Monday, October 11, 2010

Revision Letters: The Unkindest Paper Cut of All

Good Monday, yon bloggerland.

This week, I received two wonderful surprises from my publisher.

The first has to be the coolest part about this whole book deal so far: 
 I named him "Box-O-Books"

A giant box of Harper Collins books! 

When I saw it, I have to admit I went a little weak in the knees, and my heart went all twitterpated, and before I knew it, I was breaking up with Sam in favor of this new Box-o-lover. 

Sam claimed there was room in our house for both him and Box-o-books, but I reminded him we only have a Queen-sized bed.

And sometimes, Box-o-books likes to spread out.

I wouldn't want to cramp Box-o-books' style. 

For a few days, I was on cloud 11, (the lesser-known cousin of cloud 9) and I wondered if there was anything that could bring me back down to earth. 

Then I got this:
 Revision Letter

Just like Box-o-books, Revision Letter (otherwise known as the Helping me Evaluate and Learn Letter, or H-E-L-L) likes to spread out. To a whopping ten pages, single spaced. Inside the letter were ideas on character development, world building, and possible theories as to Kennedy's assassination. 

(At least, I'm pretty sure I saw reference to a "Magic Bullet" somewhere deep in H-E-L-L, like on page 9).

I think I also found the Lindbergh baby in there. 

Anyway, with Box-o-books and H-E-L-L sharing a bed, Sam is definitely on the couch. I would take the couch, but part of the revision process is to let H-E-L-L marinate and sink in, and the best way to do that is to sleep with it. 

Oh, wait. My editor said sleep on it. 

Okay. But when I wake up with paper cuts, I'm suing.

How was all y'all's weekend?

I got to be the guest blogger on Nathan Bransford's blog on Saturday. Click here to read it.

And now...

*dives into H-E-L-L*

36 comments:

  1. Great job on the guest post, but the HELL letter comes after they've accepted your book?

    There's so much I don't know.

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  2. Look at this as a learning experience! Diving into HELL will help you research your character and her motivations!

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  3. Great post, congratulations and good luck with HELL

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  4. Weaving a Tale- Oh yes. HELL can come at any time, especially with your editor. (I believe that's how they earned their name.)

    Lulabell- So true!

    Ken- Thanks! Everyone needs luck when dealing with HELL, right?

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  5. Brodi you know I love you! Good luck! You will do wonderfully with all those revisions I'm sure! I couldn't be more excited for you...nor for HELL but for the book. Which is giving you HELL...hmmmm....I am not wishing you harm!

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  6. I'm glad you're writing about the process, because there is so much about it all that writers are not familiar with. So good for you! Both for writing about it and diving into the HELL letter. You know the HELL letter just means your story is great, right?

    Can't wait for your book(s) and keep blogging. (Oh, and VERY cool about the book box.)

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  7. Aubrey- Thank you for not wishing me harm. It's only HELL; what could go wrong?

    Cherie- Receiving H-E-L-L definitely means my story is great. At least, that's what I tell myself as the tears fall on my pillow every night...

    I jest. It wasn't that bad.

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  8. am secretly in love w/your box-o-books...and not so secretly jealous. a new box of books would make me weak in the knees too. (that's kind of pitiful isn't it?)

    good luck w/the other stuff.

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  9. Yay for Box-O-Books! Sam doesn't even hold a candle to that box plus H-E-L-L. Sorry, Sam, I think you might have to resign yourself to the fact that you're going to become second best in Brodi's eyes now that she's all famous and successful!

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  10. Hopefully they send you packages like that with every revision letter. I mean thats only fair.

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  11. Dorien- Don't go crushin' on my man. He's taken. (Meaning, Box-o-books. You can crush on Sam all you want.)

    Jenni- Funny you should say that, because Sam is dressing up for Halloween as a "Second Fiddle".

    Debbie- It shall be written into the contract!

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  12. That box-o-books definitely helps heal the pain of the paper cuts from H-E-L-L, right? Good luck with all of that relationship juggling. I have a King size bed now (thank you RC willey clearance center!), so if I ever have that many bedmates, I still think I could squeeze my hubby in there. Maybe.

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  13. Sara- You could probably squeeze your hubby in with H-E-L-L because your H-E-L-L will be a lot shorter than mine. :)

    Not that size matters when it comes to H-E-L-L.

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  14. Wow, do you think Box-o-Love was to butter you up for the HELL letter? You know, soften the blow? Like taking you out to dinner right before he gives you the break up speech. Hmmm, did you do that with QM?

