When I found out that Jessie Kwak released a new book on writing books, I decided to order it straight from the source at Microcosm Publishing. From Chaos to Creativity serves as such an effective manual, I figured the ability to pick up one of her books and thumb through it for the tips I needed was worth the paper. Then last week, as I recuperated from a medical procedure, I thought I’d break into it to see what pearls it had to offer.

Listen to Episode 15 with Joe Biel, Founder and Manager of Microcosm Publishing.

As soon as I opened From Big Idea to Book: Create a Writing Process that Brings You Joy, I had to reach for my laptop and boot up Evernote. After reading From Chaos to Creativity, I should have known Jessie Kwak’s newest would be similarly packed to the gills with amazing quotes, vividly illustrated concepts, and a Matryoshka doll’s worth of book recommendations. It requires quite a bit more attention than an afternoon on the couch with no notetaking equipment in hand can afford.

This book is a great balance of practical exercises and psychological insights about different facets of the writing craft and process. It’s an excellent starting point for people who want guidance on their process of getting a book ready for publication, or even a midpoint for people who have done it before and want to sharpen their systems. In fact, it might be sufficient for many as a manual for the whole process (although, it is also redolent of recommendations to books on craft, creativity, and productivity).

In similar fashion as in From Chaos to Creativity, this book gives the reader ample space to be themselves and focus on what works best for them. “As I’ll be saying over and over and over in this book,” she says, “you do you.”

What You’ll Find in From Big Idea to Book

From Big Idea to Book is organized into the three major stages of work on a book and addresses issues faced by both fiction and nonfiction authors.

Planning

This book manages to walk an idiosyncratic line. Imagination and inspiration are not treated as elusive beasts to be tamed or to be dismissed as imaginary. The first chunk of the book includes ways to pin down ideas, then allow them to grow, change, or make room for different ones altogether.

Drafting

There is no sugar-coating how difficult it is to make it through the process of drafting an actual book; writers have to negotiate the unexpected behavior of characters, mental blocks waiting around unexpected bends in the plot, and corners where authors accidentally trap themselves. Fortunately, there are plenty of exercises and suggestions made for how to climb over, push through, or chart a new path.

Revising

The latter portion is for folks who want help during the last stretch, where the work is polished into something shiny and enticing. The revising section also includes a breakdown of different types of editors and where they fit into different stages of writing a book. She also discusses alpha readers and beta readers and how they can let writers see their book through the eyes of the people that will hopefully love it!

Key Takeaways and Tools

The following are three themes of From Big Idea to Book that really meant something to me.

The Value of Inverting One’s Thinking

A lot of the suggestions in this book invite the reader to think about different steps of the writing process from new perspectives. An early example is challenging the idea that idea generation, outlining, and plotting a book are different from “writing” a book. Under the header Planning is Writing, Jessie points out how many writers rush through the planning process because they have been taught word count is everything. She reminds us that activities like going for walks, talking through our ideas with friends, and even just staring into space, are all important parts of the writing process.

Another mental trick she mentions was suggested in one of her writer’s groups to someone who was struggling with being blocked: “What if you just tell yourself you aren’t a writer anymore?” The question was meant to inspire the person to express their creativity for a while in alternate ways, and to free them from the mental frameworks writers build around themselves that ultimately hold them back.

That particular idea hit me in a really personal way, because it was something I tried myself. All my life I’d had these ideas of what it was to be a writer inside my head—all the ways my life should work, the times of day I should write, the way I see the world. Then one day, I said, “What if I just am not a writer?” 

Instead of depressing me, the thought freed me as if from handcuffs I’d lost the keys to years earlier. I went on to learn a ton about publishing business, marketing, and design—the things that go into creating books, websites, and other print and digital publications that don’t involve “being a writer.” Now that I’ve turned back to writing both fiction and nonfiction myself, I feel comfortable inhabiting a writer’s identity again. The lessons I’ve learned in the meantime have shown me there are many different ways to be a writer and to do the actual work. The possible amazing outcomes of flipping the way we think about ourselves and our work can’t be overstated

Practice Self-Examination—but in Moderation

Jessie suggests activities suggested at each point in the writing process from free writing to fully walking away from one’s desk. These activities are meant to get writers unstuck when they have a mental block or an element of their plot that makes sense. They can also help them empower the ideas that have the greatest go-power. However, there are limits to how much one can and should reflect before falling into the trap of overthinking. Kwak encourages readers to go through reflective exercises, but when the time comes to write—turn off all distractions and write.

