Self-Editing
It's a new day on the blog tour. Sia McKye and Medeia Shariff were nice enough to invite me over, so I wrote posts about something. Crazy thing is, I don't remember what. I could check my outbox and see what gems I sent, but it's after midnight and honestly, I'm all for calling it the mystery post day.
*Remember to go and comment...I am keeping track!
Welcome C. Lee McKenzie!
Lee is one awesome writer. Her stories aren't just emotion, angst filled looks at teen life, they have beautiful imagery with a style so perfect and clean, when I heard Lee was going to be promoting her book, I asked her to share some of her editing advice. A wise professor once told me that if you want to learn...ask someone who has mastered the task, and Lee has a masterful technique.
C. Lee on Self-Editing
Writing, as any one who writes books knows, is really all about re-writing. Those first drafts may be inspiring, but they’re flying on one wing. You’ve got to knuckle down and edit and edit and edit if you want to soar.
Martina Boone’s The Over-Do-Er’s Editing Checklist is great. She has broken her list into four different sections:
- Structure
- Point of View
- Showing Instead of Telling
- Characterization
- Setting and Writing Mechanics
Here’s a book that’s been helpful for a lot of writers. You might find this helpful because it comes from a well-experienced editor, Renni Browne. She was former senior editor at William Morrow, and also held editing positions at several publishings firms.
The one thing I’ll add to all of the self-editing information is don’t rely on yourself. If you spend any money on anything it should be a good editor. I learned the hard way and my first Indie book was riddled with errors. Well, not riddled, but I didn’t like what I found when I opened the print version. You may never have perfection, but you should strive for it. Set the bar high.
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| AMAZON |
There's nothing’s more dangerous than a wizard-in-training. And Pete Riley, has just proven it. He's worked a bad time spell--a very bad time spell.
No YouTube, no smoothies, no Manga. Not ever again. Not unless Pete figures out how to reverse his spell and free Weasel and him from Victorian England.
He has until the next full moon. Only a few days.
Tick. Tock.
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Usually, C. Lee takes on modern issues that today's teens face in their daily lives. Her first young adult novel, Sliding on the Edge, which dealt with cutting and suicide was published in 2009. Her second, titled The Princess of Las Pulgas, dealing with a family who loses everything and must rebuild their lives came out in 2010. Double Negative (2014) was her third young adult novel. Researching it turned her into a literacy advocate. Her fourth YA, Sudden Secrets came out in December 2014.
When she really want to have FUN, she writes middle grade books. Alligators Overhead and The Great Time Lock Disaster are now available.
The most positive blog hop around is the Celebrate Small Things hosted by Lexa Cain. Sign up HERE! to keep the positive spirit up.
What small things am I celebrating?
1. All my blog tour hosts for this week! So many offered, you all are probably getting tired of seeing me!
2. My high school kids only had one day of school this week. Snow days and too-cold-to-go-to-school days are fun.
3. I have a street team leader! I was talking marketing with my cousin, Sonya, and she offered to help. All I have to do in return is offer her eternal gratitude. I can handle that!
I can definitely use the editing tricks.
ReplyDeleteLee's new book sounds interesting.
Well done on the street team leader!
Heading to Sia's now. have a lovely weekend (smile).
You have a great weekend too!
DeleteNo Utube? No Smoothies? Gads, your character better fix that or my children and grandchildren will take to the streets with plastic bats and moans of horror!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the editing book recommendation; I can definitely use that.
Hi Elizabeth, I will follow your link :)
Hello :)
DeleteMy kids would want sportcenter...they're so boring.
Some very useful information for us authors here! Thanks ladies :)
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome Suzy :)
DeleteA checklist is sure the way to go, I still hate editing though lol
ReplyDeleteI don't mind editing, but writing is so much more fun.
DeleteI'll have to pick up that book.
ReplyDeleteMe too. :)
DeleteThat sounds like a really good checklist - I'll have to find that book.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth - Hurray for street teams and blog tours!
I do love my check lists!
DeleteI like checklists! Sounds like a great book. Thanks, C. Lee. Elizabeth, glad your book tour is going well, and I agree, snow days are fun! Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteThanks Lori. I need to get that book Lee recommends.
