Writing Related Pet Peeves #IWSG

The optional IWSG question for the month: What are your pet peeves when reading/writing/editing?

Pet peeve when reading: When I read, my brain can't shut off from editing and analysing. Sometimes I just want to enjoy a good book and switch off!

Pet peeve when writing: The process of writing a novel is so slow. Why isn't this book finished already!? I could, of course, regurgitate words onto the page, but it still takes time to shape the book into the best it can be.

Pet peeve when editing: Objectifying people. In other words, the confusion over the use of 'who' and 'that' when referring to people. Hint: it should be 'who'.

Bonus peeve when editing: the massive confusion over when to use Lay, Lie, Laid. Sheesh. Look up the rule people!

Deep breath...

Okay, so what are your writing related pet peeves this month? What have you been up to this last month? Got any big plans coming to fruition? Tell me all!

Every first Wednesday of the month the members of the IWSG post on their blogs about their writing insecurities or offer some encouragement to others. If you are new to the IWSG, then please go HERE to find out more and join up.
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On August 24th at 2:00 pm EST, Chrys Fey will be participating in a LIVE YouTube interview with Evan Carmichael, an entrepreneur who she'll be interviewing about his book Your One Word and getting some great advice for IWSG members. You'll be able to watch the interview live HERE. You can set a reminder if you click on the link, or you can watch it later.The video will be uploaded in the August 30th IWSG newsletter issue.

Pic: I took the above photo of an otter at Australia Zoo.

Dusting Off Old Manuscripts

Today I'm over at the IWSG website talking about the all important question of whether or not to resurrect an old manuscript. And you guessed it--it's not a simple yes/no answer. I'd love to see you over there.

After today, I'll be going back to my writing and game development work. Puff, puff, puff. My next post will be on March Fourth and I'll be going back to my monthly posting. In the meanwhile, please enjoy the image below:

Mostly I enjoy taking photos of the natural world, but occasionally I find beauty in the industrial world as well.

Don't forget to pop on over to the IWSG website!

Automated Online Proofreaders: Are They Worth It?

For those of you who read one of my previous posts (found here), at the end I vented some frustration after attempting to gain access to a seven day free trial of the online proofreader, Grammarly. I had to give my credit card details. Like that was going to happen. Well, the makers of Grammarly contacted me and gave me two weeks risk-free access. My confidence in their program rose. So I gave it a go.

The layout is clean and easy to understand. I didn't need to read long instructions to know how to get started. Win.

For some reason, the copy/paste function to get the text into the program wasn't working. Not being technical, I have no idea why. Perhaps it was my browser? However, I also had the option to upload my text, or drag the text file into the program. Easy. Another win.

There are a number of levels of checking the program can go through. The default is General and is rather formal, advising me to avoid my casual use of personal pronouns and contractions. The levels also included Academic, Business, Technical, Creative, and Casual. Casual is a far more forgiving setting and even let me get away with fragmented sentences. Woot.

I can't help comparing Grammarly to Microsoft Word's grammar checker, which has become somewhat intelligent. Word picks up many foobahs, even many correctly spelt words in incorrect places. However, it didn't pick up a mistake I'd made in a previous post. I'd written: World War Z, staring Brad Pitt. Grammarly picked up 'staring' and gave me a few suggestions to replace it, with 'starring' at the top of the list. Impressive. After a quick test, Grammarly is also better at picking up comma placement mistakes than Word.

Is Grammarly infallible? No. It gave me a few suggestions that were incorrect. For example, I'd written in this post: Weigh it, understand where it's coming from… and Grammarly tried to tell me the pronoun 'it' doesn't agree with the verb 'understand'. It took me a while to work out that Grammarly thought I was saying something like, 'It understand where it's coming from'. Grammarly failed to read my sentence properly.

Grammarly will also pick up some things it's simply programmed to pick up. For example, I used 'your' in a sentence and Grammarly suggested I may need to change it to 'you're'. This lack of intelligence became a bit of a time waster as I had to sort through them all.

