![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_tWV6suYpSDWfum6nT6cvyCs0683QJ-hVMgO0gzqz1Mio4cL1WvClZ4WkTCSTeIeE0nZj3LTbkZME5eQIYZ3QAzlCAFkIxRlKMC8xi8olKfkWBVDY-UtaflOYs3Rxjjzg9U4dEMVDagJUCcNcu8aRccDW1nx89H4I-V87ZTK7n7fp0-Og=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_trFqElRDFaqZ5Tm_hHz2mpWU1_yV6s53DEn7K_g6i3NCPGnEC8YVFg4XdmbFeLcpZt8qiwaFz2utRYyhfrOeJpDDqfS_4ywzpN3COOQWVvgGiEerQ3WlD1ubpP3VHbXf8KI7Pev-GbpEnZP3ViI097sO1LVCjz5O4gMNSJo1voMdcfubmexwTyIs8WgHAFeawyIV9oq0zhK1IvQoEnBP-HOKaF9HlSzgN5=s0-d)
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_sp1ffhAuIYzmDNS3MHlKYg8-SgoKeD8kv0f7FEi6NbK870PDJSUdwFidfV80XwQ69qXkmJW6zPbqBY6KXuVXw5vr9R6jkuLE-_bHhA6pFvvIUuyjsgM2XUYyMhmHKeXZxegpEEgov_ltY-65sSg2oCtp81H6hNMHaJFFpeJYDQQbO9RQ=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_teSlEE3qz5octkj5QqpWYO9BtjT6po3hyvJnaNYVZ-EdLkA85m5_NiGy8p_J6Onn9pesaxoWteiHomCDrnpicppDKyX5P9fv51eAcsEzhC9DwL5UjYtRk5RgojuzeE-WtAIakmbFDJG7auJJDhs2Xpt2O4WBwtYuZvLzmJoABdVBSuhA=s0-d)
,
Marta Acosta![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_sL6rJfnoFlrmTeLDHLkbQuOIrllQBBge9ScHuaaV4wjmIJfohE_hM8Oolp8adtscJTysSbN7ljwrMW2xpQtASQFT649AUcp0WjM3AQUnze5A2UO4_WOhuqqeLuXWiAm-uJHSGjf27mIbJTHgqd_Xj5b6zTGL7kAEqXj4C4qL9PTo_q=s0-d)
,
David Michael Slater![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_ufanEqBYBor8QqUvS37g25dhMnfWmRRHiNRamfQ6T6V3W-58Y0xOEz56wzAYvgEQNaSRqz55uzk604E-nZHrpg4xduwPX3ldmT0rxFMkgRy8H4ycgSgwPw00GCMekR7qggC3H-X7Y0uuTyC4HRPkKQ1kRTx62kKqGemvuh1o30fstroA=s0-d)
,
Jonathan Maberry![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_tpqysz15mol_YxfbKZhrgE23Sa3CADA7edhjincHldDBO2DfDDwAOcp7C4iG-XeKNXm7g3jaWr13bAK8AXwmGE7jiHf_d0cdlIEJhlHvEdYHnbzlzLLz1nyH1iJoXcBE-fTCZaK_KQMZMd-pFZpw5Ank9nabW7_ZT8tSwDFGfaGM2mmQ=s0-d)
,
Janice Gable Bashman![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_tpqysz15mol_YxfbKZhrgE23Sa3CADA7edhjincHldDBO2DfDDwAOcp7C4iG-XeKNXm7g3jaWr13bAK8AXwmGE7jiHf_d0cdlIEJhlHvEdYHnbzlzLLz1nyH1iJoXcBE-fTCZaK_KQMZMd-pFZpw5Ank9nabW7_ZT8tSwDFGfaGM2mmQ=s0-d)
, and
Sophie Littlefield![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_v_GuYfF7IoYILdNtd5Mrs8KxEbYn1CbWrp-sjxBlXXnMLkkY3xYOeYchVOn3PWEtvKkECopzqCMKNT_Yj4O38s-6h3IlpKO8n1NjtNTBJilQiP50u1ttHqbQYmNKmHjXd6ZtvuJGN3MVZxzgZngOeuT3epH-ebENmgOytA7UaaU1uo=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_v_GuYfF7IoYILdNtd5Mrs8KxEbYn1CbWrp-sjxBlXXnMLkkY3xYOeYchVOn3PWEtvKkECopzqCMKNT_Yj4O38s-6h3IlpKO8n1NjtNTBJilQiP50u1ttHqbQYmNKmHjXd6ZtvuJGN3MVZxzgZngOeuT3epH-ebENmgOytA7UaaU1uo=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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