Jennifer J. Chow's Blog, page 21
July 8, 2019
Revisions Cave
“Efficiency is doing better what is already being done.”
Yes, folks, the revisions cave is real!
I’ve been in deep edits for my upcoming mystery novel the past couple of weeks because I received an editorial letter.
In the author-editor-agent panel I attended at the California Crime Writers Conference, Leslie Karst mentioned that she’s received an editor letter of eight to ten pages. Thankfully, my own spanned only two pages (single-spaced, though).
Her advice was to make sure to trust your editor. That’s exactly what I did! I tried to clarify things in my manuscript that were murky and took all my editor’s suggestions to heart.
In the process of going through developmental edits, I’ve figured out three helpful ideas:
Be a ghost on social media.
It’s too hard to try and wear all the different writing hats. This is the time to hunker down and dig into your manuscript.
Revise in chunks.
I couldn’t handle editing the entire manuscript in one stroke. My brain kept shutting down. My neighbor bakes when stressed, but at certain points, I knew my mind was too tired to even comprehend step-by-step instructions.
Aim for multiple rounds.
I went through the manuscript using three passes. The first time, I did all the edits within the manuscript (which included rewriting an entire scene). Then I looked at the overall issues; these were organized in the letter under different categories. Lastly, I read through the changed sections and polished them to ensure an even flow.
If you’re deep in the trenches, there is light out there somewhere! But for now, happy spelunking!
July 3, 2019
June 28, 2019
Foodie Friday: Jellyfish Salad
Jellyfish Salad: cold, marinated jellyfish appetizer
The jellyfish (look for the white strands) is mixed in with shredded carrots and cucumbers.Jellyfish is often the centerpiece in a cold appetizer dish. Nestled next to sliced meats, you’ll find long strands of milky white. Despite the similar appearance, jellyfish isn’t noodle-soft. Instead, it has a slippery and chewy texture.
On its own, jellyfish doesn’t have any flavor. It takes on whatever sauce it’s been marinated with; traditionally, these flavors include vinegar, sesame oil, and soy sauce. If you want to try it at home, here’s a recipe for jellyfish salad.
(Not so) Fun Fact: Please be very careful eating these. They’re quite stringy, and I almost choked on some during my own wedding banquet!
June 19, 2019
June 10, 2019
California Crime Writers Conference 2019
I had such a great time at this biennial crime writers’ conference! I’m still recovering from the immense load of information given to me, as well as from connecting my introvert self with multiple authors and editors.
Here are a few of the observations that stuck out to me from the event:
Use funny to deal with serious topics (like murder); and if you have something too mean for your main character to say, offload it to a sidekick. ;)
It’s common for agents to *not* meet their clients for years if there’s an east-west coast split; one attendee asked her agent to come to the conference to meet face-to-face for the first time after five years of working together.
When translating a book onto the screen, “developing” is a code word for lots of rewrites and notes for the adaptation.
After submitting a draft to the publisher, an editor letter can be between eight to ten pages, so… read it, cry, sleep, and fix it all afterward.
Commitment to writing may look like giving up. Shelving a manuscript may be giving up on that story but mean committing to a writing career.
When asked, “What do you do?”…instead of saying, “I’m a writer,” try talking about your current project. It can be a fascinating hook!
Writers will often experience the “wobble” where uncertainty kicks in between the 30,000 to 60,000-word count mark. Just write through it, and the plot will come together in the end.
Keynote speaker, Catriona McPherson
Keynote speaker, Tess GerritsenHappy writing!
Cookie break–fuel for writing!
June 7, 2019
Foodie Friday: Japanese Cheesecake
Japanese cheesecake: light, airy cake with a hint of sweetness
I heard the hype surrounding Japanese cheesecake, so I dropped by a branch of Uncle Tetsu‘s (est. 1985) to try a slice. I must admit, it’s an adorable cake (I mean, look at the cute chef stamped on it!).
The cheesecake tastes more like a fluffy sponge cake, with intense cheese flavor that overpowers the slight sugar in the recipe. Sorry, Uncle Tetsu, but I just didn’t enjoy it. Maybe because I was expecting the typical smooth consistency of traditional cheesecake?
Not as sweet as its American counterpart, you might like it, if you’re into more savory types of foods. I’m still going to frequent my local Cheesecake Factory, though.
Fun fact: Uncle Tetsu is named after the founder, Tetsushi Mizokami.
May 29, 2019
May 24, 2019
Foodie Friday: Loquat
Loquat: oval-shaped fruit; also known as Chinese plum
Recently, I’ve had the chance to savor home-grown loquats. These fruit are generally bright orange and soft to the touch when ripe. The flesh tastes sweet but also has some tang.
It is definitely plum-like in texture. However, due to the huge seed inside each single fruit, you’ve got to eat a lot of them to feel satisfied. Thankfully, they grow in huge clusters.
Loquats are a once-in-a-while treat for me. They’ve got a fair amount of sweetness that I enjoy…but they do remind me of sick days. That’s because, in my childhood, we kept a bottle of loquat syrup to soothe our throats when we had colds.
What kind of interesting fruit have you tried?
May 13, 2019
#BookReview: The Astonishing Color of After
The Astonishing Color of After
5 stars
Genre: YA magical
realism
Pros:
Addresses
the complexities of griefProvides
multiple cultural referencesUses
sensory poetic language
Cons:
Repeats
color themes that may be distracting
What an amazing
and heart-wrenching book! I’m really glad I picked it up. It ties in cultural
significance with the accuracy of feeling like an in-between girl straddling
two worlds.
I love how real
the novel gets about grief and the ways we have to process it. Sometimes the
imagery is so fantastical, and there’s a very poetic feel about the whole
novel. You just have to enjoy the beauty of it all.
I also thought
the romance was a cute side plot. Though I figured out what the main issue was
pretty much in the beginning, I liked getting trapped again in the ambiguity of
the teenage years.
The only minor
drawback I found was all the mentions of colors, which became overloaded to
me.
A solid book
that explores despair and family ties.
Find more of my book ratings and reviews here.