Wishlist

• I think I'd like to see Grammarly use more often an example of my incorrect sentences written correctly. It does this only sometimes. 
• I'd also like an option to adjust what Grammarly looks for, rather than having to use their premade settings. For example, I'd like it to ignore my fragmented sentences, but pick up passive voice. While there is an ignore button, it will only ignore each instance of a 'mistake' it's picked up. If I want to ignore every instance of that same mistake, I have to use a dropdown list which is an extra click. This seems a little silly when there's plenty of room for an 'ignore all' button next to the 'ignore' button. Time is short and I don't want to be wasting it sorting through all the rules.
• Grammarly didn't recognise that I had two different spellings of the word 'colour' in the same paragraph. I used both the American spelling and the British, so I think I'd also like to see a setting added which specifies which English you want checked.

From Grammarly: Grammarly is best used as a "second set of eyes" for your writing as opposed to a replacement for a professional proofreader. I'd agree with that assessment.

So overall, are automated online proofreading tools worth it?

• I might have some skill with editing other people's work, but I'm often blind to my own mistakes, so that 'second set of eyes' is kinda handy.
• They are mighty expensive for an online service but cheaper than a professional editor. Note, Grammarly is cheaper than AutoCrit. 
• They can be used as a learning tool for someone who doesn't feel confident with all those tricksy grammar rules. If this is done, then I'd advise using an official grammar guide along with the online tool, just to make sure those automated responses are correct.
• As indicated in my previous point, they do take up a lot of extra time because of the need to sort through all the suggestions which aren't always correct.
• It comes down to your individual needs. I think they are worth it if you're writing lots of articles regularly, or pieces like query letters where correct grammar is essential.

Have you ever used an automated online proofreading tool? Would you?

Edit: Grammarly recently (March 2019) tried spamming my blog with their advertising. I wasn't impressed. Previously they also tried to get me to remove this review.

The Power of a Writer's Faith

Faith is a powerful force. It's not an empty concept and has nothing to do with wishful thinking. Faith is a true, unshakeable belief. This post is about having faith in our stories.

There's only one way to get through the slog of the first draft, the pain of editing, the angst of showing our work to someone for the first time, the horror of rewriting and more editing, the agony of querying, and so forth. We need to believe in our work, or else the part that makes the story unique and special will slip away.

Not everyone will like our stories. We may have to go through hundreds of agents in the hunt to find someone who is interested in representation. We might have to suffer a barrage of doubts, not only from ourselves but our families, our critique partners, our friends. If we have an unshakeable faith in our story, a deep understanding of it, and a determination to stick to that vision, then it's that faith which will carry us through to the end.

If we don't have that faith, then we're easily tossed about. We end up tweaking the life out of our stories because they're never good enough. We'll be easily swayed by every single suggestion a critique partner gives us, every voice-changing advice a friend offers us.

Writing those unique stories requires a powerful bravery to stand firm against the onslaught, especially when rejections start coming in from industry professionals.

So no more floundering to please others. Advice is simply that: advice. Weigh it carefully, understand where it's coming from and why it's being given, then consider it some more and either take it, or dismiss it based on what you believe is right for your vision of the story. Your vision.

How do you maintain your faith in your stories? Do you struggle to know which advice to take and which to ignore?

I wrote this post for the Insecure Writers' Support Group, founded by Alex J Cavanaugh. We post on the first Wednesday of every month.

If you'd like to join, then check it out here.



The Liebster Award—Thank you to Emaginette who gave me the Liebster Award. To accept it, I'm supposed to answer a few questions. Instead I'll answer just the one: If you could write with any color of ink, what color would it be? Purple. I write all my first drafts in longhand with my purple pens so I go through a few, but do you know how hard it is to find purple pens in Australia? It's easy to get them in multi-colour packs, but I don't want all the other colours. I just want purple.

First Drafts & Revisions: It's Okay to Make a Mess

As some of you may know via Facebook, I've been going through some kitchen renovations. Most experiences lead my strange brain to writing and these renovations were no different.

