things I don’t see, and he’s really good at telling me how the dialogue sounds (especially for male characters). Plus, I know he’s honest about my work. Fresh eyes and honesty is a helpful combination to fix those first draft holes (and avoid a big mess).

4. Run with scissors. Just make sure you’re carrying them correctly! Always hold the blade toward yourself so if you trip and fall, you can claim worker’s comp. (Writer’s have that, right? RIGHT??) When I’m feeling artsy, I print my WIP and cut out each scene. Then I arrange the scenes in different orders. This helps me realize one of two things: My WIP is ready as is, or my WIP is ready but completely out of order. I’ve completely reversed a beginning and middle (with some rewriting of course) using this method. And guess what? When I submitted that story again, I received my first personal rejection letter! That was a big day!!! You know you must be making progress when an editor takes time to give encouragement and a couple tips.

Before we get to my usual quotes after a post, I want to say THANK YOU to Alyson of May Day Writer for giving me the Prolific Blogger Award! You’ve made my day! Thanks, Alyson!!!

Now I hope to make others as happy as I am! I give the Prolific Blogger Award to Bluestocking of The Bluestocking Blog, Lola of Sharp Pen/Dull Sword, Rebecca of Diary of a Virgin Novelist, and T.J. of T.J. Carson's Writing Endeavor. Keep it up with your fabulous blogs and happy writing!

“No one has ever become poor by giving.” ~Anne Frank

“Let me urge you to take your story through at least two drafts; the one you do with the study door closed and the one you do with it open.” ~Stephen King

“Don’t fool yourself: Read what is actually on the page, not the brilliant unwritten story in your imagination.” ~Philip Gerard

“If there’s one thing almost all writers agree on, it’s that we can’t trust our judgment on our own freshly written work.” ~Ursula K. Le Guin

Share with me!

How do you avoid leaky final drafts? What are your revision strategies to clean up messy first drafts?