Thank an Editor Day is Today!

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editing, editors, love, support, Thank an editor, thoughts, Twitter, writing

Editors.

The writer’s best friend.

The writer’s saving grace.

They take our words, those piles of thoughts and descriptions, and help us form them into the best story it can be. From grammar to word choices to story development, from cutting scenes to adding scenes, editors push writers to dig deep, to make sure our characters grow, to make sure our story is told in the best possible way. Those gifted individuals inspect every word, delve into the story line and rearrange scenes, take a scalpel to our manuscripts and help us put them back together.

Without editors writers would be lost.

Jump on Twitter today and #thankaneditor. They do so much work and deserve thanks. Here’s a fun way to do it!

I’ve worked with a few editors. I have enjoyed it every time. We become a team, working together, passing ideas back and forth, and celebrating when we get it right.

Rarely do these fabulous people get praise or acknowledgement. Editors have a huge role in the journey of the creation of a book. These talented word whisperers are a gigantic support to authors.

Go thank an editor. Tell them how awesome they are. Make them smile. To all the editors out there who work so hard…

Have a wonderful wordy day.

 

Writing vs. Being a Writer

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being a writer, CPs, critique, editing, jobs, learning, publishing, thoughts, writing

Writing. Being a writer.

What does it mean? Because when I started writing (aka… typing words about stuff that I made up in my twisted brain) about eleven years ago, I had NOT A CLUE.

There’s writing. You sit. You type words. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. Easy. And that makes you a writer. Yup. I buy this.

And you can do this forever. Sit. Write. Sit. Write… for all time.

But there’s this other level of ‘being a writer’. A writer’s job is not what I first believed.

Above all, a writer writes. There is much sitting and pondering and possibly weeping… There is much planning and plotting and the occasional urge to chuck a computer out the window. There is excitement, which turns to frustration, which can cause mass consumption of (insert junk food of choice here).

As I take bigger, more confident steps into the world of being a writer, of being published, I have learned that the job requires SO MUCH MORE.

I focus on my own works, my manuscripts. Character development. World building. Finding and destroying filter words, passive voice, and making the words the best they can be.

I help other people with their words. Critiques are a huge part of a writer’s work. I am part of a writers’ group in town and a Skype group. I have numerous CPs and spend hours reading and commenting on others’ manuscripts. I love it! And hope I help a little.

Maintaining a presence on social media… blog, FB, GR, Twitter… all help get your name out into the world. Because, marketing… my least favorite part of the job. However, on the flipside, I LOVE spreading the word about books, new or old! Cover reveals. Release days.

(By the way… FINDING IMMORTAL book 2 in the Bearwood series in out TODAY! Just FYI…)

*whistles* Anyway…

Reading. Probably safe to say, one of the best things about this job. And of course after you finish a book… leave a review.

And the biggest part? Waiting. For rejections. For acceptance. For edit notes. For contracts. For big announcement days. For everything. With self-pubbing there is less of this. For people working with agents, editors, and publishers… we wait. A lot. It’s hard.

An author’s job is never done. Once you get a project off, there’s always another lurking in your mind ready to pounce. Writing. Editing. Querying. Reading. Everything sucks our life force dry!

Well, that was dramatic.

As I set foot on the path to publication, I prepare myself for the learning of all the things. And the kinda doing well and failing miserably parts.

Possibly you should shoot me now.

Guest posting on blogs… working with an editor (I am not worried about this cause she’s awesome!)… working with a cover designer (who is also fabulous! So no worries)… and so much about marketing that my head might explode. Luckily, the team (more like a family) at Reuts Publications to help me when I fall on my face. Cause I will.

For all of us out there being writers… I am proud to say we are some of the most supportive people in the world. This job we’ve chosen (some people with day jobs of doom to contend with too) is not an easy one. There’s so much more to do than simply write. All of it takes time, energy, and a love of what we do.

LOVE IT!

DO IT!

WRITERS UNITE!

 

Critiques, Revisions, and Edits… *brain explodes*

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#nestpitch, critiqing, editing, inspire, revising, short stories, writing

I am a people pleaser. I want people to like me.

So when I receive critiques, I immediately want to go forth and change everything so everyone will like my words! And that causes major frustration.

Why? Because it’s not only impossible, but VERY VERY WRONG!

Last weekend I went through four rounds of edits for my short literary horror story PERFECTION, which will be published in DIN, New Mexico State University’s online magazine. Every time I got notes, I immediately went to CHANGE EVERYTHING TO JUST WHAT SHE SAID.

Punctuation. Yes.

Moving that sentence there, or a paragraph there… no problem. It sounds better that way.

Then there are word choices… sentence structure… adding more inner character thoughts. And as I held my finger over the delete key, I paused. Alarms went off in my head.

WAIT! That’s not how I want it to read. But she doesn’t like how it is… I HAVE to change it, don’t I? Is my story turning into something I don’t want it to be?

DING. DING. DING. Give me a prize!

MY STORY!

In the end, I get to choose. So I read her thoughts and had to decide how I wanted my story to go. And sometimes out of the process, I wrote an even better sentence or added another layer, not quite what my editor suggested, but something from out of my brain, something inspired by the story and what I wanted the story to be.

Editors and critique partners aren’t there to rewrite your words, but to push you to dig deeper… TO INSPIRE YOUR WORDS!

Yesterday I went to my writers’ group meeting with the fabulous Summit City Scribes of Fort Wayne, Indiana. And I read my newest short story, a gothic-ish horror called COUNTDOWN. And I had a lot of feedback that my brain is still processing.

I have a decision. What do I want my story to be? Only when I know, can take all the comments and make my story better. (Which I need to do NOW, because submission deadline is Saturday. Yeah. No pressure.)

This is a perfect lesson for me right at this moment. I am waiting (waiting is HARD!) for notes from my editor on my soon to be published book. When that e-mail arrives, hopefully soon (EEEK! *crosses fingers*) I might suffer a heart attack, a slight moment of panic… utter terror!!!!!!

Until I remember that everything she suggests… are suggestions, comments meant to inspire me to make the story flow and make the characters shine. After having tried to make the ms better by myself, I now have a partner, someone who wants my story to be the best it can be, but still wants it to be MY STORY!

So as I critique the words of the #nestpitch members of #TeamEggsellent and send out a few critiques to #nestpitchers who didn’t make it to the final round, I make comments in the spirit of inspiring them to make their stories shine, to add something that maybe they hadn’t thought of. And if they don’t like any of my comments… no big deal. It’s their story.

Let’s celebrate our stories and what makes them ours. Writing is hard. Critique partners and editors, who love helping fellow writers on their journey, should lift us up, make us excited about our words.

We write because we love it, because we can’t do anything else.

And we deserve cookies.