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editing

Editing, One Weird and Hard Hat to Wear

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Some days it’s much harder than others to turn off the creative side and to think like an editor. To look objectively at the phrases that have been put on paper and to distance ourselves from these characters that we love so much.

Most of you know Lasera is my first novel. Just a bit ago I’d put on my editing hat again. Now maybe it was because I haven’t done any serious pruning to this manuscript in over a year, or maybe it’s because I had a particular attachment to what I was cutting but for some reason, I cut one paragraph and I gave a little inward gasp. “Like Oh My Gosh I actually just hit control-X. Gah!” But then I took another breath and I was okay and remembered that this was all part of the process. And it’s not like I haven’t cut things before, last year I’d cut pages at a time. But I’d gone to a writer’s conference and wanted to implement some of the things I’d learned.

Suffice it to say the it’s taken me over a year to implement those changes in just about half the book. I just really find it hard to put the editing hat on. Not so much because of the cutting stuff like I described above, but more because of the lack of creativity. It’s work. And it really feels like work.

I read in an all around improve your writing book that if you’re not enjoying the editing process you’re doing it wrong. Yeah definitely call Bull on that one. Maybe for some personalities it’s possible to like the editing hat, and maybe for others they can grow to enjoy it, but for me? Yeah, it’s like trying to like a chocolate covered onion, it looks like it could be something good and then you take a bite.

All of that said though, editing is so needed. I know my book needs it, I know that I need to keep at it. It’ll really be worthwhile in the end, because I’ll have put my best book forward.

There’s a lot of different editing advice out there, but the best I’ve heard yet — which came from that writing conference I went to– record yourself reading your manuscript and then listen back to it. With smart phones, totally doable. Try it! I will be as soon as I’m done this last little bit :S 😛

So if you’re like me and stuck at that spot where you’ve just got those last few sections of revision to go? Put your butt in that chair and just get-er-done!

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Writing & Editing Like Mad. Harper Voyager Taking Unsolicited Manuscripts.

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So this is going to be a very short post because I need to get back to my manuscript, but suffice it to say I am very excited. Not too long ago I found out the Harper Voyager is accepting unsolicited manuscripts from Oct 1- Oct 14, 2012. (Which starts today! :D)

I made the decision that I would submit. But this meant that I needed to go back and rework all those things I wanted to adjust after great feedback from the workshop I went to in Aug. (see here) I also need to add about 10,000 words because they state it has to be at least 70,000 but prefer 80-120,000. I’ve done some serious editing but I’m sitting at about 60,000 words right now so I might possibly even have to add 20,000 words. A daunting task to say the least.

This opportunity is unprecedented (as far as I know) and I am so happy I can be a part of it. Here’s to all the other writers out there! Keep on keeping on. And WRITE!

The Editing Process

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When you edit your work, things change. Sometimes drastically and sometimes only slightly. It takes a lot to change what you’ve written and to go from creating to deleting, polishing and moving the words you love so much. It really is putting on two different hats in order to accomplish what you need to. My good friend Andrew just wrote a post about this here. So here’s a little peak into the transformation of my book. From very first to the current one these are my Prologues. What do you think? Do you like the newest one better than the oldest one? Are there any sentences I’ve taken out or changed that you liked better before the editing? Happy reading! 😀

Oh and btw? It’s T-minus 2 days until we Leap Into Chapter One!

Prologue #1

Prologue – Existence 
Water enveloped me. Holding my form in its cool grasp. It wasn’t right. The water was off; wrong and harsh. There was no salt, which invariably left its mark. My strength and speed weren’t what they once were. My appetite had flagged, and my thought processes had slowed.
As the years passed, these changes overwhelmed me. Such horrifying and tainted water was a prison. Contrived chemicals attacked relentlessly. Attempts to wash away the murderous substances, did nothing except to slightly delay the effects. 
 There had been no opportunities for release from this severe unforgiving confinement. Time did not laugh as it slowly watched me waste away. Soon all energy would leave, and no one would be able to stop the outcome. This was no life, it was simply an existence.  
Humans surrounded me. Shyness and uncertainty stilled my voice from seeking their help. What would they do? What could they do to help me? Escape must become a possibility soon. If not, death would come to claim me.
Fate would have me resign and accept the cards that had been dealt to me. Refused I to let this be the end. Death would be held at bay; there was no other option.
Prologue #2
Prologue – Existence 