One of my favorite topics discussed is how to write through drafts without stopping and revising as one goes, a struggle for many of us. A major theme is silencing the critical voice. Informed by the words of authors like Anne Lamott, who suggests (to paraphrase) letting the voice shout itself out and then silencing it to move on. Kwak also Twitter-sourced thoughts from other writers regarding how they move through this troublesome stage.

Author Jordan L. Hawk mentioned that every time a turn of phrase in a sentence bothers him, instead of fixing it, he’ll just write “[ugh]” and continue writing. This is almost exactly what I try to do when I write my own drafts (and anyone who has shared a Google doc with me—including my clients—can attest to this quirk). The difference is, Hawk claims that when he goes back to read those sentences, they’re usually left as is (though I can’t say that’s the case for me).

Look for Joy at Every Stage

“Joy” is right there in the book title, and it shows up again and again throughout the text. One thing Jessie reminds readers to do is to celebrate every milestone of book creation. That means every finished outline, draft, or revision. She also has a wealth of ideas for bringing pleasure to those supposedly duller points in the writing process. She talks about how self-editing, which is the most plodding and unpleasant part for many authors, is actually one of her favorites because it helps her bring the book closer to everything she’d imagined it could be. Jessie says, “This is also where I can waste a lot of time going over and over a scene, tweaking words and digging for gold.”

There are quite a few references to digging and excavating and caving and mining, and I believe these images are truly effective to describe the work of completing a book. Ultimately, writers are digging down inside themselves and getting under the surface of the world around them to find the stories they and their readers will treasure.

I’m happy that I added this book to my writing and publishing bookshelf. I’ll be referencing it the next time I get started on a book of my own and probably at all the hurdles I hit along the way. 

Buy From Big Idea to Book here, and get Jessie’s first book From Chaos to Creativity here.

The post From Big Idea to Book by Jessie Kwak — Planning, Drafting, and Revising with Joy first appeared on Hybrid Pub Scout.

The post From Big Idea to Book by Jessie Kwak — Planning, Drafting, and Revising with Joy appeared first on Hybrid Pub Scout.

When it comes to your own book, you sometimes reach a point where you’re not sure whether readers will be able to navigate it. Maybe something feels “off” that you can’t quite articulate. Maybe you know what’s missing, but you aren’t sure how to fix it. In a solitary pursuit like writing, this uncertainty can make you feel even more alone.

Trying to map major landmarks and engineer a smooth-running book can be daunting when you’ve been moving through everything on foot. You can only see story elements from the ground level when you really need to see how it all comes together. To create something comprehensible to the reader, you need to be able to see how all the building blocks come together, and what they look like from 10,000 feet. When you’ve been so absorbed with putting one foot, or one page, in front of the other for so long, your perspective may be a bit skewed.

That’s why it’s important to have a second pair of eyes—someone who can spot where your sidewalks abruptly end or where you have a dangerous and depressing cluster of abandoned buildings; someone to point out any gaping plot holes that might cause your readers to break their ankles (or at least their concentration). A manuscript evaluation is a deep dive into all the structures, components, and features that have to come together for a well-crafted and cohesive book.

A quick note: What I describe below is a full manuscript evaluation. Other options include partial evaluations, or lighter evaluations. Generally the following will be covered for a book of any length, with variation to the depth of these reviews.

Manuscript Evaluations for Fiction

Fiction is deeply personal, as writers become attached to their characters and ideas. While it can hurt to hand that over for someone to analyze, a good faith evaluation can turn your book into a place where readers will want to hang out for a while. It will probably even give you a renewed burst of writerly energy.

Plot, Structure, and Pacing

For readers to feel like they’re where they’re supposed to be within a book, (even if that book is full of surprises!) it has to be well structured. The evaluator will be able to give input on where their attention wanders away, parts of the book that don’t feel relevant to the overall plot, and places where an event or action seems out of step with the rest of the story. The right questions asked at the right points can spark your imagination and help you plug those plot holes. You can also get feedback on specific places in the narrative where you’re unsure of what readers’ reactions will be.

Genre conventions

If you’re attempting to write sci-fi, fantasy, horror, or romance, having an evaluator who knows about the conventions and reader expectations in those genres is a must. Also, it really helps if the evaluator is a true fan of the genre, otherwise their feedback may not reflect the experience of a reader who voluntarily seeks out books in your genre. If children’s books are your passion, be sure to find someone who is well-versed in them; they can really benefit from people with specialized knowledge.

