I realize my blogging and commenting on your blogs has been a complete and total washout this week. Apologies passed out all around. Cookies too. Dark fudge and chunky chocolate chip. Mmmm. As you know my son is having tests done on his central nervous system with at least one more, probably many more scheduled. Please remember him, I will totally be in your debt! Now on to other things. I have been so absent minded lately, I can't remember if I announced the winner of my contest. Jessica Kennedy congratulations. Stay tuned, I'll be having another contest soon.

I know some of you are members of SCBWI and receive the Bulletin. The May/June issue has this Fantastic article in it called, Shut Up and Deal. It is written by David Goldschmidt. To summarize it is a Fantastic large scale revision technique. Why can't I ever think of this stuff? After your draft on your novel is completed, you step back and take a look at your work. Focus on flow,logic, continuity, relevance, and importance by chunking up your manuscript. A chunk is a group of chapters, a single chapter, a group of scenes, a single scene. Whatever you decide you want to go with. I'm doing single chapter. Look at these chunks as vital pieces of your story. Answer questions like,"What next?" "Why is it important?" Then you write one sentence that sums up the chunk. And it has to be a normal sentence. No run-ons, or semicolons are allowed. You write the sentence on an index card. Lay each card out and read them aloud. You will notice stuff you didn't notice before. Put a big red X on the cards where the sentence you read seems it doesn't belong in your story. You know that it has to come out. If it doesn't move your story, out it goes. I know it's hard to cut those lovely words you wrote, but it must be done. I always think every word I write is just so wonderful. But really, I hit the backspace key and then they are gone. The cards with the x are in the pile to be thrown out, for good. Read each card over and over, you can rewrite the sentences, too. By doing this, you notice the junk and you keep the story. The story you want to tell.

This is working for yours truly. Try it and see what you think. Anyone else have any great revision tricks, you'd like to share? Thanks for reading. :)