My kitchen BEFORE

This is what my kitchen used to look like (minus the clutter). Now think of this kitchen as the first draft of a manuscript. It doesn't seem so bad. Everything is in its place. The sink, the oven, the cupboards. Does it all work? No. My oven should've been committed to the ground a long time ago. The range hood made a horrifying sound as if it chewed on nails before it spat them out. The sink was vanishing under rust, and the doors were threatening to fall off every time I opened them. So, while this kitchen looks complete, it's far from it. So too with first drafts.

DURING the renovation

First drafts need to be worked over. They often need to be ripped apart and put back together again--especially drafts born from unplanned ideas. Even drafts that come from detailed outlines need to get messy before the writer can produce magic. Sure we could paint the old tiles, we could disguise the ugly with pretty words, but more often than not we need to get into the nitty gritty. We need to pay attention to the details and not skim over dodgey sections in the hope that no one will notice. In renovations it's the details that make all the difference. Same with writing a novel.

The crazy thing is, renovators know before they begin a task to expect the dust, the rubble, the hard work. They know they have to make a mess before they can make magic. Writers, for some reason, tend to shy away from the mess. They place an unrealistic pressure on themselves to achieve perfection on every word they write. If they don't reach perfection, or something close to perfection, then they think they are hopeless writers, that their project will never be good enough.

My kitchen AFTER

Well, that's malarkey. Mess is good. Mess gives us the freedom to experiment, to try something new, to make space for something better.

What gives you the courage to make a mess with your writing? Have you been tempted to pass over the details?

NOTE: This post was written for Alex J. Cavanaugh's Insecure Writers' Support Group #IWSG. I've posted early because there's been a death in the family and I have a lot of travel to do for the funeral. I'll try to do some blog visits before I leave, but if I don't make it to you, then I'll be back next week and will catch up then. 

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The 5 Stages of Editing Grief

I recently had to go through the line edits my publisher sent me for my short story, Birthright, which will be appearing in the Make Believe anthology in December. I'd spent a lot of time getting the story right, a lot of time on the subtle nuances, the word rhythms, and the little things that could possibly make a good story into a great one. Then the line edits arrived. I found red scrawled through my precious document. My baby was bleeding with changes.

Stage 1: Denial
I've had short stories published before, I've had edits done on my work before, but I've never had to deal with so many adjustments. Self-righteous pride welled up inside me. My story didn't need all these changes—or so I told myself.

Stage 2: Anger
Even though I've heard authors talk about editors in a bad way, I've always sworn to never give an editor a hard time and to never assume they didn't know what they were on about. Well, in this stage of my editing grief, I'd forgotten that personal rule. I raged and pouted and stomped my footsies.

Stage 3: Depression
Of course, once I got over my self-absorbed anger, I turned to self-absorbed depression. I believed I was a terrible writer and my story would never be any good. I even toyed with thoughts of giving up.

Stage 4: Acceptance
Of course eventually I realised I was being a goose. I knew the story had some kind of potential otherwise J. Taylor Publishing would never have included it for the anthology.

Stage 5: Getting on with it
This is the stage where the real work can finally get done. It's not about accepting every single change an editor wants. As a writer, I am the author of my work. It's in both the author's and the editor's best interest to maintain the author's voice while producing the best work possible. It becomes a team effort based on trust. With a little give and take by both parties, the process becomes hugely rewarding.

What's your reaction when someone suggests changes to your work? To the writers: what's been your experience with professional editors?
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The Writerly Mind

I've been away with an unhappy tooth. However, if I ever had any doubt about being a writer, then it was quashed this week while sitting in the dentist's chair. During the whole experience my crazy mind turned to descriptions: the pain, the surgery, the fear. I could turn the experience into a horror story or a thriller about a psychopathic dentist. Not because the experience was that bad, but because my writerly mind turned in that direction and found story opportunities. Only a true writer could think those insane thoughts while getting a tooth drilled.

