*Hurriedly puts down cheesecake*
Oh, hello, everyone! I'm so glad to be back with all of you for my second Block Party in a row! Last time, I discussed the beginning of the writing process (finding inspiration), and today, as a (hopefully) appropriate follow-up to that, I'll be talking about the end: editing!
Ooh, editing.
Most aspiring authors dream of publishing a book, but none of us- including me- truly understand how involved the process is until we go through it ourselves. When I first got my publishing deal, I thought I was done. I did it, I made it, and it would only be a matter of time before I'd have a hard copy of my book in my hands.
I couldn't have been more wrong.
Having just completed it a few days ago with my first book, Glitches, I can't think of a more appropriate time for me to talk about the editing process, a journey that's relevant to any writer whether you're preparing to publish a book or just want to rework an old story. I hope my top five editing tips, most of which I discovered while doing my own editing, help make it a little easier!
Don't be afraid of big changes.
Until I started editing Glitches, I thought editing was just going to be correcting the occasional grammatical error and rewording any awkward sentences in the manuscript. Never did I anticipate my editor's requests to add and delete entire chapters. At first, I was very reluctant to make these big changes- I felt like I wasn't editing, but rewriting my entire book. Yet, after I sat down for a few days (or weeks) to really flesh out my characters and revamp the plot, I found myself much more satisfied and proud of my work! If you find yourself lacking the motivation to make big changes to your work (which is totally normal and okay), refer to the above GIF. I promise it'll pay off.
2. Don't get defensive.
I will admit, this was a hard one for me. I started writing at a very young age, and grew up being told that I was an amazing writer destined for success. You can probably imagine my surprise at the first negative comments I received on my Wattpad books. My first instinct was to type out a long, fiery reply about how hard I had worked on my books and how cruel it was of them to say those things, but after taking a few minutes to calm down, I soon realized that a lot of their criticism was valid. Don't brush off all negative comments as hate- some of them can really help you refine your story!
3. Get as many opinions on your work as possible.
Your parents, your English teacher, your friends, your family, your pets, the pizza guy- ANYONE who can read your manuscript will bring a fresh perspective to your story with new ideas on what's good and what needs improvement.
4. Post your story on Wattpad! (or a similar online writing platform)
There's nothing that shocks me more than when I've known a Wattpadder for a while, and then suddenly find out they're a writer. My first question to them is usually, "why in the world isn't any of your work on Wattpad?" The answer I've heard most often is something along the lines of, "I'm scared of what people will think of it." To put it simply, this is not a great strategy to improve your writing. If you want to edit and/or improve your story, you first have to have an idea of what needs fixing, and the best way to do that is by hearing what someone else thinks of it.
5. Look at your story from a reader's point of view.
Have you ever dug out a REALLY old piece of your work that you don't even remember writing? Did you notice a lot more mistakes than you usually do when reading it? I know I have. Looking at your story from a reader's point of view gives you a totally new angle on it, and usually makes you more critical of it.
That's all, everyone! I hope this post was helpful, and at least marginally entertaining. If you've stuck with me thus far, you're in luck- I'm hosting an internationally open giveaway for all of you! I'll be giving away a shoutout and a critique of one chapter of any book, and the giveaway link will be posted at the end of this chapter as well as on my profile.
Thanks so much for reading my post, and good luck with all of your reading, writing, and editing goals!
~Your favorite Ice Queen, Saralee
GIVEAWAY INFO:
Strawberry_Cream1928 will give away a shoutout and critique of one chapter of any book to one lucky winner! My giveaway is open internationally.
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ENTER THE WATTPAD BLOCK PARTY GIVEAWAYS BY CLICKING HERE:
Shortened Link to Blog: https://goo.gl/oCHaqH
OR HERE:
Regular Link to Blog: http://kellyanneblountauthor.blogspot.com/2018/01/wattpad-block-party-winter-edition-iv.html