New Beginnings Somewhere in the Middle
Dun na na naaaah! First post. Woot! I'm starting this blog about the middle of editing Wolf Moon Rising. Due to working two jobs and other life related things, I've had a slow two weeks with little progress in editing. Bad writer! But better late than never.
I'm starting this blog before I finish editing WMR for a couple of reasons. 1.) to keep you all posted and in the loop and 2.) I've seen several author blog posts talk about their publishing process AFTER they got picked up by an agent and publishing house, but I can't recall anyone who detailed it as they went through it. I thought it might be helpful for any other aspiring authors out there with me to see it unfold in real time.
I've edited WMR several times now. Most of those were looking for the big issues, and adding scenes. The edit I'm working on now (aka the Grammar Nazi Edit) is where I'm going through the book with a fine tooth comb, and then sacrificing it to the brutally honest critiquing of my two best friends.
My progress up to date: The book is about halfway through the Grammar Nazi Edit. I have successfully managed to create an author website, Facebook page, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and Spotify. They all need some fleshing out, but there are there! At least, I think. I'm really not technologically inclined. I've begun researching agents and query letter techniques and will begin writing out the query and synopsis soon. My hope is to be finished with everything by the end of July so that I can begin querying and hopefully catch the eye of an agent.
I will admit that this whole process is fairly stressful. Editing is not my cup of tea. So far, my friends and I all edit the chapter separately, they give me their feedback, and I go back in and clean up. It's working pretty well. I've looked at a few editing websites, but I'm not loving those, to be honest. For my edit, I'm working on a hard copy (because I catch mistakes easier on actual paper, although I've NO idea why) and am reading it aloud to myself, word for word, in the most monotonous voice I can muster. It's been helpful in catching repetitive words and awkward flow.
It's also been difficult having to fix plot holes. Thankfully, there haven't been many, but one of my friends has this uncanny knack of finding the tiniest, most obscure plot holes. And then she asks me questions I have no answers to, which is immensely frustrating. It's also difficult to see where my beta readers are coming from all the time. I'm the author, so I'm in my characters' heads all the time. I know for certain what their motivations are at any given point. But there was one incident in the last chapter we edited where what I knew, and what they were reading, were two totally different things. It took a three hour Skype session to work that kink out, but I did it. I think the scene changes are great and make the chapter even more poignant.
Editing on the second half of the book should go a bit easier. At least, it always has in the past. I'm hoping that means editing the last 10 chapters won't go quite as slowly and we can get this book out into the world sooner!
Later!
Kit