The experience even turned my thoughts to comparing root canal therapy with line edits. Yes, there are comparisons. For example, both can be painful, but both are necessary and everything will be a whole lot better once they are done.

It brought a smile to my sore mouth.

Do you have any amusing moments that reminded you that you've made the right choice about your profession?

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How to Get Published: Part 2

Be Patient

Last week I wrote a post on How to Get Published: Part 1. It was about all the things we need to pay attention to if we want to increase our chances of getting published. This post is about the crucial need to be patient.

The publishing world turns slowly. It takes time to write a novel, time to edit it just right. It takes time for critique partners and beta readers to read through a manuscript and get back to the author with their impressions and suggestions. Writers also need time away from their stories at each new phase in its development so they can regain a clear perspective on the story.

It takes time for agents and publishers to go through countless queries. They have to not only read your submission, but they also need to research whether or not your story will fit the current market, whether it will fit a publishing schedule, whether it's different enough from other books already on the lists.

Once the novel is accepted it then takes time to get it ready for publication. That means more edits, proof reading, cover art, printing, marketing strategies, a build-up of publicity. It also means sorting any legal requirements and permissions. For example, this is required if the book includes lyrics not written by the author or illustrations not created by the author.

Don't try to rush the process. Resist the temptation to send out your manuscript too soon. And don't give up. Keep writing, keep learning, keep improving, and be patient.

What part of the process are you most impatient with? How have you managed to stay patient when things seem too slow?

Advantages of Writing a Fast First Draft

Every one of us is different, which means we each need to discover what process works best for us when we write. Some writers meticulously plan out every detail of their story before they begin the first draft, some dive right in and wing it. Some writers will polish a chapter until they can move on, some power on and go back later to do the polishing. There is no right or wrong way to write, however this post is about the latter technique. It's about why I've found writing a fast first draft is advantageous:

1. To avoid the doubts. Doubts can make the writer question everything from the believability of their plot, the realism of their characters, and even the worth of being a writer. These doubts may raise some valid questions, but mostly they'll cripple the writer. As a result, the writer may veer from staying true to their story, or worse, quit. Writing a fast first draft will keep those doubts under control.

2. To be yourself. Similar to the point above: If you think about it too much, you could over analyse. The writing could then become stilted and 'proper' and you could lose your unique voice.

3. To keep the descriptions under control. If you are a writer like me, you can get caught up in the wonderful world you've created and indulge in rich descriptions. However, if you're moving quickly through the story to get it down in words, then you're likely not spending the time on descriptions. Descriptions can not only distract the writer, but when they're overdone they can distract the reader. I find it harder to delete a beautiful description than to add one later.

4. To stay focussed on the main plot points. Distractions have a way of veering the story away from the main plot, especially if you don't plan the story ahead. Writing fast will help an author keep an eye on the big picture.

5. To save time. I used to edit as I wrote because I loved to read my polished word. The problem was when I'd finished writing that first draft and read through it as a whole, I discovered some of those polished scenes had to go. I'd wasted so much time on sections I eventually tossed. Now I tell myself anything can be fixed… later! The main story structure is the most important element of the first draft stage. The rest can wait.

6. To finish. Many people start writing a novel, yet so few actually finish. Because writing a novel is a slow process, celebrating at key milestones is important to keep the motivation levels high. For me, finishing the first draft is one such milestone. When it's done I have a completed story in my hands. Don't underestimate the power of a finished story.

Do you like to write a fast first draft? What do you find slows the process down the most?

5 Reasons to Embrace the Genius Within

After reading some of the comments from my previous post about why we should shed the genius within, I thought it was important to write a follow up post on why we should also embrace the genius within. In truth, it's about finding the balance between the two.

Below are my reasons for also embracing the genius within and finding that balance:

1. To guard against the doubts. It's easy for us writers to think our talent isn't so fabulous, especially when we compare our work to the polished pieces sitting on our bookshelves. When a novel is well written, it appears effortless. We think, 'I can do that!' only to discover, it's not so easy and there's far more effort involved than we thought. Doubts begin to set in. Those doubts can cause us to quit too early. If we embrace the genius within, then we can know we can get through the days when the doubts speak loudest. We can know we are good enough if we keep striving.

