Breaking a revision rut

Me, "cutting" my cake at The Spanish Exile book launch

Lately, I have been reveling in a whirlwind of creativity. Since November 2016, I have published two books -- about as different from each other as you could get. The first is a political memoir called Soapbox: How I landed & lost a columnist gig, fought a prison, and got elected. The second is the first of a 4-book swashbuckling historical series, The Spanish Exile, which I launched last week.

The Spanish Exile started as a glimmer of an idea clear back a decade ago. Before its publication, I started a memoir publishing company (Treasured Stories), self-published my first novel (Ghost Moon Night), got elected to city council, and put out my memoir. Finally this year, I decided, no more digressions; it was high time I got this series off the ground.

However, in the past, my publishing process stalled at revision. I just couldn't muscle my way through a hot manuscript mess. I decided to overhaul my process, so I could overcome that I-can't-revise psychological hurdle. Here are some things that helped me through that revision rut:

1. Write a synopsis and blurb. I wrote a 7-page chapter by chapter synopsis then hired someone to write an exciting blurb...and revised to that. Some people detest synopses. Relax. It doesn't have to be literary or even pretty. You are just cataloguing your plot, to test it for holes and give you the lay of the land. As for a blurb, I could have muddled my way through it, or, for the price of a nice dinner for two, I hired a talented blurb writer.

2. Recruit cheerleaders. These are readers and writers who like the kind of stories you write. If you get a fantasy reader for your nonfiction, most likely, their feedback will be a downer. I had a cheerleader, my 16 year old voracious reader daughter, who brainstormed solutions to my plot holes. She kept me going and kept my pace exciting. Which meant my story was less boring, making it more exciting to work on. This recharged my creativity.

3. Set specific and challenging goals and track your progress. Sure, I could have revised an hour here and there. Instead, I revised in marathon sessions with specific page number goals that I announced to an accountability group. If midnight rolled around, I stuck to my guns until I finished into the wee hours just to say I did it.

4. Minimize distractions. I transformed my office into a writing "cave", closing my blinds, immersing in instrumental cello music, wrapping myself in blankets, closing my door if need be. Kind of writing in a cocoon, turning into a butterfly later.

5. Get a print copy of the book. I formatted my draft into a Createspace book which inspired me, then made corrections on the book. Oh my, that was a little disheartening seeing all those scribbles on every single page...

6. Keep going. But I persisted one page at a time and revised it in the final format, so it felt like progress. The book will eventually end, so hang in there.

7. Focus. I resisted signing up for conferences and contests and focused on getting my book done. I kept my schedule as open as possible for writing in long stretches. I asked my already sweet helpful family to pitch in on household chores and to cook dinner if they wanted to eat.

8. Acknowledge difficulties but don't wallow. I allowed myself to cry a little, "Wah, this is tough!" then went back to work. I asked more expert writers for help with specific problem spots. I watched YouTube videos on revising and writing.

9. Pray. I prayed for help. A lot.

Now that momentum is on my side, I intend to capitalize on it. I am revising Book 3 and plan to complete the series by September.

Jewel Allen is an award-winning journalist, author and ghostwriter. She is the author of The Spanish Exile and The Last Princess, the first two books in a swashbuckling historical series, Islands of the Crown. Visit her at www.jewelallen.com.