The Final Read Through

And now to the next step. The final read through before sending it to the publisher for publication. Once I hit send, there’s no going back.

“Dear God, please let everything be okay…”

Labyrinth Goblins

No such luck. I found errors I swear hadn’t been there before. Missing words, stuff switched around in a sentence, sections that made me question WTH was I thinking.

At this point, Goblins are dancing around my head. Pointing and prodding at my every insecurity, their shrieks and maniacal laughter taunting me at every turn.

It’s devastating because I had my book professional edited, multiple times. But, like my publisher said everyone is human and mistakes happen. How many times have you read a book from a well-known author and caught an error? Things can get past even the most discerning eye.

Meditation Pose

Breathe, Monica, breathe. Wuuu Saaaa.

Thankfully, I’m able to list everything I found and send it to the person who formatted my book. She can submit the corrections and everything will be right in the universe once again.

I keep trying to remind myself to stay positive and focused. Don’t let my fears overwhelm my world.

Honestly, though at times like this it’s easier said than done.

Be Brave

Do It Till It Hurts…

Critique Group was harsh this week. Well, not really but yeah, it kinda was. I’m in the editing phase of my WIP and feedback is part of the process.

Don’t get me wrong, they’re into the book. Everyone enjoys my characters and we have discussions about who’s doing what and why.

Adjectives, Adverbs and Setting the Scene

Here’s my dilemma…My name is Monica Gloria and I’m an adverb/adjective addict.

Yes, I’ll admit it. I absolutely adore pretty, descriptive words that add flavor, texture, and color. Now I’m not as bad as a 19th century novel, however; I can be a bit verbose. (Verbose is a great word, isn’t it?)

And yes, I know sometimes too much is just well, too much. So, being aware I have this issue, I keep their advice in mind while I’m editing and I thought I was doing better.

Unfortunately it wasn’t enough because my group is urging me to do more.

Hack/Slash By Tim Seeley

Butcher it, chop it down, and slice it to the bone! No mercy!

This might require medication.

Editing: Fun? Not so much.

Peanuts/Editing

Editing.

Oi, some would say it’s easy and others would lament it’s the hardest thing they had ever done.

What’s in my head? by Cynthia

I’m with the latter group. Haven’t I already poured out my heart and soul out to these pages? My wrists have bled out and tears have been shed. Now I have to go back, review the yarn that spewed out of my head, and clean it up.

Crap. There’s bad grammar, cheesy dialogue, and flat scenes. And what the hell was I thinking when I wrote that chapter?

But, unfortunately, it must be done. If I want a good product then I have to correct the mistakes. Yeah, yeah I know if it was easy everyone would do it.

I’d like to take this moment to give props to the professional editors. They’re superheroes in my humble opinion. Editing is crazy.

 

Mighty Mouse by Paul Terry

It’s only baring my soul, what’s the big deal?

For months, I’ve been hearing about the importance of joining a critique group. You’re not serious about your writing if you aren’t in a critique group. Sounds harsh, huh? Well, it is and it isn’t.

Yes, you should join a critique group, for the support, information, and the kick in the butt. It’s hard to take the first step and let someone else read your precious WIP. I’ve been avoiding it for awhile, kind of like making an appointment for a necessary check-up but don’t want to go to.

But I sucked it up and went to my first critique group meeting this past Sunday. My tummy was in knots and nerves made my voice quiver a little bit. When I first walked in, I glanced at the door wondering how silly I would look if I made a dash for it and ran out screaming. To make matters worse, I was late for the meeting. (Yes, I have my train wreck moments. Ugh I hate being late, it’s horribly rude.)

So much angst for nothing…sort of. After all, it isn’t easy baring your soul for others to critique with a (gasp) red pen. Fortunately for me, this group of writers are very kind, respectful, and talented. (score). They gave me some great tips and editing advice. They also asked questions about my character and plot that made me think about where I was going with my story.

All in all, I’m glad I finally took the leap to challenge myself and join a critique group. The suggestions and questions they offered were positive. I can already see how helpful joining a critique group will be to my novel. (Oi, apparently, I have some challenges with grammar I need to work on. Blasted commas and tenses, they get me all the time.)

Ernest Hemingway said, “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”

He wasn’t wrong about the bleeding.

Going in the right direction, workshop done

Reading, writing, tweeting, blogging…my goodness, does it ever stop? In short, the answer is no, it doesn’t. And that’s okay. I love every minute of it. I just finished Angela James’s Before You Hit Send workshop. Holy moly, that was an awesome 3 week workshop and I suggest everyone to take it.

If you’re looking to polish up your self-editing skills or want to learn how to be a stronger writer this is the workshop for you. It’s an online class so it was perfect for me with regards to my schedule and location (CA). If anyone is interested in checking it out here’s the link: http://nicemommy-evileditor.com/before-you-hit-send/

Angela is very knowledgeable and personable with a whole lot of experience. I never felt stupid or out of place and believe me, I was in a crowd of some pretty impressive individuals (I was in the workshop with a rocket scientist, no joke). Although it was quite a bit of information, I enjoyed it. I started to get a little overwhelmed at the end of week 2 but I rallied through. :grrrr face: I had too, how else am I going to learn everything I need to?

Sure I can say I’m going to write while pounding my fist on my desk but if I don’t know the technical aspects of my craft I’m doing a disservice to myself and my (future)readers. It’s akin to saying I’m going to build a boat while striding confidently out the door to go buy tools from Home Depot. Now the latter would be silly if I have no idea how to build a boat wouldn’t it?

(Confession time, yes, I’ve made that statement and gone to buy tools that I didn’t need. But if we’re ever caught in a flood and need to build a boat then I’m good to go. Who’s going to look like a silly sally then, huh?)

Where was I? Skills, knowledge, and the workshop. The next session starts in October so there is plenty of time to check it out. I would also recommend Twitter for anyone looking for articles or blogs that have writing, editing, or publishing tips. I’m amazed everyday by the amount of information I find in my Twitter feed. I’m not even following hundreds of people and I still find tons of stuff. If you’re not on Twitter, please create a handle if you’re interested in writing or something of that nature. You’d be amazed by the information and contacts you can find.

The world is getting smaller every day. Let’s embrace it and make it work for us. By the way, did you know readers as far as Russia, the U.K., and Australia read this blog? :Waves hello: I’m humbled and awed. I know it’s cheesy but I get a pretty big kick out of that. Of course, I get excited about everyone who takes the time to read my blog. What can I say? I’m a writer, I get emotional. Don’t judge me. 🙂

Photos:

Lynn Kelley Author http://www.flickr.com/photos/lynkelwoohoo/7789354222/in/photostream/

Michael http://upstartcrowliterary.com/blog/?p=153