Meg's Diary

Revisions vs. Fairies

UGH! I am in the middle of revisions. Seriously, I hate revisions more than any other part of the writing process.

Some writers like revisions. I don’t understand why. All revising is is being told you have to change something that you thought was perfectly fine just the way it was!

I’ve actually heard that some authors refuse to change anything they wrote, thinking every word they’ve written is a tiny precious jewel. I don’t agree with this, because there is ALWAYS room for improvement (unless you’re Harper Lee).

But that doesn’t mean I don’t hate revising (or think editors are always right, either).

A very great editor once said, “The editorial process is basically just quarrelling with authors” (or something like that). This is so, so true. To me, the revision process is a lot like being on Judge Judy. Authors, you better have your arguments ready about why you don’t think you should have to change something (and also be ready to be flexible in case you’re proved wrong). Editors, you better have GOOD reasons to back up why something needs to be changed, not just “This doesn’t work for me.”


Judge Judy does not approve of “Every word I write is a precious jewel” and “This doesn’t work for me.”

The only good part about the revision process is that in the end–if BOTH author and editor do their jobs–you always end up with an even more kickass book.

But that doesn’t mean it isn’t a ton of work for everyone involved!

Meanwhile, I really have to get this thing done because a) it’s due, and b) I need to get started on my next book because I’m participating in NaNoWriMo this year, and I don’t want some revision hanging over my head while I try to finish my new book.

In case you’re wondering, the book I’m revising right now is Being Nikki. I love it—I just don’t love doing revisions.

By the way, they’ve already posted the Being Nikki cover and synopsis on Amazon, so here you go:

Things aren’t pretty for Emerson Watts.

Em was sure there couldn’t be anything worse than being a brainiac trapped in the body of a teenaged supermodel.

But it turned out she was wrong. Because that supermodel could turn out to have a mother who’s gone mysteriously missing, a brother who’s shown up on her doorstep demanding answers, a former best friend who’s intent on destroying Stark Enterprises to avenge the death of his lost love, and a British heartthrob who’s written a song about her that’s topping the charts.

How can Em balance all that with school, runway shows, and weekend jaunts to St. John – especially when she’s got ex-boyfriends crawling out of the woodwork who want more than just a photo op; a sister who is headed to the high school cheerleading championships; a company she represents that seems to be turning to the dark side…not to mention trying to convince the love of her life that models aren’t really airheads after all…especially one model in particular.

But then, nobody said it was going to be easy being Nikki.

So…yeah.

While researching Nikki, I stumbled across these priceless gems…check them out:

A book trailer for Allie Finkle’s Rule For Girls: Moving Day that they came and filmed at my house, and that I totally forgot about (check out my hair. WHAT WAS I THINKING????), as well as some funny interviews about the writing process I don’t even remember doing (again…WHAT WAS WITH MY HAIR???).

In times like these, when you are deep in revisions, and videos of yourself you don’t remember doing start popping up on the Internet (no, Mom, not THOSE kind of videos), you can only THANK GOD that The Office‘s Kelly Kapoor, aka Mindy Kaling has started updating her blog again. By the way, she moved it, so it’s here now, and also she has her own little web show, which is here.

The reason I need Mindy is because without her guidance I buy stupid, stupid things, such as this dress I bought three weeks ago and which Blair turned out to be wearing in this week’s episode of Gossip Girl in the scene in the bar where she and Chuck argued over who should say I Love You first.
Now I own a dress a seventeen year old was wearing on a popular TV show on the CW, and every time I wear it people are going to think I ran out and bought it because I am a fan of Blair Waldorf…which of course I am, but not THAT big of a fan!

And okay it’s a hot dress. But worth everyone thinking I bought it to look like Blair??? I don’t know.

The thing is, it’s not exactly a fairy dress…and I still have to get my fairy outfit for the Scare-A-Thon Dare by author Lauren Myracle!

I need Mindy’s help with my Halloween costume! I’m worried because all the fairy outfits I’ve seen are so scary! Honestly, am I really supposed to go out in public like this?

Or this?

Or what about this???

And what is up with this????

AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!

Help! I really hope I can come up with something (and get over my fear) by tomorrow, or I’ll be in BIG TROUBLE!

The worst thing about my being scared of fairies (besides the everlasting popularity of fairy books, some of which are actually good, I’ll admit…but fairies still scare me) is that fairies are my nieces’ FAVORITE thing right now. In fact, my youngest niece is having tubes put in her ears (I know, poor thing) next week and I want to get her a really great fairy book with LOTS of pictures as a treat (not Tinkerbell though—she has plenty of Tinkerbell). The pictures are vital since she isn’t old enough to read.

So does anyone have a suggestion of a great illustrated fairy book? Since I know nothing about fairies? Please help! *Added later*: The book should be appropriate for a THREE/FOUR YEAR OLD.


Riley (on the right) with her big sister Maddie. I gave Riley that fairy costume even though buying it scared me.

GAH! OK…which is worse, revisions or fairies? I actually can’t decide which scares me more….

More later.

Much love,

Meg

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