Characters

Few things turn readers off like characters who don’t seem authentic. Even if they’re not from planet earth, readers want more than just stick figures who move from one plot point to the next. You may or may not know whether you have a problem with a character, but often the person evaluating your manuscript will have some ideas for how to give them deeper dimensions. This applies to heroes, antiheroes, villains, and side characters at all levels of likability and relatability.

Culture

If you have characters of races, ethnicities, genders, or orientations in your book that differ from yours (as you should!), an evaluator can point out where you need a little more realism. This is also true for stories set in places other than your home and in cultures other than yours. Sometimes an evaluator may refer you to a sensitivity reader if your story has major elements where different cultures come into play, and could do with an expert’s eyes.

Manuscript Evaluation for Nonfiction

While nonfiction manuscripts need some similar elements to fiction, there is an entirely new set of standards used to measure nonfiction books. The following specifically refers to the kinds of nonfiction books written to guide and teach the reader (memoir is a whole different animal).

Theses and Arguments

While your nonfiction book needs to have an overall thesis, it also needs to have a thesis for every chapter. Once these theses are established, the chapters and the book as a whole must deliver on their promises to demonstrate those theses. Naturally you can’t just state a thesis without supporting it properly. Your evaluator will check for unclear passages, arguments that don’t make sense, or theses that aren’t supported.

Pacing and Transitions

Your points need to be in order and logically build on one another; otherwise, readers won’t have the background information they need to understand what you are trying to argue or instruct. Someone evaluating your book, especially if they are not an expert in your subject, will be able to tell you if you aren’t introducing concepts in an order that makes sense. You can use their advice to rearrange sections and chapters and define terms and concepts at the proper times.

Voice and Style

Voice is, of course, part of what makes fiction attractive, but in nonfiction it’s just as important. Nonfiction books have fine lines to walk: you don’t want to sound like everyone else, but you also want to sound professional. You want your material to be cogent and approachable, but you want to offer information that actually gives the reader something they didn’t have before. Evaluators can point out where the text becomes too dry and make suggestions on how to identify, amplify, and stabilize.

Get Back on the Road

Once you’ve got your review in hand, what do you do? You get back to work on your book, that’s what! The difference is, now you’ve got a chart in your hand that will help you zero in on all the places that need to be refurbished, built out, or completely demolished. If you’d like a full evaluation of your manuscript, a comprehensive report, and a one-on-one consultation on how you can put the action items in that report to work, visit my services page, or reach out at emily(@)emilyeinolander.com.

The post What is a manuscript evaluation? first appeared on Hybrid Pub Scout.

The post What is a manuscript evaluation? appeared first on Hybrid Pub Scout.

If you’re a person who works in a creative profession, we’re coming in hot with some inspiration and guidance for 2022. In this episode, Emily speaks with writer Jessie Kwak, author of (among other things) From Chaos to Creativity: Building a Productivity System for Artists and Writers.

Jessie shares the four steps to her creative system, tips for prioritizing, how to protect against overloading oneself, and some tools to help us stay organized and on task.

Productivity shouldn’t be how you can do more things more efficiently. It’s about how to do the right things and free up the space and the mental energy that you need to do your creative work.

Guest Bio

Jessie Kwak is a freelance writer and author living in Portland, Oregon. She writes character-driven sci-fi and fantasy with a liberal dose of explosions, gunfights, crime, and dinner parties. She likes to make her readers laugh. She is the author of supernatural thriller From Earth and Bone, the Durga System series of gangster sci-fi novels, and productivity guide From Chaos to Creativity.

When she’s not writing B2B marketing copy or scribbling away on her latest novel, you can find her riding her bike to the brewpub, road tripping with her husband, or juggling various sewing projects.

Tools and References in this Episode

• From Chaos to Creativity: Building a Productivity System for Artists and Writers
• Productive Flourishing with Charlie Gilkey and Angela Wheeler
• Evernote: An app for capturing notes about projects (or whatever else!)
• Freedom: An app that helps you focus by blocking social media sites during your work sessions.
• Self-Control: Same as above, but with an edgier logo
• Forest: A gamified app that helps you grow (and kill!) trees with your ability to stay off your phone (or not!)
• A full transcript of this episode can be downloaded here

The post Episode 59: From Chaos to Creativity with Jessie Kwak first appeared on Hybrid Pub Scout.

The post Episode 59: From Chaos to Creativity with Jessie Kwak appeared first on Hybrid Pub Scout.