In the Edits Cave

I'll be working on edits over the next few days. Planning to take my time with them so I get them right. Have a wonderful day!

The Voices in My Head...Part 2

So, the plan this week was to get back to work on my WIP. I put in a full morning and things were going well. I got through about half of the manuscript, making changes as I went. I'd planned to finish going through what I already had written this afternoon and be ready to start writing fresh tomorrow morning.

The best laid plans...

Just after lunch, I recieved the second round of edits for Damek's Redemption. I'm about halfway through the manuscript again and hope to finish tonight. So tomorrow I'd get back at my WIP. Right?

Not so fast.

Just before supper, I received galley proofs for Finding Chrissten (which will be releasing in print next April). Since this is time-sensitive, I will do these first. Hopefully, I'll be able to do them in two days. Which means by Thursday I'll be back at my WIP. Right?

Nope.

Thursday morning, we have to head out of town. Hubby has a speaking engagement to promote his own work. It's in his hometown and since we haven't been there in more than a decade we decided to go. We'll be back home on Friday since he has other professional obligations.

So I'll be back at my WIP by Friday. Right?

Probably not. By the time we get home, I'll probably be exhausted from the drive. I do my best work early in the morning. I don't mind doing edits in the afternoon, but fresh writing is much harder for me then. Who knows, maybe I'll get inspired. Maybe I'll curl up with a book. Maybe I'll take a nap.

Saturday, right?

Probably not. It's the one day of the week I try to take off. Hubby and I go out for breakfast and run errands. I figure if I'm in this job for the long haul, which I most definitely am, I need to treat it like a regular job, and that includes some time off every week. It's too easy to get burned out or work all the time.

Sunday? Sunday is a family thing, combining my brother's birthday with father's day.

Monday? Absolutely! I'll be back, hard at work on my WIP by Monday morning, and hope to finish the rough draft by Friday.

Lest any of you think I'm complaining, I'm most definitely NOT. I love being this busy. It means I am a working writer.

And this is the best job in the world!

In the Edits Cave

Good morning and welcome to Monday! I'm in the edits cave today and probably for the next few days working on the first round of edits for Damek's Redemption. I'll be making the changes my editor wants and generally making the book better. See you when I'm done. :)

Have an excellent Monday!

The Renovation Starts Now...

Okay, so I'm not exactly doing renovations. What I am working on is edits for an upcoming book. But, really, it's not so different from a full-scale renovation.

What do they have in common? Well, for one thing, tearing things apart. Sometimes a book has a problem that requires a writer to cut some things out of a scene and rebuild it. Sure it requires time and work and can make you want to rip your hair out. But, in the end, the book is much better for it.

The revision process can be a long one or a short one. It really depends on the book. Sometimes something that might seem like an easy fix will really require a lot of fancy maneuvering and quite a bit of time. Sound familiar. Sure, honey, I can just take down this wall here. It won't cause any extra work. NOT! The revision process can be very similar.

The whole idea of both is to make whatever your working on better. And that's why I love the revision process. Sure it's messy. Yes, it requires ripping apart something you've already sweated over and built over weeks and months of work. But it's worth it when you see the final product and the book is even better than you imagined it could ever be.

So, thank you to all the editors I've had the honor to work with over the past seven years. You've all taught me so much and made me a better writer.

Now it's back to edits before my editor catches me goofing off.

Have a wonderful day!

Doing Galley Proofs...

I blinked and it was Wednesday. Where is this week going?

I'm off doing galley proofs for A Touch of Magick, which will be out in print in September. Hopefully, after that, I'll be back at my WIP.

May the force be with you. :)

Edits and Editors

I'd done with edits and have sent them back to my editor. Thankfully, there wasn't much to fix in this manuscript. No major plot points gone awry. Mostly grammer (darn commas) and word choice and the occasional minor problem.

A lot of writers don't enjoy doing edits. But I'm not one of them. While edits can be frustrating sometimes (I've been known to want to bang my head against the wall on occasion), they are also a signal that I'm getting closer to releasing a new book. That's always exciting. It's challenging and rewarding to make your work even better. And the time and distance away from the book between submission time and edits gives you a fresh eye when it's time to do edits.

I've had seven different editors since I started writing six years ago and I owe them all a great debt. I've learned so much from these incredible professionals. Editors don't get enough credit. They work in the background, helping to bring out the best in writers and their books. Each and every book I've ever edited I've learned something new about myself as a writer. That, hopefully, makes me a better writer for my next book.

So next time you're reading a book by your favorite author, stop and think about the person behind the scenes--the editor. Their hard work has helped make the book an even better read.

Have a fabulous Wednesday!

In The Edits Cave

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*
*

Actually, my computer hasn't crashed at all. But I am in the edits cave working on edits for my next Legacy book for Samhain. Today, and until I'm finished, I'll be wrangling werewolves. *g* It's a tough job but someone has to do it.

*

See you when I'm done.

New Contest and Edits!

To celebrate the upcoming release of my Ellora's Cave Quickie, Lassoing Lara, I'm holding a contest. Go to my website and click on my "contests" page for details on how you can enter for a chance to win.

I'm also in the edits cave working on edits for my next Legacy book, due out in August. I'm hoping to be finished by Friday. *fingers crossed*

Have a wonderful Tuesday!