WIP Update: the Gameplan

First off, I'd like to begin with an apology. It turns out that last week's Story Day story had already been posted. *facepalm* Turns out when you don't check things off as done, you may accidentally reuse them. XD As a result, at the end of this post I'll be giving you guys a short snippet from a story related to A Tale of Two Brothers, one that I hope to publish here in the Short Stories section once I finish it. ;)

Okie dokie, now to the fun stuff!

Break's Over!

ATOTB has been on hold since January. I've done my best to not even open the document, although I have dug through it from time to time to find a snippet for y'all. Otherwise it's been untouched.

And oy, is it a mess.

See, something that I love about taking a step back from your first draft for a few months is how much clearer your eyesight is when you return. Suddenly you can see all the mistakes that you made in the draft that, a few months ago, you thought was nearly spotless - the best thing you've ever written! Taking a break allows you a measure of emotional distance that's really important, as well. You come back ready to be ruthless with what needs to be cut instead of sobbing into your pillow about every typo. :P

It has its drawbacks, though. You run the risk of losing interest in your story altogether and abandoning it to the depths of your computer files while you run off to write something new and fresh and exciting, forgetting that your story could be made into something great if you'll only give it the time and attention it needs.

Long story short, I found myself dealing with both sides of the coin as I returned to my novel. On the one hand, I was able to compile a list of everything I needed to fix really easily and simply (more on that later), which made me quite happy. On the other, I went to make that list kinda grudgingly, not really sure of ATOTB was worth the effort of polishing up.

I suppose we'll find out. ;)

Story Embers Riveting Revisions Summit

For those of you who missed the exciting news in my newsletter, I had the immense privilege of joining Story Ember's 2023 summit on Riveting Revisions. It's the most money I've ever spent on my writing, and also the best-invested. (Guys, the Premium ticket is the way to go, I tell you. XD) I learned so much out of that summit, took dozens of notes, got my first chapter critiqued by an amazing critique group who helped me out so much, and overall grew exponentially in my writing. That's not even mentioning that I got to spend an entire weekend with a writing friend which was fantastic. And then meet another writing friend on the last day and hang out with two writing friends in person. I'm still pumped about that. XD

Aherm. That tangent aside, the point is that the SE summit was what really got me started on this editing thing. I missed the whole first day, but because of the wonders of the Premium ticket, I'm able to access the recordings from the sessions for as long as the internet is available and I am still living. Which means that last weekend I got to sit down and watch a session on creating a gameplan for your story.

The Gameplan

Now, I'm not going to spoil all of it for you. After all, I had to pay to get this information and it's really only fair if you do, too. But I will say that it has changed my editing drastically - so much so that I can see benefits one week into going through the process.

As I mentioned above, I made a list of everything in my story that I knew was going to need to be fixed, then organized those into biggest-to-smallest categories (in regards to the impact of the story, not the one that needs the most work - the summit session goes into more detail about that that's really helpful).

Behold:

And there's more that I haven't written down yet that I found while working on those issues.

Yeah.

The Conclusion

ATOTB has a loooong way to go before it becomes something I feel like I can be proud of. But that's part of the fun of it. Editing this new way has become a pleasure, oddly enough. I've been able to brainstorm new plots, subplots, and roles (guys you are going to love this subplot I'm coming up with... >:)). I'm personality typing my main characters (guess what type Anah is?). I bought a whiteboard to scribble ideas on because why not (highly recommended, by the way - it's fantastic when you can't stand the sight of a screen for a minute longer XD).

*crosses arms and surveys work* So yeah. I guess that's about where I'm at right now. Gilead is still being a pain in the neck, though. *glares at him*

Anyway! To your snippet. :) (Forgive the roughness... it's a first draft in the truest sense of the words. 😬)

The Last & the Lost - Teaser Snippet

It only takes one moment to forever change your life. One moment of victory; one of utter defeat. One of mercy; one of bloodthirsty revenge. One of life; one of death.

My moment came the first time I was sent into the thick of battle to tend to wounded warriors on the field. I was only eighteen at the time, the daughter of one of the generals. I had been studying the art of medicine for years in order to join my father on the field and save as many as I could. Blood had never bothered me. Yet even the worst wounds at home could not compare to the things I had to mend on the field. I will not describe the horrors to you.

I vividly remember the face of the first warrior my senior healer found. She bent over him with her satchel of herbs, a bandage already in hand to wrap his wounded face.

His eye was gone.

I remember standing in the midst of the shouts and screams and clashing of weapons, staring at that bloody hole where an eye should have been. The poor boy couldn’t have been much older than I was, yet he suffered so much more. Even my senior healer’s orders couldn’t tear me from my frozen state.

That boy died that day. We couldn’t save him.

That was the battle where I learned that any life, no matter how young or worthy, could be taken in a mere breath, no matter the amount of medicine. I learned that no one was safe. I learned to live each moment like it might be my last - or the last the gods allowed me to spend with my loved ones.

From that day on I learned to steel my nerves against what my eyes saw - to detach myself from emotion completely so I could serve the brave warriors who were fighting for our Zoarish empire. I learned how to leave dying men to death’s claws because of the colors they wore, how to defend against a stray blade or crazed warrior, how to be the last comforting thing warriors saw as they passed into the next life.

It scarred me.

But I helped.

Every night, just before bed, my da would retire from his duties and spend a few minutes with me beneath the moon, each of us soaking up the other’s presence before another long, tiresome day. Sometimes we would talk of home, sometimes of war, sometimes of the gods. Sometimes we’d just sit in silence. But every night ended with his arms around me, holding me close, murmuring that he loved me into my hair.

If battle came in the morning, I never knew if he was alive or dead until that night.

But I was a warrior’s daughter, a Zoarish maiden of the noblest bloodline. I would not let my fears of his death sway me from my duty.

---

What does your editing process look like? Where is your first draft out? What is Anah's personality type? Should I have edited The Last & the Lost more before sharing it? (Hint: ABSOLUTELY) What was one of your funniest typos?

Until next time,

Take courage, pursue Christ, and smile while you still have teeth!! ^_^

-Joelle