How Surrealist Pantser A.S. King Revises Award-Winning Novels

“Revising is about making sure that you're saying what you want to say in the way you want to say it. . . . To me, revision is the sport. It's the impact. It's the reason we're writers.”Have you ever read a book and thought, Holy cow, this is amazing. How did this author DO this?Or, maybe you’ve read a book and thought, Wow, I wish I could write (or in my case, edit) a book like this, but this is incredible and it might be beyond me?Well, that’s how I feel when I read an A.S. King novel.She’s an impressively decorated author of novels for middle grade, teens, and adults. She’s the only author to win the Printz award for young adult literature twice—and that’s just two of many, many accolades.She writes brilliant stories that are surrealist and puzzling and weird, and at the same time beautiful and heartfelt and honest and real.And when I heard that she loves revision, I knew I had to bring her to Your Next Draft and ask her: how does she do it?How does she manage to craft such intricately plotted, complex stories?How does she innovate so much on a technical level, and keep me hooked on a brilliant story all the way through?How does she turn her completely pantsed first drafts into award-winning novels—and then hit it out of the park again, and again, and again?So I was thrilled when A.S. King agreed to join me on the podcast and spill all the details of her revision process.In our conversation, she shares:Her five-draft revision processHow she cuts 20% from her first draft (she uses the word “chainsaw” 😳)What it’s like to get feedback from her editor at her publishing houseWhat she does with feedback she disagrees withThe time when adding 14 sentences was the key that made a novel workThe difference between taking your readers on a picnic and telling them a storyAnd so much morePlus, I’ve created a revision reading list to pair with this conversation so you can see A.S. King’s specific editorial choices at work in her novels.A.S. King is an absolute gem of a human as well as a brilliant writer. I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did.P.S. My very favorite part of our conversation begins at 1 hr 21 min. Here’s a sneak peek:“In the end, it is all about your voice and your experiences and your feelings. That's it. It's all writing is.”Links mentioned in the episode:Get your A.S. King Revision Reading List: alicesudlow.com/82Find Amy on her website, Instagram, and BlueskyOrder signed copies of Pick the Lock and all her books from Aaron’s BooksCheck ouSend me a Text Message!Support the showRate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts "I love Alice and Your Next Draft." If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more writers through the mess—and joy—of the editing process. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap the stars to rate, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Loving the show? Show your support with a monthly contribution »

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