Surviving Revision: How One Writer Finished What She Started

by K. Kris Loomis

So, you finished the first draft of your novel. Yay! Now what?

Surviving Revision: How One Writer Finished What She Started is a humorous first-hand account of a first-time novelist grappling with how to turn her disheveled vomit draft into a novel someone besides her mother might want to read. Unruly characters, infuriating loglines, wayward settings and haphazard props provide stumbling blocks and “ah-ha” moments like:

• A character’s first impression is a promise you make to your reader.
• Just because you call something a scene doesn’t make it a scene.
• It’s an author’s job to save her story, not her characters.
• Your main character is not the protagonist in every scene, but…
• Every scene needs a protagonist (and an antagonist!).
• Wallpaper should be hung after the tub is ripped out and replaced.

Accidental discoveries, astonishing surprises, and amazing improvements lurk between these pages, and by the end of the book, you will be convinced that you, too, can revise your own work into something you can be proud of!

Surviving Revision provides a peek behind the curtain as one writer tackles revision head on so that she can finish what she started.

Need a kick in the pants to get your revision efforts off the ground? Purchase Surviving Revision: How One Writer Finished What She Started and get inspired today!


K. Kris Loomis is the author of the novel, The Sinking of Bethany Ann Crane and the short story collection, The Monster in the Closet and Other Stories, as well as the humorous travel memoir, Thirty Days In Quito: Two Gringos and a Three-Legged Cat Move to Ecuador. 

Kris has also written three books about yoga: How to Sneak More Yoga Into Your Life: A Doable Yoga Plan for Busy People, How to Sneak More Meditation Into Your Life: A Doable Meditation Plan for Busy People, and After Namaste: Off-the-Mat Musings of a Modern Yogini!


Get a FREE short story at www.kkrisloomis.com! You can find Kris on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @kkrisloomis.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction

122 pages, Paperback

Published July 3, 2018

About the author

K. Kris Loomis is an eclectic author who writes both fiction and nonfiction books. She is the author of the novel, The Sinking of Bethany Ann Crane, as well as the short story collection, The Monster in the Closet and Other Stories. Kris has also written several books about yoga and meditation and a humorous travelogue about the time she, her husband and their handicapped cat moved to South America called Thirty Days In Quito: Two Gringos and a Three-Legged Cat Move to Ecuador! 


When Kris isn't at her standing desk writing, you will find her playing chess, folding an origami crane, or practicing a Beethoven sonata on the piano. She lives in Rock Hill, SC with her husband and two cats.


NONFICTION by K. Kris Loomis


Kris’ interest in writing nonfiction came from teaching and learning from her yoga students for almost twenty years and her experiences in learning about Ecuadorian culture after moving to South America in 2013.


Thirty Days In Quito: Two Gringos and a Three-Legged Cat Move to Ecuador


After Namaste: Off-the-Mat Musings of a Modern Yogini


How to Sneak More Yoga Into Your Life: A Doable Yoga Plan for Busy People


How to Sneak More Meditation Into Your Life: A Doable Meditation Plan for Busy People


FICTION by K. Kris Loomis


Fiction has been an integral part of Kris’ life since childhood, when she would borrow twelve books at a time from the library, spread them out on her bedroom floor, and move one to the other, reading a page at a time, until she finished them all. She believes that fiction should not only entertain but should also challenge the reader.


The Sinking of Bethany Ann Crane


The Monster In the Closet and Other Stories


Join Kris's other subscribers at www.kkrisloomis.com and receive a free short story! You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram @kkrisloomis!

Reviews

[Briar's Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surviving Revision by K. Kris Loomis is a thoughtful reflection on the writing process.

If you're looking for a non-fiction book surrounding the thoughts on how to finish writing your book, then you've come to the right place! K. Kris Loomis (the author of The Sinking of Bethany Ann Crane) compiled a list of all the helpful ideas and tools that helped her get through revising her novel. This is a non-fiction, opinionated collection that can help you work through those tough times when writing your novel.

If I'm comparing it to my recent writing adventure (it was an essay, don't get too excited), I felt like it was pretty spot on. Here's just some of the general ideas she discusses (and explains why they are important and/or how you can fix them!). Don't worry, I'm not spoiling much... Read the book to find all of the full details!
1. You write a draft that has all of your ideas and it's not perfect. It's like a big, blobby mess full of everything you want and lots of stuff you don't.
2, Editing and revising can be an absolute pain, but it's a must for your novel. Suddenly, that big, blobby mess will mold into what looks like an actual first draft!
3. Setting goals are important!

So, what do I think?

I think this is a really helpful book! If you're not used to writing, this will give you insights into what actually happens in the writing process. It's definitely honest, and it's full of helpful and useful information. If anything, use it as a stepping stone so you know where you're headed!

What I did like about it, was that it was relatively short! My ebook copy was just over one hundred pages, which is way easier to read than the thousand page English and Revising books you'd find at a college or university for writing. It felt like the perfect summary of those giant works! Also, this book was in a very comfortable, chatty tone. I felt like the author was actually talking to me and explaining what was happening, rather than reading it from a boring, old textbook. That makes this book so much more personal and enjoyable.

Are there cons?
Absolutely! As I said, this book isn't a textbook! If you are looking for a step-by-step plan on how to totally finish your book, then this book might not be for you. It's more generalized and personal than a textbook is. The book doesn't give you specific grammatical errors to look out for or contain a list of commonly misspelled words. Since this book is a narrative of how one person overcame these issues, you need to be aware of what you are getting into. Some readers might not like that, so I'd say that is the con of this book!