2. To keep the passion alive. To ride the rollercoaster to publication, I believe we must nurture passion for our work and slog on regardless of what the inner voices say about it, regardless of what reviewers say about it, regardless of what family members might think about it. It's the passion that keeps the hope alive, that drives us forward, that helps us to persevere. 

3. To have the courage to share our work. If we never think our work is good enough then we'll never get a second opinion. We'll hide away our writing so that no one ever gets to read it. That, I think, would be a tragedy. Part of the joy of writing is sharing it with others. 

4. To know that anything can be fixed. Often when we're writing a first draft we think we've come up with the best concept in the world and we fall in love with our characters. It's when we sink ourselves into the revisions, when we question everything we're just written, that the task becomes daunting. We realise we don't have a masterpiece. This is when it's important to both shed and embrace the genius. Shed, because we have to find the faults. Embrace, because we have to know we can fix the draft and turn it into something special. 

5. To gain confidence and a clear perspective. I don't think anyone's work lacks potential. I don't think natural talent is a prerequisite to publication. I do think perseverance and hard work are key. If we're too busy trying to avoid over confidence, then we'll swing the other way and hate our work. We'll believe the lies about not being good enough. To gain a clearer perspective I think we should accept that maybe, just maybe, we have enough genius within us to do what it takes to achieve our dreams.

In summary, find your passion and love your work. Take satisfaction in the hard slog because deep down you know it will be worth it in the end because you'll be able to take pride in the words you've produced.

Do you lean one way more than the other when it comes to confidence? What do you do to keep a balance in the way you approach your writing life?
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Thanks so much to Shah from Words in Sync for the One Lovely Blog Award. It is hugely appreciated.

Pic: I just wanted to share with you the grandness of almost seeing a lunar eclipse. That's pretty much all I got to see of it on Saturday due to clouds.  

6 Steps to Building a Strong Team for your Writing Career

Turning a good story into a great one requires team work. That's right: team work. As writers we need the help of critique partners, beta readers and editors. For those of us who want to go the traditional publishing route, we also need agents and publishers.

As the authors of our work, we are the leaders of our team. We are the ones who have to make the final decisions on where we want our stories to go. For this reason we need a strong team around us to help us make the right decisions.

Steps for building a cohesive team:
1. Don't be a loner. While the process of writing is a solitary one, this doesn't mean we should isolate ourselves. It's better for our writing (and our mental health) to join writing communities, to seek encouragement and support from like-minded people. This will help us find the best matches when seeking critique partners and editors.

2. Do your research. If you pick for your team the first person who shows an interest in your work, without doing the research to find out whether or not you'd work well together, then you may not find the best match. It's worth spending the time to find the people who have a similar vision for your work.

3. Nurture the relationships. Every relationship benefits from open communication and nurturing. The better you know your teammates, the more able you'll be to understand where their suggestions are coming from.

4. Trust your team. You've done your research, found a good team and got to know them well. Now it's time to trust them. This team of people want excellence for your stories. Trust they will offer their best opinions and experience to improve those stories.

5. Trust yourself. While trusting your teams is important, it's just as important to trust yourself. Sometimes you may get so many editorial changes that you'll be in danger of losing your voice to the tune of another. Sometimes you may need to make a stand.

6. Be professional at all times. No one likes a foot-stamper and pouting went out years ago with Mae West. If you don't agree with certain changes, then come up with valid reasons why you think those changes shouldn't be implemented. Understand that professionalism includes flexibility so you'll also need to learn to pick your battles.

Can you think of other steps towards building a strong team around you? Which steps do you find the hardest and which are the easiest?

On the Joy of Editing

Or the Freedom of not getting too Attached

Would you put so much effort and attention to detail only to burn it?


Check out the photos on burningcam.com, an annual event called the Burning Man, is held in the Nevada Desert. People come together to build amazing constructions only to set them all on fire.