DeleteSnow days are so much fun when you're young! Yay for your blog tour and the great news about the street team! Congrats to Lee on her new book - it sounds awesome! I had an editor for my book and I still found a few typos when it came out. Those little things are like gremlins!
ReplyDeleteSame here Lexa. No matter how many times and how many sets of eyes I get on a book, mistakes sneak in. As a reader, they don't bother me. Usually I get too lost in the story to be a grammarian.
DeleteI am constantly editing my writing. I re-read everything OUT LOUD in attempt to catch all my mistakes. I'm not sure why, but the next day I can read it one time and catch a mistake that I didn't see the day before. One of the rules should be stepping away and coming back to it. :)
ReplyDeleteI follow both of those rules. I always let a manuscript "chill" before editing. And I always do a read through out loud before hitting send.
DeleteAnother tip I used to love, but quit doing because I got tired of printing pages- was to print it out and edit pages out of order, that way you don't get caught up in the story.
I love that quote at the top.
ReplyDeleteLee, I'm going to write down those editing steps. I'm an overdoer-er, too. Thanks for sharing.
I like that too Carol, I need it on a plaque!
DeleteI feel bad sometimes that I never, ever edit my freelance writing. I just write it and send. I rarely have clients who complain! But my fiction writing ends up being edited so much, I'm sick of reading it by the time it comes out.
ReplyDeleteI suppose that's the difference in doing it for love and doing it for money. Totally understand being sick of the books once they come out. I figure it will be at least a decade before I want to re-read one of my books.
DeleteGreat quote! I'm heading over to Sia's. :)
ReplyDeleteFantastic guest post, Lee. I've gotten better over the years with editing. More patient with myself too!
It's like anything else- practice is works in our favor.
DeleteSo true. It was enlightening years ago when I put my work in AutoCrit and it showed me my overused words. I did a search for "that" and it was present about 900 times. I went through and evaluated every use and removed 2/3s.
ReplyDeleteI should try that. I'm sure I'm an offender of many words.
DeleteIt IS all about editing. That's why it irks me when people insist that you MUST NOT edit when writing your first draft. We are ALWAYS editing.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Elizabeth and Lee.
Much success with Timeclock Disaster, Lee. Very cool cover.
I do light edits as I go first round- if I see something obvious. But for the most part, I take notes and keep moving toward the end.
DeleteI'm grateful that I can comment on your blog again! I've been missing it!
ReplyDeleteLOL. I thought I was doing people a favor. You always make me smile.
DeleteAgh, self editing can be so hard! Why is it so easy to edit for someone else, but not ourselves?
ReplyDeleteAgh, self editing can be so hard! Why is it so easy to edit for someone else, but not ourselves?
ReplyDeleteA magic editing spell would be nice. Thanks for the tips!
ReplyDeleteMy kids had out the entire week due to ice and snow and claim it's a 2nd Christmas break. They're rooting for tomorrow too :)
You're one of the few parents who have declared happiness at your kids being home. Good for you Liz. I agree with Lee, if you pay it must be the best kind of edit.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I've become a better self-editor after learning from CP's, editors, and previous mistakes, other pairs of eyes are always necessary.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed Lee's latest book.
Yep. Editing is all about ticking off lists. Quite satisfying!
ReplyDeleteYep, when we go through we don't just edit everything all in one go. We read over and edit one specific quality at a time. That way we don't spread ourselves thin. Editing out typos is the very, very last thing.
ReplyDeleteAnd as always, the more people read it over, the better it's going to look and the more problems you're going to comb out. I personally would never pay an editor, but I am a big fan of CPs and beta readers.
Just seeing how much was deleted in that paragraph makes me realize half my novel would likely be deleted. Yikes! :)
ReplyDeleteJust seeing how much was deleted in that paragraph makes me realize half my novel would likely be deleted. Yikes! :)
ReplyDeleteGreat advice. I learned the hard way too! I will NEVER again publish without using an editor. Entered!
ReplyDeleteMy kids and husband both have a snow day today! That's the way winter goes sometimes.
ReplyDelete