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Jenny Perinovic

young adult author

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February 19, 2014 · 0

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@jennyperinovic

Curious about what revision looks like at the page

Curious about what revision looks like at the page level? Here's a quick snap of the comparison between the last draft of my first act and the current version. It's kind of staggering to see the pages all marked up this way, ESPECIALLY since I told myself Act I had minimal changes. And compared to Acts II, III, and IV, well...it DID have minimal changes. You can see here that a few pages even made it through unscathed, which I'm 100% sure is not the case for the rest of the book.

🥀

Whether undertaking a big revision (I'd classify my current work as a BIG revision) or a smaller, more targeted one, it's important to go in with a clear head and a willingness to let go of things (be they characters, POVs, scenes, plotlines) that don't serve the CURRENT version of the story you're trying to tell. Cutting is HARD. Rewriting is HARD. But we revise to get closer to the heart of our stories, to force ourselves to stretch and grow as writers and to put forward the absolute BEST versions of our books possible. We can't do that unless we're willing to take a step back and look at our words as objectively as possible. Every scene, every paragraph, every sentence has to earn its place in a revision.

🥀

So. Do I have advice? You betcha. If you, like me, are staring down the barrel of a revision, don't panic! Take a deep breath and remember:
1) You've got this.
2) First/Second/Third/Tenth drafts exist to be improved upon.
3) Being precious about an element that doesn't serve the story won't help in the long run
4) Be open to change, even if it seems daunting, even if you don't think you can pull it off.
5) You can pull it off.

🥀

Anyone have any writing questions? Leave a comment - I'll try to answer as many as I can!

🥀

#writersofinstagram #writingcommunity #amrevising #revisiontips #revisionadvice #revisions #amwriting #amwritingya #writingadvice #writingtips #yawriter #yafantasy #writingencouragement #writingmotivation #writermom #writerlife

I'm 41k into this revision, and I feel like that n

I'm 41k into this revision, and I feel like that needs to be celebrated. So here's a snippet 🥀

#amwritingya #yaauthors #authorsofig #amrevising #historicalfantasy #yafantasywriter #writingcommunity #writingsnippets #writinglife

As I work through these revisions, I find myself g

As I work through these revisions, I find myself going back to the source material again and again. I love writing retellings, to be able to take tropes and characters we love and to breath new life into them, to twist them and shape them into something fresh and new and unique.

🥀

I recently finished SPINNING SILVER and it was a master class in retellings. I walked away feeling so inspired and ready to tackle the world. What are some of your favorite retellings??

#amrevising #amwritingya #yafantasy #retelling #writingcommunity #writersofig #writersofinstagram #revisions #writerfriends

Let's talk about VOICE. 🥀 Yesterday, I had a

Let's talk about VOICE.

🥀

Yesterday, I had a conversation with my agent-sister @authorteaganoliviasturmer about originality, and one of the things that we discussed was the realization that makes us stand out isn't WHAT the story is, but HOW it's told. Our voices make our stories special--and each one of us has a different voice shaped by our unique lives. No two authors can tell the exact same story the exact same way. As long as you lean into YOUR experiences and tell your stories with your authentic voice, you'll shine. BLOOD LIKE ROSES is a retelling of the Beauty and the Beast, but it is MY retelling, shaped my so many factors: my identity, my experiences, and the things that I love all combined.

🥀

I think, especially when we are just starting out, we tend to mimic the voices of authors we love. I know that *I* did. That's natural, and voice is one of those weird nebulous things that everyone talks about but no one can really define. It's HARD to find your voice. So start small. Start by thinking about the things you love. Think about the things you've experienced, endured, survived. Think about the moments that made you laugh so hard you cried, and the moments that brought you low. Think about the places that feel like home and the places that make your skin crawl. No one walks through the world the way you do, and all of that--all of THIS--is what helps shape and develop your voice.

🥀

Write bravely. Write confidently. And most of all, write authentically. You've got this - no one else can tell your story quite the way that you can.

🥀

#amwriting #writingadvice #writingencouragment #amrevising #writingvoice #writeradvice #writingya #yaauthorsofig #writersofig #writersofinstagram #writingcommunity #writermom #writinglife #writing

Happy Monday! It's a new week and I'm feeling opti

Happy Monday! It's a new week and I'm feeling optimistic. This week, I'll be working on getting another revision of BLOOD LIKE ROSES ready for my agent. I want to make it through Act II, but this section of the book needs extensive rewriting, so as long as I'm making forward progress I'll be happy.

💗

I'm so happy with how the book is shaping up. It's closer to how I originally dreamed up Lore's story all of those years ago when we were in Germany, and I feel like every revision helps me stretch and grow as a writer. Maybe that's why I love revising so much?? It feels like another chance to get it right.

💗

What are your goals this week, friends?

New plant babies. When anxious, the answer is more

New plant babies. When anxious, the answer is more plants, right? Especially when revising a book about plant magic, right? Right.

🪴

#plantladylife #writersoﬁg #amrevising #amwritingya

Some days call for a new notebook (or three). How'

Some days call for a new notebook (or three). How's your Wednesday treating you, friends? I haven't written much lately but I've been reading a bunch (I just finished SPINNING SILVER and I am most of the way through ADDIE LARUE) and I am practically itching to get back to the blank page.

🏵️

#amdrafting #amwriting #amrevising #amreading #writersoﬁg #writingcommunity #writermom

I'm home from vacation and jumping on that "your b

I'm home from vacation and jumping on that "your book as a Netflix series" mockup bandwagon that's going around Twitter instead of writing (I'm telling myself it counts as THINKING about writing). Enjoy this totally fake peek into my WIP, THESE RADICAL HEARTS.

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