 Day Forty-Eight, and An Inspiring Analogy from Kristan HigginsPosted by Elisa Beatty Feb 26 2011, 3:00 am Personally, I read mostly Regency, but in the past year I’ve been happily lured into the contemporary world by the funny, warm-hearted books of Kristan Higgins (got one of her books from an RWA Nationals luncheon giveaway, got hooked by the first paragraph, and have since bought her entire backlist!) On Facebook recently, she posted about how she LOVES the process of taking the “hot mess” of a draft and “turning it into a real book.” (Wow…she LOVES that part? She’s totally my hero.) In an interview in the latest issue of RWR, she made a really nice analogy for thinking about revision: “I think without revision, most authors wouldn’t be published. To me, this is when the manuscript becomes a book—and a book that I really love! It’s sort of like building a house. The first draft is the foundation and frame, the wires and plumbing. Revisions are when the house becomes a home: the paint, the furnishing, the pictures on the wall…a place you’d really want to spend some time.” We hope you’ve made some great progress on your latest “house” during the Winter Writing Festival, but it’s not time to put the tools away! Get out those hammers and nails, people, or those kitchen curtains and throw rugs, and keep working till you’ve made it a home! 7 Responses to “Day Forty-Eight, and An Inspiring Analogy from Kristan Higgins”Leave a Reply |
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I used to work as a seamstress and more than making a dress from scratch, I loved doing alterations. My card said “Alterations a specialty.” Taking something that is already formed but needed to be transformed was energizing. That’s what revision is like for me and thanks to this writing festival my inner writing seamstress has found a lot of joy.
: )
Another fabulous analogy, Michal!!
And another thing you and I have in common…sort of. I’m descended from a long line of seamstresses (my great-grandmother was a wedding dress maker, and my sister Eileen–who’s been taking part in this Festival!–has an MFA in theatrical costume design, and made *my* wedding dress).
The serious sewing gene skipped me, unfortunately…all I’m good for is homemade Halloween costumes and get-ups for the church Epiphany play.
But I do understand the pleasure of working something in your hands and re-forming it into exactly what you want If only my current WIP were a tangible thing, and I could mold and shape it physically!!! As a computer file, it’s driving me nuts!
(Hmm, maybe this means I need to write plot points out on note cards, so I can at least shuffle them around with my hands. I did take an educational test once that identified me as a ‘tactile learner,” which means I process information best when I can touch it. There may be something to that for me as a writer! Thanks for the thought!)
How cool, me too. My grandmother and aunt used to work as seamstresses in a factory. One of the best compliments I ever got was from them on a lining I had done. : )
And I know what you mean about being a tactile learner. Anything that involved “hands on” experience, was a snap for me. Woodworking, playing an instrument, sewing, typing too.
Love the analogy, Elisa! It’s great inspiration–thanks for sharing.
Nice seeing you in the sprints this morning!
I. LOVE. KRISTAN. HIGGINS. She is by far, my favorite of all favorites. This made me so stinking happy!!
So glad, Tia! Now that I’ve devoured the backlist, I’m having to wait with her other fans for the NEW book to come out! But I know I’ll be grinning ear to ear once I have it in my hands!