Water envelops me. Holding my form in its cool grasp. It isn’t right. The water feels off, wrong and harsh. There is no salt, which inevitably leaves its mark. My strength and speed are not what they once were. My appetite has flagged, and my thoughts have slowed.
As the years passed, these changes overwhelm me. Such horrifying and tainted water is a prison. Toxic chemicals attack relentlessly. Attempts to wash away the poison, do nothing.
There is no opportunity for release, no escape from this severe, unforgiving confinement. Time does not laugh as it watches me waste away. My energy will soon be spent; and there is no one to give relief. This is not life – it is an existence.
Humans are all around me. Shyness and uncertainty still my voice. What would they do? What could they do to help me? Escape is essential. If it does not happen soon, death will come as surely as the moon controls the tides.
Fate wants me to resign, accept the way the stones have been cast. But refuse I to let this be the end. Death must be held at bay; there is no other option.
Prologue #3

Prologue – Wyn 
What have I done?
My family, my people, my world. Risked I them all. 
But she was dying. No one else saw. Had I to save her. But the repercussions. The repercussions. She had the secret. What would she do with it? 
Shyness and uncertainty still my voice. How to speak with her? Would she want to speak with me? Could she help me? 
My appetite had flagged, my thoughts had slowed. My strength and speed were faltering. Hated I the dulled colour of my scales.
This horrifying and tainted water was a prison. The lack of salt inevitably leaves its mark. The toxic chemicals attack, relentless. There had been no opportunity for release; escape from this severe, unforgiving confinement is impossible. They had trapped me well.
My energy will soon be spent, could she provide escape? Or would she expose me?
If don’t I escape, death will come as surely as the moon shapes the tides. But if were I exposed, death might be preferable.
Wouldn’t I accept that this was the way the stones had been cast. My choice might have risked my whole world, all of Lasera. But refuse I to let this be the end. Maybe she will help, maybe she will betray me to the humans. Regardless, death must be held at bay. There is no other option.
Prologue #4 (The one in the Sneak Peak right now)
Prologue – Wyn 
The screams are hard to hear underwater.
The blurred forms above the surface are moving all around her.
What have I done?
My family, my people, my world. Risked I them all. 
But she’d been drowning. No one else saw. Had I to save her. But the repercussions. My hands clench my hair. She has the secret. Will she tell? 
Uncertainty stills my voice. How to speak with her? Will she want to speak with me? Can she help me? 
My appetite flags with every passing week and my thoughts slow. A hand goes to my shrinking stomach. The once great strength and speed are faltering. Hate I the dulled colour of my scales. This horrifying and tainted water is a prison. The lack of salt inevitably leaves its mark. The poisonous chemicals attack, relentless. A slow death is torturous. There is no opportunity for release; escape from this severe, unforgiving confinement is impossible. They have trapped me well. They are killing me. 
The water swirls around me in the deepest corner of the pool. Her feet are pulled up through the water and she is gone.
My energy will soon be gone, can she provide escape? Or will she expose me?
If don’t I escape, death will come as surely as the moon shapes the tides. But if am I exposed, death might be preferable.
Flick I my tail back and forth. Will not I accept this is the way the stones have been cast. My choice may risk my whole world, all of Lasera. But refuse I to let this be the end. Maybe she will help, maybe she will betray me to the humans. Regardless, death must be held at bay. There is no other option.

p.s. the font sizes are being all weird sorry.

Biggest Newbie Writer Mistake, Not Using ‘Said’ Enough

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For all you new authors out there there is one book that I consider invaluable: ‘Self Editing for Fiction Writers. How to Edit Yourself Into Print‘ by Renni Browne and Dave King. Get it from the library or buy it, or steal it, whichever, just go read it.* Now! Go, what are you waiting for? (okay so maybe finish reading this post first but then go!)

One of the most interesting things I found in this book, — which totally threw me for a loop by the way  was their section on the word ‘said’. A newbie writer will try to find any other word for dialogue. Using flowery and descriptive words to communicate how the character is speaking. Doing this screams amateur. Both authors of this book are senior editors and they definitely have first hand experience with this. Most of the time if a reader can’t tell how something is said by the actual dialogue, the words your characters are using aren’t strong enough or specific enough. The words you use and how you use them should say exactly how that character is feeling. 
Said is unobtrusive and as such the eyes tend to skip over and simply understand, therefore leaping ahead to get to the good stuff. When an author uses a word like grimaced, the eyes won’t pass over it as easily. This happens most especially when the verb used all of sudden changes what the dialogue was supposed to do. 

For example: 
“I really truly love you. You know that?” he said.

Shows how a man might say this to a woman. 

“I love you” he screamed.

Throws the reader off. You don’t how or why a man would scream something like that. 
Use said. Use said. Use said. 
I could keep talking about this for a very long time, but I don’t want to take away any of the time you could be using to read this fabulous book. 
As Renni Browne and Dave King said:
“You want your readers to pay attention to your dialogue, not the means by which you get it to them.” 
– page 89, Self Editing for Fiction Writers
Keep on writing, keep on reading and keep on editing!  
*okay, so don’t actually steal it. 😛 As authors we want to support other authors and buy their books right? 😀