Revising a chapter that needs to be broken into two tripped me up more than I realized it would last week. I couldn’t figure out if I wanted to revise it on paper or in Scrivener and I spent more than a few days worrying out the process.
When I finally decided that for this section of revisions I wanted to do the work in Scrivener, I was able to get to work. I knew where the spilt needed to happen and I took a few days to really examine where more detail needed to be added in order for both chapters to be complete. The action here is really where we begin the end of Act 1 and launch into Act 2. I wanted to make sure the chapters have all the details the reader will need to make that transition well. I found that the pace of the scenes was way too fast and it didn’t give adequate time or detail to show how the main character and one of the main secondary characters react to what happens. This is something that is going to carry with them through the rest of the novel and the consequences of what happened is going to be felt at different times moving forward. I found that slowing down the pace and filling in those scenes created moments that were powerful and my characters really flourished in it. Once I’d finished those chapters, I took some time to contemplate my planner purchases for 2021-2022. The planners that I purchase release in April-May and run from July of one year to June of the next. Planners are one of the most valuable tools in achieving my goals and every April I take some serious time to consider what is working for me versus what is really challenging me in terms of my planners. I finally decided this week on what my system will be, and while it means walking away from the PowerSheets planner I was loving at the beginning of this year, I know the changes I’m making will help me streamline my planning and reach my goals much more efficiently.
This week I plan to really dig into my revisions. I’ve written about 6,500 new words in the story and I know I’ve got a long way to go. Actually, checking my word count, I realize I want to make this very short 38,000 word draft into a 70,000 word draft which means I’ve got about 32,000 more words to go. Oh. Stars. I know it will happen though, and that it is just a matter of how much time it takes to get there. That part of things is also tied into the changing of how I’m planning out my goals. Reflecting on the past few months since we adopted our second puppy and various other fairly big changes in life, I know I’m setting unrealistic word count goals for myself. I’ve got to get a better handle on that, especially as school for my girls is almost done for the year and summer vacation rapidly approaches. I want to make sure I am pushing myself to make progress on my goals, but I don’t want to either set myself up for frustration nor do I want to constrict my time with my girls. Evaluating my systems and evaluating my goals will allow me to set myself up for success moving forward. The sun is really beginning to shine and the promise of warm New Hampshire summer days is just around the corner. I plan to take full advantage of the weather to spend time with my family and expand upon my stories.
In case you haven’t been told today, you are more than enough.
Happy Writing!
Nikole Breault 
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