An Editing Sneak Peek
The Background
For those of you who don't know, I hit a significant writing milestone at the end of July. I finished writing a short story collection that follows two characters throughout the journey as a couple.
And I've been working on fixing up the first draft ever since, which makes me excited to announce that I'm almost done editing the first draft. Out of the 31 stories, I've got four more to go, and I'm hoping to have it done by the end of the day.
I've found the editing process this time around to be quite interesting. I'm dealing with short stories that have been created over the last nine years. It's been interesting comparing my writing now versus back then, and I want t share four lessons from my editing process.
The Lessons
Lesson #1: My writing (and editing) has improved over time, as evidence in the lack of edits between the new and old stories:
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The newer story is on the left and the older on the right. (I know, I really need to start using red pens.)
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My newer writing is requiring less editing because I've been reading more on what not to do and applying it before I get to the editing stage. Additionally, my edits are getting better because I know what to look for in my work.
Back in the day, I didn't know that the lack of edits while self-editing was a bad thing. I thought I was doing alright, only to find out in my critique group that I wasn't and had a lot of issues to fix.
Lesson #2: Some of my stories lack a clear goal. Stories are supposed to have a point to them or convey an idea. And somewhere in the middle of writing, I lost the meaning of that particular piece.
Lesson #3: I'm worried about the lack of edits on some of my pieces. Questions like, Am I not being hard enough on myself? or Am I missing things? keep running through my head. I think I'm just crazy, and the transfer of the paper edits will help clear these doubts up.
Lesson #4: The marketing aspect that comes after the editing is starting to worry me. It's unknown to me. I haven't published anything other than on my blog.
I have a basic understanding of it. I've written articles on it, and I've read a lot about it, but it'll be fun and a bit scary to put all of that knowledge into action before the end of the year.
The Takeaway
The moral of today's post is we don't stay the same in our writing habits and skills. We're continually improving and finding new things to obsess over, like marketing. But remember to focus on the task at hand - which could be writing, editing, or marketing depending on where you are in the writing journey.
(For more information on self-editing, you can check out this article here.)
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Psst... I'm going to be looking for beta readers in the next couple of weeks. If you're interested, please let me know! I will be glad to return the favor. :)
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This week on Danielle Adams...
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Changelings is an e-publisher of erotic romance. The books this press likes to publish are on the shorter side, but they have an excellent reputation for their editing.
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K-Zine is a UK-based magazine with print and Kindle publishing options. The magazine publishes original science fiction, horror, fantasy, and crime.
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Here are five paying literary markets open in September for you to pursue. These literary magazines publish fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.
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On Thursday, we took a look at manga - the Japenese version of the comic book. We went through its history and how to write it.
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Camel Press predominately publishes mysteries, but they also consider romance (contemporary and historical), general fiction, historical fiction, and westerns.
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What I'm Reading
I didn't get any reading in this past week. I know, what the heck? So nothing has changed, since last week. I am working through the Hans Christian Anderson collection, but I'm also thinking about getting into Where the Crawdad's Sing by Delia Owens.
So we'll see how this next week goes.
In case you need a refresher, here's my ever-expanding to-read list:
- To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo
- 1984 by George Orwell
- The Lord of the Rings by J. R.R. Tolkein
- The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
- The Help by Kathyrn Stockett
- Tick Tock by Dean Koontz
- Where the Crawdad's Sing by Delia Owens
- Bookish and the Beast by Ashley Poston
- Tweet Cute by Emma Lord
- The Bride Test by Helen Hoang
- The Raven's Poison by Braeden Michels
- Hans Christian Anderson Tales (Translated by Jean Hersholt)
- Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm
And if there are any books that you think I should read, I'm open to suggestions!
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Thank you for reading this far.
Stay Safe. Stay Healthy. Stay Sane.
I'll be back on September 20.
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Danielle Adams
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