It's considered the largest outdoor gallery in the world.

The completed Temple of Transition: The builders claimed it was the tallest temporary (ie: no foundation) wood frame building on the planet.

Then it all gets burned in a spectacular display.

My first reaction was, 'That's crazy!' My second reaction was, 'But so cool!' Yes, I'm a bit of a pyro.

Burn, my prettys, burn!

Erm, cough. Anyway, this got me thinking about our works in progress. We throw all our effort into writing our stories so, when we think we are ready to send them out into the big wide world, we're convinced our creations are masterpieces. When our manuscripts come back from our editors, critique partners, beta readers, we realise they aren't.

Our work can only improve when we are willing to set it on fire. I'm not talking about destroying our manuscripts. I'm talking about slashing and burning what doesn't need to be included. We need to be brutal to see the glow. All in the name of art.

And we have the freedom to light the fire when we don't get too attached to those scenes that took us weeks to write. With freedom comes joy. Editing no longer becomes a chore or an agony. I can take great delight in the 'flames' because I know that out of the ashes will rise a phoenix (a shiny manuscript that's closer to publication).

Do you think it's crazy to put all that effort into building those structures only to burn them? Do you have trouble letting go of those precious scenes?

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Substance vs Bling in Story Writing

Recently, my hubby upgraded his phone to the latest snazzy model. I have no idea what it is except it has a whole bunch of new features. He loves his technology. I struggle to get excited by it. If the old one works, why upgrade it? (I know, I’m such a luddite).

However, my hubby has convinced me to take his old phone: an iphone 3G. The most exciting thing about this upgrade? I get to take off his boring black cover and replace it with a shiny new one with bling. The more dazzling, the better. The curious thing is, it wasn’t until he started telling me about all the features that I started to love this hand-me-down.

My point? While bling on phones, in my opinion, is a good thing, the real appreciation won’t emerge until we discover a greater function. The same goes with writing. Sometimes I can get lost in the fancy descriptions and the amazing settings. I’ll make the wording pretty for the sake of pretty. This isn’t a good thing. Without substance, the shinies of our stories can drag the pace down. They can change the focus from where we want it to be.

Every word, sentence, paragraph needs a purpose in our stories, whether to add atmosphere, set a scene, reveal something about a character—and it’s even better when it has more than one purpose. If a description or dialogue is included for the sake of it, it has to go.

Do you struggle with removing the shinies? What are the kind of features that distract you from a story when you are reading or watching a movie?

5 Ways to Find Spelling Errors

Editing tip #247: Do not rely on the spell check tools in writing programs.

As much as I love those red squiggly lines, Spell Check won’t pick up incorrect words if they are correctly spelled. For example, it will miss ‘though’ if the word should be ‘through’. So, how do I find those elusive mistakes?

1. Print—I have no idea why, but it’s far easier to spot those spelling errors when the text is printed on paper. 

2. Read out loud—Reading my text out loud slows down the tendency to scan my work, which is the main reason we miss those mistakes. Reading to someone else is even more effective.

3. Cover the text—Many use a ruler for this purpose to keep their eye from jumping ahead in the text. A scrap of paper works just fine.

4. Critique Partner—It’s amazing how we can still miss those mistakes. Second opinions are invaluable.

5. Press Send—The surest way to find mistakes is to send off your work to someone you want to impress, for example, an agent or a publisher. 

How do you find spelling errors? How important do you think it is to find those little mistakes?

10 Things to Do After Finishing the First Draft

Maeve asked, ‘Do you have particular questions you ask yourself once you’ve completed your first draft?’ Last year I posted Questions to ask While Editing. Pop over there to see a long list of questions to get into the editing process. Today’s post is about that process:

1. Celebrate. After the mad scramble of finishing the first draft, I recommend you open your favourite sweet treat and celebrate. The first draft is something many people begin, but few finish. It’s a marvellous achievement. Be proud!

