![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_t7lDrglzf67pZZd_fT1j3P51DGm2siTf7YkFTse0OxHCz1OyKarQMFegS30slPIJDBaZ5DzTGSsrIahpOhUu0QPyqViiox7KhO15svIrTKo7DvqBXFQOTDeGMPU9_YDFKWRSr_lBQHqnn7fnXlm8hNlUdZ4gtLGnXxkuqr1cnmXo3cGw=s0-d)
I received suggestions from another critique partner (thanks, Kim!), and now I'm back to revisions for the rest of the calendar year. I feel like this stage resembles the challenges of assembling a jigsaw puzzle: scenes that I thought belonged in one place turn out fitting better in another, pieces of the story that I didn't even know existed show up, and some characters fit better when I view them another way.
I'll primarily be tackling character adjustments with my edits. I worked on my ghost over the summer after he wasn't quite working right, and I think I've strengthened him as a character, but other folks now need some tweaking. However, as daunting as the revision process seems when first starting out, I always find a
tremendous sense of satisfaction when everything falls into place.
I've been debating altering my working title (
Blackbirds), because it's currently too subtle. I have another, longer one in mind, although my agent mentioned that sticking to one-word titles seems to be the preference of editors of young adult fiction. What I think I'll do is increase the significance of blackbirds in the novel to keep my original title as a running candidate and see how I feel once I'm ready to submit.
![Banished](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_u_rw9ItdTPstcgn5gAGldodoU9sKs9NbbmSH9xopJfi6wleYBs7Vke2JJhq4Xi4cRfhUGuIvkjbr9P3KrEljfSmZi90CRq1D_CJHPOF-QNINJljqrNaV6p1pO3tG3dbZAmqrvVw5y5lknIx9oAIYtTWZPB9_QyvKbDK5RiORe77UNFFvVgcqjozV5WrjttMKvmKZ5A5ZtWzID-GiOPV_jEurH9zEkVIvbY=s0-d)
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vB3pMVY6QHDQ4CPnwbt7NUKSmmU5NtODgvGbGaFc_4V_yyDCyj7XuXMqN_oIzJRFumZSF-dHn77OoLqomJjZQ3J0zAJg84HgcGHI-t3klZH5KMAkzIKrcGoiR-YKM4gF__0TB1TXbE5c67O2q65ofWwoTKF_LaQ7ymiVp3-UD1s87WDA=s0-d)
In addition to hunkering down with revisions, I'm busy interviewing guests over at
Suburban Vampire. This week I chatted with novelist
Denise Verrico and
Vampire Mob creator
Joe Wilson. In the coming weeks, I'll be hosting
Jasper Kent![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_skKtzPiDk7RDPRgLT7ApF72s6bdh32oJ-nLe9oiZCnjv3pYJGpxcCWNVa8U6wHZX-m-gu78M4V7dy9cKRFgfU8aa5mE8Pukf1FuxNX_FFSFE1czxmAt_nvYPYl1DfJFeBadOTgVrUqh_OcYYN0R5Vkpw3i35UU5Wa97dHZcxb3d7rS8w=s0-d)
,
Marta Acosta![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_tv6pcQoAgfbiem5RLlhiyYdYeXaCd6RSFYvEUke4Vwj94Ksc5a-FZ7--IBYNxt7sQr4ygvdayFcH8C3QFtQkiKxbxlrF-ArXQ2B0lDKeNViub9suX9TYkKrGOyf7nGhlnpabHMoYU3AtPSn9kbt8rKOrMRsvgcoHJtT8bXN-yZpo7m=s0-d)
,
David Michael Slater![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_uD8qyT6cty_sXAVx5GbC2xLLIgey_8xkLXbq_SGmQ7nwUtoRzRDhmy_bnRo6_RHRCLdOZA40cJDzLgdP6auZd2q_wfhl7IPMLfq9f1AGrQCT5keepaYAdZ4wff4yMAjlDWT2Kdzy7jhjTYNEPDBeGJ5cFzcgA8iJjfkdXf2Gcb7V_Hlg=s0-d)
,
Jonathan Maberry![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_sccn6KClnlvUp1aXfDXvwueBzCqiIGYCVU2Ob8YBEZMg4MOxCws22aoOHsX1XUF0sdti0pSZ_sqp4f9VEt09-avKh7oxSyEWpEcw5bd932YmZWxC_hd_iuL-khaKFE89YBhmSqNar7L-8emKCI5QqeiBkChh5DQJH1t466dxD74vafGQ=s0-d)
,
Janice Gable Bashman![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_sccn6KClnlvUp1aXfDXvwueBzCqiIGYCVU2Ob8YBEZMg4MOxCws22aoOHsX1XUF0sdti0pSZ_sqp4f9VEt09-avKh7oxSyEWpEcw5bd932YmZWxC_hd_iuL-khaKFE89YBhmSqNar7L-8emKCI5QqeiBkChh5DQJH1t466dxD74vafGQ=s0-d)
, and
Sophie Littlefield![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_uPhW0en7Bg3nWVQNseyqxXVKoNDc8TN92G0uxqa-CiNoKRD4QwZ68T_NH5SomJmK2_jPtCMFlsx9GdNjWEQhTZuI8zRgZB_cIlx6A_VYGipL2b4tPTRvpoPOkT6kSODl-JrXqWl2Mu4qVOP8Kii9S6eqvzRkN6eOz_djdMq7jmzfge=s0-d)
, the latter of whom shares my literary agent,
Barbara Poelle (and Sophie happens to be making her debut in young adult fiction with a novel called
Banished![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_uPhW0en7Bg3nWVQNseyqxXVKoNDc8TN92G0uxqa-CiNoKRD4QwZ68T_NH5SomJmK2_jPtCMFlsx9GdNjWEQhTZuI8zRgZB_cIlx6A_VYGipL2b4tPTRvpoPOkT6kSODl-JrXqWl2Mu4qVOP8Kii9S6eqvzRkN6eOz_djdMq7jmzfge=s0-d)
in October!). I'm also hosting several giveaways. Definitely visit.
4 comments:
Wow! You're really putting a lot of work into this ms!!! I bet it's already awesome--looking forward to seeing the final result.
Are you going to the SCBWI New York conference in January? If so, want to be roomies again? : )
Thanks, Ara! I have a mystery at the heart of this book, so I'm having to be extra cautious about how I present everything so I don't blow it. Kim guessed the ending too easily.
I'll probably have to skip New York this year so I can save up for the Historical Novel Society's conference in San Diego next June. Kim and I are tentatively planning to meet for the first time in person there. Even though we owned a publishing company together, we've never met!
Perhaps New York roomies again in 2012? I'd love to go back again. Wish I could make it this year!!
Bummer! But I totally understand. If my mom wasn't footing the bill, I wouldn't be going either. You're on for 2012!
That's so nice of Mom to foot the bill. Let me know how it goes this year!
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