    My weekend was busy and why is it that I never get done what I wanted to, but I get other stuff done that wasn't what I prioritized as most important?

    Good luck with HELL this week!

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  15. I like how you get your box-o-books better than mine. Hubby cringes at how much I have spent whenever my box-o-books arrives. Hubby also refuses to share the bed with my other lovers. BOB is relegated to the living room - no one uses it anyway.

    Please work through HELL so that I can add your book to my BOB soon. Sending bandaids your way.

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  16. Una- Yes, I told QM I'd like to sow my wild oats (which means, get my questions for other sources) and he told me it wasn't him, it was me.

    We're in time out.

    Laura- I will most definitely get my HELL on so you can anticipate your BOB.

    (Okay, I think my blog is going to have to develop its own dictionary...)

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  17. You know, I'd definitely be happy to receive a HELL letter if it came with a BOB. Of course, just receiving the HELL letter would be good proof that I was being published, so I guess I'd be happy either way.

    Enjoy the briar patch and know we all wish we were there. :)

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  18. Wow, box-o-books! I just made a mental note to ask my (non-existent) agent to pitch to HarperCollins first.

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  19. What a fantastic acronym. It makes so much more sense than just the neutral sounding term "editor's letter."

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  20. Robin- BOB definitely makes HELL bearable.

    Ayosha- HarperCollins is the Man! (Not The Man as in "Stick it to The Man", but the Man as in "Send me a box-o-books" the Man.

    Okay, that makes no sense. Please don't let it keep you from commenting in the future.

    Nikki- Thanks. But I just found out that acronym can mean something else entirely...

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  21. No worries. I follow your blog now--any friend of Bree's is a friend of mine. :)

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  22. Awesome box o books you got there :)

    Good luck in HELL!

    :)

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  23. Awesome box-o-books, Enjoy reading all of them! We won't be seeing you for a while. Good thing Winter is close. Best wishes with HELL. Send your kidos over anytime.
    Your the best!

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  24. OMG, no one can resist a publishing fairy tale, and you're THE PRINCESS BRIDE. You dumped your Humperdinck of an agent for a Westley (is that uncharitable? Oh, well), and now you're bound by the laws of the blogdom to entertain the rest of us with all your ensuing adventures. For real.

    You put such a funny spin on stuff that I'm sure is quite groan-worthy. I'm a fangirl already.

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  25. Alyosha- Any friend of yours AND Bree's is... me, I guess.

    Emily- Thanks!

    Anne- Kid C will be right over. He's so excited for a sleepover.

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  26. Sylvia- Ha ha! Thanks. My agent is totally a Wesley, and every time he says, "As you wish," I know he means, "Could you please drop some of those unnecessary -ly adverbs?" Just like any good fairytale.

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  27. Um, wow. I want to sign a book deal just for the swag! Whatever you do, don't go pulling a Stephenie Meyer wherein your books become so wildly successful that they let you get away with "self-editing" the last book in your series (which is to say, NO EDITING AT ALL) and lead your readers down a sucktacular path to HELL.

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  28. Okay, so I totally spewed my milk when I read the Lindbergh baby part. ;)

    Good luck with H-E-L-L and hopefully Sam will forgive you. ;)

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  29. That has to be the most beautiful box I've ever seen. Good luck in HELL but I have a feeling you'll survive just fine :)

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  30. Sal- Thankfully, Sam doesn't even let me leave the house without being edited by someone.

    L.T.- Sam has to forgive me if he wants his half of the bed back.

    Jennifer- Thanks!

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  31. I love, love, love the acronym. Good luck with edits!

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  32. I did notice the other day the box of books in the middle of the floor and Sam in the corner. First your tennis guy and now a bunch of books. Poor Sam. Although, he may deserve it if he decides to paint the garage some horrible color just to bug me.

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  33. Leisha- thanks!

    Amy- If you really felt bad for Sam, you'd offer him your guest room. When should I send him over?

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  34. Thanks for sharing. I love hearing about revision letters and I have serious envy over Box-O-Books!

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  35. Chandler- Everyone should have their own Box-o-books. It should be a new cause! Let's put a Box-o-books in the arms of every reader.

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  36. Wow! Maybe you can let Sam sleep on HELL while you nuzzle BOB. You know, teamwork and all of that. Afterall, if he wants a space in your bed, he should earn it.

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