2. Take a Break. You are too close to your story to make any clear sense of it at this stage so the best thing to do is take a break. It doesn’t have to be a long break. Only you will know the best timing. Sometimes I only need a week. Other times I need an entire month to gain the distance I need for editing.

3. Read the manuscript through. Now is not the time to make little adjustments. Now is the time to get yourself reacquainted with the big picture. Make brief notes only. Try to keep your attention on plot and structure. Look at pace and timing, your beginning and end, and if there are any slow or unnecessary scenes. Make sure your protagonist is an active participant in your story.

4. Make structural changes. Still don’t worry too much about the little things such as your use of adverbs. No matter how much they might jump up and down to get your attention, there is little point worrying about that until you get the structure right. Otherwise you could spend hours on getting a scene just right only to realise you have to delete it later for the sake of tightening that structure.

5. Read the manuscript through again. Yes, read it from start to finish again making sure the overall structure is right. No skimming allowed. Some writers will share their manuscript at this stage. I did and it helped a great deal. Admittedly my poor crit partner had to put up with some dodgy wording and sentences, but she picked up some helpful pointers for my structure.

6. Start line edits. Find the pesky POV shifts that aren’t meant to be there. Root out the telling when the prose should be showing. Remove any unnecessary words, clichés, repetitions. Do the spit and polish.

7. Get another opinion. This is a great time for beta readers and critique partners. You could be taking a break while they read your manuscript. In fact, a break at any stage is also good—especially if you are unable to see the faults.

8. Read the manuscript again. Yes, read it again. All the way through. Read it out loud. Listen to those rhythms.

9. Now do your copy edits. The small details. Spelling and grammar and the fiddley little details which we inevitably miss no matter how careful we think we are being. 

10. Take another break and then read it again before sending it out. Never send out your manuscript less than two weeks after you think you’ve finished. In fact, I often hear agents say don’t send it out before two months. And always read it before sending it.

What's your editing process?

Learning to Let Go

There comes a time in the editing phase when we have to let go and say, ‘It is done’. This is often one of the more difficult things to do. Many of us writers believe we can’t truly finish a piece because we are always learning, always evolving, always improving. It takes practise to learn, patience to keep editing, and then it takes courage to let go and send the work out into the big, wide, scary world.

So, how do we know when a piece is ready? Potential is there if:

• We’ve slaved over the manuscript for more than a mere three drafts.
• We’ve line edited and copy edited and gone slightly insane through the yearning for perfection.
• We’ve had the manuscript critiqued by fellow writers who know more than a smattering about the industry.
• We’ve considered the opinions of beta readers. Note: at least one of your readers should reflect the market you’ve aimed your novel toward. For example, if you write for young adults, then you should get a young adult to read it.
• And, if we have the money, then our manuscript has a greater chance of reaching its full potential if we pay for a professional edit.

Do you have trouble letting go? Are there any stages you’re tempted to leave out?


Note: This post is part of the A-Z Challenge. To learn more about the challenge click the image on my sidebar.

Is Near Enough Good Enough?

Have you ever grown so frustrated or bored of the revision stage you’ve thought, ‘That will do’? I know I have – and then I sent it to someone to read and they came back with comments on sections I knew deep down I should have fixed.

Have you ever caught yourself asking, ‘Why bother with all this work when an editor will change it anyway’? It’s true an editor will likely change your text for the better, but what if they don’t? And worse: what if you don’t even make it to the editing stage at a publishing house because your manuscript didn’t shine with a glossy polish? I’ve seen it happen all too often.

Leave out an essential ingredient from a cake and the cake will fall flat. The same goes with writing. One essential ingredient of writing a good book is the sweat of hard work. We can’t expect a first draft to be the last draft. We have to work hard to order our thoughts so our readers don’t have to order them for us.

Let’s strive to do our best. Let’s always work towards improvement. Let’s sign up for those workshops and conferences. Let’s find quality critique partners and helpful beta readers. Let’s not give up, but keep going until we get it right.

Would you pay a professional editor to go over your work before you started querying?

