Author | Editor | Story Coach
Writing anything is a process. Writing a novel can be a lengthy commitment of time, energy and mental resources. Right now I’m hip deep in the mire of revisions.
Some people don’t understand how involved the revision process can be, so they think that the hard part of writing a novel is over. You know, coming up with a brilliant premise and then telling the story to the sum of 70-100 thousand words.
This spring, I’ve had my second – and third – encounter with a group of beta readers. Even as my stinging ego debates whether they are the bane of my existence or a boon to my career, I can’t deny they are essential. If you’re a writer, you need beta readers. Further, you need beta …
The ink on my blog post detailing why I wouldn’t be participating in National Novel Writing Month hadn’t dried. My writing friend and I met at the library, and she insisted I participate in the insanity. I said no. She cajoled. I signed up the next day. *sighs* I thought I was stronger than this. …
In this journey toward becoming a published author, I’ve learned to celebrate the small things. Otherwise, a road that can stretch for five years AFTER the manuscript is complete gets to feel somewhat like the Sahara at noon. Dry. Dismal. Another hill to climb that looked just like the last five dozen hills climbed. No …
“I live on the street of my dreams.” Do you? Does your daily life take you through your dream landscape? Since I wasn’t being wowed by the uniqueness of the homes on the Street of Dreams, my writer brain went to town to make a life connection. It doesn’t take much to wind up my …
“The best writing is rewriting” – E.B. White Glorious news: I’ve come to the end of the rewrite of my first novel. Or not. In my mind, I will begin revising now, polishing prose for prettiness. Yep, I love that alliteration. As I mentioned before, rewriting and revising aren’t technically the same thing. Not in …
I’ve been an editor since I learned to read, always finding errors and mentally rewording awkward sentences. (Isn’t awkward an awkward word to type? The k surrounded by ws just feels so…awkward.) Self-editing can be a whole different ball game. To help me stick to my guns, I purchased the book Self-Editing for Fiction Writers …
Writing is rewriting – E.B. White I guess E.B. White knew what he was talking about since every good writer owns The Elements of Style. Considering the first draft of my novel, I’m beginning to agree to the validity of that assertion. In order to rewrite my manuscript into something remotely readable, I’m going to …