GUEST POST BY JACQUELYN EUBANKS | When you finish drafting your story, you may ask: “Should I get an editor to look over my story? Or should I just edit it myself?” The answer is both. Jacquelyn takes you through 8 necessary steps of self-edits and hiring an external editor to get you to the revised story you desire.
Read moreHow to Write + Revise Your Story in 5 Draft Phases
The way I go from BIG IDEA to finished story is kind of weird. I always thought it would be this linear, very defined approach, but I don't function like that. My draft phases follow building the anatomy of a story through specific, key craft elements. My phases aren't defined by "The End" or "Draft 4", but by mindset and attention to certain story pieces. If you're curious what a "skeleton draft" is (or what a "freckle draft" is), click through to read how I write, revise, and edit my stories to completion in five distinct phases.
Read moreHow to Find Your Story's Heart: 5 AWESOME Revision Techniques
You may use a revising checklist or an editing checklist to bring your story to fruition, but sometimes that's just not enough. Perhaps this particular story DOESN'T call for setting overload, or this particular story DOES call for characterization development. Every story is unique in its needs. The following five techniques will get you working with your story in the way revision was intended to be: a literal re-vision-ing of what your story is intended to be. They will get you thinking about your story in different ways. They'll ask you to pay attention to the specific, unique elements that THIS particular story needs. They'll ask you to remember the heart of the story, and bring that to the surface in a meaningful way. This isn't focusing on word choice, but intention. Ready to get revising?
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