My favourite part of this book was seeing how K. Kris Loomis worked through her book. That included what she was doing, her goals and her frustrations along the way. It showed me that the writing process isn't always purely productive. Sometimes, you're rocking it out and sometimes you're having a little more difficulty than you let on. But on other occasions you can have a lot of fun and enjoy the ride! Having that sort of honesty was really cool and it's something I don't see very often in literature these days!

Overall, I liked this book! It felt personal, realistic and it echoed a lot of what I've found out myself. I think it's a great read for someone who's interested in finishing a book but doesn't know what to expect. Sometimes, the best way to learn is to draw on the experiences of others!

Five out of five stars!

I received a free copy of this book from the author K. Kris Loomis in exchange for an honest review.

[Lila Diller · Rating 4 out of 5]

1. How is the writing style or quality of the writing?
The writing style was very conversational but easy-to-understand and accurate. She used a few terms that might need to be explained for those beginning writers who may not know the jargon, but most of them she explained and described what it entailed, which was very helpful.
2. What do potential readers need to know most about the topic?
Revision is not editing. I'm glad she stated that right at the beginning. Editing is cleaning up what you've already revised. I find that I like editing much more than revising; however, I realized that some of my “revisions” I wasn't categorizing as such, and putting a new name to them helped make them more fun.
3. Was the material well-researched and logically organized?
It was very logically organized, chronologically moving through a revision course she references throughout the work. In fact, I was surprised that so much of this story was in response to what she was learning from someone else. I'm glad she was honest enough to share that there were times she didn't understand or had trouble with the system being taught and had to figure it out on her own or ask in the forum for help.
4. Did you agree with the thesis?
Yes, though finding the thesis was a little tricky, as there are two prologues, and then the first chapter starts right in with Week 1 of her journey. I believe the thesis is the last paragraph of the first prologue: “I hope you will be encouraged that revising the first draft of a novel is possible and find a helpful morsel or two you can apply to your own creative quest as you finish what you have started.” I definitely think this objective was obtained.
5. Is there humor or personal narrative in the book?
The majority of this book is personal narrative, sharing examples from her own work and processes on her journey through the revision of her first novel. There were a few humorous phrases, also, which I enjoyed immensely. I think my favorite was: “... a patient friend who talked me down from the logline ledge...” For writers who have ever tried to summarize their book in one sentence, this was a golden analogy! (And alliterative—I loved it!)
6. For whom would you recommend this book?
Anyone thinking about writing a novel, especially those who already have, should read this very quick but very helpful book.
7. Who will not like this book?
Only writers proud enough to think they don't need to change anything about their story will not like this book. Also, those who are looking for a step-by-step checklist, such as, “Do this, then that, this these.” This is not that kind of workbook.
8. Why did you give it the star rating you did?
I really enjoyed the narrative aspect, getting her thoughts and feelings week-by-week through her revision process, and I will be revisiting this book for specific areas I need to work on in my own process. But I was a little disappointed in the short length and felt that there might be someone who would see a 5-star review and think it's the best (or only) revising help they'll need. It's not. It's helpful, definitely, but not on its own. It wasn't intended to be.
9. Favorite quotes:
“Rewriting is where the magic happens...”
“You can’t rewrite something that doesn’t exist.”
“Break too many promises and you lose readers.”
“Just because you call something a scene doesn’t mean it’s a scene. You’re going to have to back that claim up with some crucial scene elements that can be concretely identified.”
“...with the help of a patient friend who talked me down from the logline ledge...” This made me laugh!
“It’s got to be easier to write toward something (even if it changes along the way) than to have to go back and cram the fifty thousand plus words you barfed into your first draft into one cohesive thirty-word sentence after the fact.” This is my philosophy: the better I can make my first drafts, the less revision I'll need to do; however, I've got to get something down, even if I don't know if it's good enough to keep.
“Conflict is king. Gotta have it in every scene, no exceptions.”
“Conflict glue. Yeah, I like it!” Yes, I like this analogy, too!
“My lesser characters were not lesser people.”
“Every room, every field, every back alley, every stand-alone structure and notated if I re-used any, and, if so, how many times.” I've never really given much thought to the setting, but this section made me realize I may need to rethink my beliefs about its importance.
“...first draft is for the writer and revision is for the reader.” Excellent!
Questions for nonfiction by Lila Diller, adapted from Chautona Havig at https://chautona.com/write-helpful-bo...

[Teresa Colon · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book, the author covers the process of revising her first novel. It is a fascinating and educational view of the revision process. She covers looking at plot points, scene settings, and how timelines impact the flow and consistency of the story.

I found this to be a quick read that was interesting and approachable.

I think new fiction writers in particular will enjoy this book.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good overview.

This book outline Ed the process the author used to revise her first novel to prepare it for publication. Because she took an online class to give her revision structure, the book ends up reading like a long - format review of Holly Lisle's How to Revise Your Novel course. That's OK, though. Not only does Loomis give her own hints about what made the revision process work for her, she also offers enough information that any reader would be able to determine whether that class would be a good invest for their own revision work.

[Ashley Hedden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surviving Revision: How One Writer Finished What She Started was a great read by K. Kris Loomis. This is a funny first hand account of a brand new novelist that is turning their vomit draft into a novel that people will want to read. This gives you tips of ways to improve your novel and make it something you can be proud of. I enjoyed reading this book and cant wait to read more by the author.

[H. Dair Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

A journal of her experience taking Holly Lisle’s class, “How to Revise a Novel.” Her experiences and conclusions were incredibly helpful, and her writing style was fresh and engaging. A quick, useful read for anyone struggling with revisions.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick listen about one writer's experience using Holly Lisle's revision process. Sounds both useful and utterly exhausting.

[Stacey Stearns · Rating 4 out of 5]

This provided interesting insights into the editing process for her book but was mostly about her journey, not someone else's.