Anne Barton's Manuscript Makeover

Manuscript Makeovers
by Anne Barton
Don’t you just love TV shows featuring makeovers? I do. Give me a sloppy, pathetic “before” with the promise of a shiny, polished “after” and I’m hooked.

Today in Seekerville, we’re performing makeovers… of manuscripts. But, before you grab your makeup bag, allow me to share the humbling circumstances that led to my own makeover.

I began writing my first novel in the summer of 2006 and finished it in the fall. Just in time to enter it in the Golden Heart®. I know what you’re thinking: “She entered her raw, unpolished, un-critiqued manuscript in one of the toughest contests around?!” What can I say? I was young (*cough*) and naïve. I hadn’t found my way to Seekerville yet.
When I got my scores in the mail it was like seeing an 8x10, close up, unflattering photo of myself. Ouch. The project I had devoted so much time to and poured my heart into was… below average.

I loved writing romance too much to stop, but I thought … maybe I just don’t have what it takes. Maybe I should write for fun and give up my dream of becoming a published author.

What got me back on track was a really wonderful rejection letter. There was no getting around the fact it was a rejection, BUT the editor was exceedingly kind. (For that I am eternally grateful.) She gave me a laundry list of areas I needed to work on, BUT encouraged me to submit my next manuscript. I couldn’t give up!

And now – finally – I’m getting to the point of this post. That manuscript had issues. Major issues, like point of view slips, weak conflict, and back story dumps. But underneath all the red ink was writing that was… well, it wasn’t too bad.

My writing was suffering from a lot of little – and big – problems that hid its good qualities. I needed to tighten up a few areas (hey, don’t we all?) and let my hair down for certain scenes. I had to nip and *gulp* cut. My writing required polish, personality.
I shelved that first manuscript, but took two of its secondary characters (with whom I had really bonded) and made them the hero and heroine of my next story. They were complete opposites: she was a reclusive, almost-on-the-shelf heiress who had been stood up at her own engagement ball and had sworn off men. He was London’s most notorious rake and best friend to the man who had jilted her. I had so much fun pushing them together, pulling them apart, and watching them grow.

Having learned my lesson (by now I was a regular lurker at Seekerville and oh-so-much wiser!) I entered my new manuscript in a small, chapter contest to get feedback. When I got an e-mail from the contest coordinator a few months later, I figured it was bad news. To my complete and utter shock, however, MIDNIGHT PROMISES had finaled.

I entered the Golden Heart again in the fall of 2007, but this time I had a more realistic view of the odds. I thought of my entry as a lottery ticket. I put it in my back pocket, forgot about it, and kept on writing. And then the day came for RWA to notify finalists.

My phone rang. I still can’t believe it some days, but MIDNIGHT PROMISES is a Golden Heart finalist.

I’m not in any way qualified to give advice, but I’ll humbly offer some anyway. Don’t let bad contest scores discourage you. Don’t give up. The differences between entries with low or mediocre scores and those with high scores are often subtle. You can give your writing a makeover. And it won’t be as painful as you think.
I once heard a fitness trainer say, “There’s no such thing as ‘maintaining.’ You’re either getting better, or you’re getting worse.” I think that’s true of writing, too. We’ve always got to look for ways to dig deeper and add dimension to our writing. Having said that, I especially love the quick and easy fixes that have a big impact (think red lipstick and sunglasses on the way out the door).

So… I’m going to share a few of my favorite mini-fixes, and I hope you’ll be willing to share some of yours too.

1. Get rid of “that.” Go through your manuscript and pluck out the word “that” wherever you can. Your writing will flow more smoothly and just sound better. For example, change “I thought that I would find you here,” to “I thought I would find you here.” This also happens to be a pet peeve of some judges, so eliminating unnecessary “that’s” makes for a nice little face-lift.

2. Break up long narrative passages with dialogue. Wearing all black is fine, but it works better if you brighten up the outfit with some colorful, well-chosen accessories, right? Add some “pop” to your long, descriptive passages by interspersing dialogue that shows rather than tells. This will move your scene along and keep the reader engaged with your characters.

3. Cut backstory. We all have to go under the knife sometimes. Take a hard look at those early chapters and remove all the background information you can without detracting from the action or the plot. I’ve cut chapters I loved because they weren’t the right starting point for the story. It can be painful, but you’ll feel so much lighter afterwards!

It’s easy for us writers to get down on ourselves and our writing. A disappointing contest score or rejection letter feels worse than a bad hair day, but it doesn’t mean we don’t have what it takes. (Case in point, did you catch the double negative in that last sentence? Yikes!) Your writing, your voice, just needs a chance to shine. Nurture it, pamper it, send it to the spa… and get ready for your close-up!

I want to hear from you in Seekerville!
· What tips do you have for making over manuscripts (or anything else for that matter)?
· Do you have makeover story to inspire us?
· What kind of hair day are you having right now? J
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Anne Barton is attending RWA Nationals (her first writing conference ever) in San Francisco in a few days. If you see her, please say hi because she fully expects to be overwhelmed and would love to see a familiar, friendly face. She’s truly grateful to the Seekers for having her here today and for helping her survive on Unpubbed Island. Visit her at http://www.annebarton.com/ or http://annebarton.blogspot.com/