The Book Reading & Editing Writer

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 Writing Updates

  • 1 new chapter written for "Threads of Blood and Silk" (Stone Wielder's Legacy 2)
  • 60 more pages to edit, and I will finish my latest corrections for "Queen of Swords"
  • Received PW magazine with my booklife.com review

 

The Book Reading & Editing Writer

 

When writing becomes a chore, I step away and catch up on my reading. Normally reserved for my breaks at work, I set aside time at home to immerse myself in another novel from my "To Read" pile. I just finished "The Muse" by Jessie Burton. If you like history, art, and mystery, then this story is for you. Next up for me will probably be another Eve Duncan book by Iris Johansen.  

Check out my review here: Review of The Muse

Editing for me takes your full attention and dedication, especially if you are going to do it yourself. Before getting started, you need to keep open mind, and not let personal feeling get in the way. I know with the first couple read-throughs, I didn't seem to notice any errors except for the occasional spelling mistake. In some cases that didn't do me any favors. That's why I decided to do a more in depth read through and actually dissect each line and make corrections. In doing so, so far I have found minor plot issues that I can't believe I let slip through.

You would think that writing back cover copy would be easy, but I know that I have struggled a bit with it personally. It's your story and you would expect that you would know how to summarize a plot to make it marketable to readers; it's not always that simple. I thought I did a good job the first time around, but once I actually stopped and literally wrote out everything that happens, I found that my summary was a bit lacking. I went back and added details that would intrigue a potential reader, without giving away any of the key plot.

Tips for Self Editing

  • Consult a grammar manual
  • Don't just read your manuscript, analyze every word and sentence.
  • Get rid of things that hinder the flow of your plot
  • In some cases, keep things simple. A long drawn out adjective heavy sentence could be your worst enemy if not done properly. I get that in some cases that it may be needed, but be careful.
  • Sometimes it's best to have another person look at your manuscript as well. An outside perspective could be useful in finding errors that you have missed
  • Take your time, and get it right

 

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