Hello Fellow Writers,
I am in the middle of a middle-grade novel revision. I'm sitting at my desk, ready to revise, when I noticed all the things I have on my desk to support this revision process, and I thought it might be helpful to those of you revising a novel, too.
Here's the list, and then I'll break it down for you on how I use each item and why it helps me revise.
Items:
- The Emotion Thesaurus
- Notebook with my notes on Greasy Side Up
- Save the Cat! Writes a Novel
- The Plot Whisperer Workbook
- The Stanislavski System Book
- The Books I use for inspiration
- CB Slanguage Book
- Chapter Outline
- Character Notes
- Chapter Summary
- Save the Cat Outline
- Photos of my Characters and Items in the Book
- A map of the town / Map of the US
- A note from an agent about this book and what he likes
- Word Count Break Down
- The Hero's Journey 12 Steps
- Random Notes from dreams and ah-ha moments
- Chocolate, Water, Chips, Coffee, etc...
As you can see, I like to have a lot of items around me while I'm writing and revising. I keep them close so I don't waste time searching for them. In fact, I have a basket that all these items sit in when I'm working on other projects. That way, I know where everything is and can bring it all with me if I need to meet up with other writers or just go write outside for a bit.
Let's start with the books I use that help me outline and keep me on task with the organization.
Save The Cat! Writes a Novel & The Plot Whisperer
These two books have so much great information inside them that you, as a writer, must have these in your collection. They are wonderful for organizing your thoughts and your plots. I use them when I am stuck outlining the whole book or a chapter.
Save the Cat! Writes a Novel breaks down the 15 beats of a novel so precisely that anyone could write a novel just following these beats alone. I used the 15 beats and created an outline for my novel, noting the chapters, word count, and quick scene notes.
I use a word count calculator and the Beat Sheet to better understand where my beats need to be for each genre I write. MG is typically 50,000 words or less - see the Beat Sheet for that word count.
The Emotion Thesaurus
The Hero's Journey
When writing any fiction, it is helpful to understand the Hero's Journey and the typical steps all movies and books take to complete the cycle. Most humans traverse the Hero's Journey at least once in their lifetime.
It's that time when you feel you have to leave - make your break away - and you do, only to find that the world out there isn't really all that different than the world inside of you....and you learn some tough lessons and eventually, when you've learned enough, you come back home a changed person. Then the final ah-ha is when you realize you never had to leave to begin with - you could've learned the lesson an easier way...but you were immature and followed the path most humans follow to grow in their understanding of self and others.
This is why most movies and books follow the same 12-point setup. Humans understand this journey because we keep making it over and over again.
Reference Books Specifically for my MG
Also, if you are using anything that is not typical of today's communication like I am in Greasty Side Up - CB language/slanguage. It helps to have those dictionaries or reference books nearby to keep your book true to its unique voice.
Maps | Town Map
If you are creating a new place or world - you must create a map, or you will have your characters floating around out there in the middle of the ocean or flying off without any gravity.
It does not matter if the town is real or made up - you need a map. You need a map just to know where your character is living, going, and or running away from so you can describe it to your readers.
Make a map and then keep it next to you while writing so you can track where your characters are in the book. Someone might be at home while another character is on the streets - you should not waste time figuring out where they are - a map helps.
Inspiration
I have notes from an agent and other writers who have read parts of Greasy Side Up. I keep those positive things near my writing desk, so when I get stuck, I glance at them and smile a little.
Writers need inspiration. It is too easy to leave a difficult chapter to finish the laundry, run errands, focus on other work, or watch TV. Keeping a little happiness and encouragement near you will help.
The Stanislavski System
This is a new book that I added to my references, even though long ago, in a town far, far away, I was once an actor and was taught the Stanislavski method. I had forgotten all about it until an agent at the North Carolina SCBWI conference said we writers should read it.
I bought it the next night, and she's right - we should have this book on our desks for reference. It helps you - the writer - become the character by coaching you on how to be an actor. Which is really teaching you how to impersonate your characters fully and with vitality.
It's not a must-have - like some other references I use. But, if you have some extra money, it's worth the buy and read.
Photo References
Notes about Greasy Side Up
I keep all my notes, dreams, and scraps of mini thoughts in a box according to the book they reference. Sometimes I am awakened in the middle of the night with a thought about my main character and what she is feeling or what she will do or say. I write those down on my phone under notes for Greasy - and then print them. 
Printing my odd and random notes helps me see their similarities or some sort of flow. I follow it and see where it might take me.
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There you have it - that's the stuff on my desk when writing a novel. I hope some of this will help you with your references and/or your organization. Now, I'm curious about the stuff on your desk.
Until next time...
Write~on
Angie
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