About a week later, I came up with a way to make the edits less terrifying (if that's even possible). I created a map key. You know those little "keys" you learn about in elementary school that mark designated spots on maps? Like this:
Yep. Except mine went a little something like this:
A triangle = easy
A square = medium
A star = holy sh**balls (Not kidding. That's what I put for the BIG changes. haha)
I put these symbols next to each bullet point, essentially giving it a sort of rating, and started with the easiest. So as I went throughout the manuscript, I would then put a line through that bullet point and move on. Let me tell you, it feels amazing watching that list dwindle line by line. It gives you a visual of what you've completed, which helped me feel a bit more accomplished.
Having some kind of order to the madness made the edits less complicated and I didn't fall apart while doing them. I think little things like this are great tools to keep yourself focused. As writers, we have to find an easier way to accomplish our goals somehow, because there are just so many things about what we do that are hard enough as it is. And this was one of those things that made all the difference. So next time you have big revisions to tackle, I highly recommend trying this method. You'll be amazed how well it works. Cheers!
Heather Marie is a YA writer who loves all things creepy. She enjoys writing horror/supernatural stories that make you question that feeling of someone watching over your shoulder. Heather spends most of her days reading and writing and plotting her next idea. When she's not in her writing cave, she enjoys watching creepy TV shows with her husband and picking apart plot holes in movies.
You can find her on Twitter @: http://twitter.com/HeatherMarieYA And visit her website @: http://heatherxmarie.blogspot.com/