Those Second Draft Blues

Ever get stuck on favourite words and phrases? They become our security blanket and we repeat them through our manuscript. We tell ourselves it doesn’t matter for our first draft. They keep us ploughing through the story with bulldog determination.

Then we finish our first draft and we stare down the barrel of some nasty revisions. All the looks and verys and gasps bury their heads in the text and hope to escape notice. And they do escape notice because over the month, three months, six months it took to write that first draft, we’ve fallen into bad habits.

Our inner editors have gone to sleep, our polish-mode button has rusted over, and we’ve forgotten how to be chief editors of our own work. Other stories begin to distract us. We start to hear the call of novel #2 or 3 or 4. Our current WIP begins to wallow.

Sound familiar? These are the second draft blues.

Ways to change the hue and finish that novel:

Take a break. Don’t make it an endless break. Decide on a return date and stick to it.

Get your work critiqued. It doesn’t have to be close to perfect before you send it out to a trusted critiquer. Sometimes this is the boost we need.

Critique someone’s work. It’s amazing how much easier it is to see someone else’s repeated phrases and passive sentences. This will also wake up the editor that lurks inside us.

Read a how-to book on writing/ attend a workshop. We are forgetful creatures so we often need to relearn the basics, no matter where we are in our career.

Make a list of those favourite words. The beauty of Word is the find feature. I can search through my document and find the multiple gasps, see how I’ve peppered my text with them, and wipe them out where appropriate.

Decide on a writing schedule and stick to it. This will help push distractions aside.

Extend yourself. The revision drafts is where the real work begins. The challenge is always to find new ways of saying something. This requires us to push our thinking and not settle for a that-will-do attitude.

What are some of your favourite words or phrases you have to fix during revisions?

Sentences that Jar with the Sound of Failure.

The other day I wrote a clanger of a sentence. It started with this: Even though she knew she assumed that…

What?

It even stayed in my text for three days before I noticed.

/facepalm

Take a deep breath, Lyn. That’s why I edit and harass my critique partners. Not everything has to be perfect in the beginning. Even the worst sentences can be fixed.

Have you ever written some whoppers that make you question your skills as a writer? Please share and make me feel better.

My Writing Process – Part 2

In my previous post I showed you how I began the writing process. I covered the idea and the first draft. Today I will finish the series inspired by Shallee’s recent Blogfest and describe my finishing stages of writing a novel.

How do I edit?
8. Chocolate. This is the stage where I eat the most chocolate because this is the stage where I begin to question everything – even my abilities as a writer.
9. The first pass. When I edit I first try to pay attention to the foundation of the story: the overall structure, where the chapters should end, the plausibility of the story, the hook in the beginning and satisfying end. This means a return to the whiteboard so I can see the big picture.
10. The second pass. I go on a search-and-destroy mission for any unwanted scenes. I look at pacing and the overall flow. I increase tension. I do the long awaited research needed for particular detailing in the story. For example, in my current WIP I will likely need to research the production process of certain types of cloth.
11. The third pass. I do line editing. This pass will often include many minor passes where I’m looking for particular details. For example, one pass will include a focussed search for those dreaded adverbs and passive sentences. If I look for too many different things at the same time, I’ll miss some or the task becomes too overwhelming. Basically, I tidy and polish.
12. The Break. This is a good time to take another break.
13. The fourth pass. I’m looking for anything I may have missed.


What do I do when I think my book is finished?
14. Critique partners. I will send out my manuscript (ms) to my critique partners. Sometimes they may get the ms early - after the first or second pass of editing.
15. I will edit again.
16. Beta readers. I will send out my manuscript to my beta readers and get their opinions. My beta readers include non-writers. Tip: because I write YA, I’ve found some teens to be my beta readers as well.
17. I will read through and edit again.
18. I will take another break. Since first impressions count so much, it’s worth taking yet another break from the ms before sending it out to the publishers/agents.
19. I will read through and edit again.
20. I will begin querying. There is no point querying until I am certain the novel is ready.

How do you approach the editing process?