Revising for Plot: Elana K. Arnold and Brandy Colbert
Let me fill you in on a little secret: both my copies of What Girls Are Made Of (Elana K. Arnold) and Little and Lion (Brandy Colbert) are annotated, worn from turning the pages, and well-loved. So naturally, coming into Elana and Brandy’s workshop, I was well prepared for the level of inspiration I was about to receive from both best-selling authors. What I wasn’t prepared for? The amount of brand new writer’s knowledge I walked away with, ready to be added to an arsenal of fresh tools.
For a gal like me who despises math, I found myself loving it during Digital Workshop #5! Elana and Brandy introduced the concept, “Revision Math,” including addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of the revision process. “Revision is a lot like analyzing; writing is the craft of playing…” says Elana. Revision is, “why did I do this?” and, “how can I make it better?”
Brandy on addition versus subtraction: “You want every part of your book to serve the story. Nothing should be filler. Look for specific instances that you think can enrich the scene. Anything that you think can enhance it.”
When it comes to adding, the authors encourage us not to be afraid of “trying too much.” Brandy encourages the audiences to experiment with adding a community of characters, building empathy, and a feeling for strangers. Sometimes we are afraid of adding characters who don’t stay for the entirety of our novel. “Community becomes a character,” says Elana. “They are like the Greek Chorus.”
Last week with Kendra Levin, we spent time discussing how anxiety impacts our creative lives. It was a fitting note to end on, having Lin ask each author about how anxiety affects their own writing. Elena K. Arnold even admits to having what she calls her "anxiety chair" (helpful tip!) where she talks to her anxiety — “Yes you are a part of me. When I want my character to feel anxiety, I will give you the keyboard.”
*Hey, Alexa: Please search ‘anxiety chair’ on Amazon*
Until next week ~
Your Children's Book loving, SCBWI Admin Assistant
Avery Silverberg
Follow me on Bookstagram for YA/MG Book Reviews @a.very.fast.reader
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