19:05: LIVE Recording - Revisions with Mahtab Narsimhan
Writing Excuses
Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler
4.6 • 1.4K Ratings
🗓️ 4 February 2024
⏱️ 20 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Some writers love revisions and some would rather scrub the toilet than revise their writing. On this episode, we are joined by author Mahtab Narsimhan, who many will recognize as a host from past seasons! Mahtab talks with our hosts about how she thinks about revisions. How do you revise your writing? What is the difference between revising and rewriting? Mahtab describes her favorite techniques and provides tips to make it more manageable.
Homework Assignment from Mahtab Narsimhan:
Take the first 3 chapters of your finished draft and distill it by 1) Chapter 2) Scenes 3) Key plot points per scene 4) POV 5) Setting 6) Time of day/timeline 7) How many pages per scene and/or chapter.
Thing of the Week:
Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend
Liner Notes:
The Revision Template that Mahtab mentions is a free resource on our Patreon! You can find it at www.patreon.com/writingexcuses
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Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This episode of Writing Excuses has been brought to you by our listeners, patrons, and friends. |
| 0:05.6 | If you would like to learn how to support this podcast, visit |
| 0:08.9 | www.patreon.com slash writing excuses. |
| 0:15.0 | Season 19, episode 5. |
| 0:20.0 | This is writing excuses. |
| 0:22.0 | Revisions with Mahatab Narsamhan. |
| 0:25.0 | 15 minutes long. |
| 0:27.0 | Because you're in a hurry. |
| 0:28.0 | And we're not that smart. |
| 0:30.0 | I'm Mary Robinette. |
| 0:31.0 | I'm Aaron. |
| 0:32.0 | I'm Dan. And if we were smart enough to write it well the first time we wouldn't have to revise |
| 0:38.4 | We are here with our special guest who is a past season host. |
| 0:43.0 | Hello, Mahatab. |
| 0:44.0 | Hello, Ramey Robinick. |
| 0:46.0 | So for people who have not had the pleasure of having you join us before, |
| 0:50.0 | would you tell them a little about yourself? Thank you and so for those who haven't |
| 0:56.1 | attended my session I write books for kids everything from picture books chapter |
| 1:01.4 | books middle grade Y, and writing is actually my fifth career because I have |
| 1:07.2 | done hotel management, I've done sales, I have done recruitment, writing, and I love it. |
| 1:14.1 | This is my fifth one. |
| 1:15.1 | It took me most of my life to figure that out, |
... |
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