I'm not quite in Revision Hell. It's more like Revision Heck. I'm not loving this stage of creating a novel, but I'm dealing with it. I'm battling my impatience to just have the damn thing done already! and instead focusing on making sure it's the absolute best piece of work that I can make it.

I had the pleasure of attending a workshop by Eve Silver back in September, courtesy of my RWA chapter. She talked about plot and pacing in that workshop, which was invaluable. She also gave us a list of online resources to check out. One of the best so far is Holly Lisle's website.

Holly Lisle has a ton of free resources for authors of all levels, but especially ones just starting out. She has free online workshops, articles, and more. A workshop that stood out for me was the One Pass Revision.

I found the first steps of the process (identifying theme(s), writing a 25-word description of your story, and so on) very helpful. As a pantser, I didn't have these things planned out when I wrote TOPAZ. The story and theme just kind of naturally developed. But formally identifying that theme solidified the purpose of the story in my mind and gives me something to refer to as I revise.

What's my theme? Everyone Can Be A Hero

My story in 25 words or less: A woman who believes she's a useless freak becomes a hero and finds love and acceptance in the process.

Some of the other aspects of the workshop I'm having a little more trouble with, like revising only once. Maybe it takes practice, but I've revisited Chapter 1 a few times now. I'm getting a little sick of it. I've moved on through to Chapter 4, which I completed revising last night. Maybe. I'll need to have a look over it to be sure.

Happy writing!