1. I am way too attached to dialogue tags and particularly to the word, “says.”
2. When I draft, it’s bare bones. When I revise, I add a LOT. I’m sure a lot of writers are like this, but I always hear of drafts being LONG and when revising they need to cut. I’m the exact opposite.
RANDOM: Each draft I revised, the word count went up 10k words.
3. When I thought my book was done in May, I didn’t realize that it was too plot heavy. I had a book that had a plot and I stuck characters in there to move the plot forward. What I realized in revising is that the book needs to be about characters reacting to the plot. It’s all about the characters.
4. All characters have to have motivations and backstories that justify their reactions. Most of the time, those backstories aren’t mentioned, but if you as the author know them, writing them is more natural and the reader understands without even knowing.
5. You’re never really done. I thought I was done, and find myself re-writing two chapters today. I know that one day I just have to BE done, but I’ve learned a big difference between copywriting and novel writing. I can feel done when I complete a copywriting project and I have yet to feel done while novel writing. There is always room for improvement.
Destiny Cole 