It's not as easy as it looks

 I've been at this job for almost 20 years professionally, and I can't tell you how many people over the years have commented on how easy writing must be. You just sit down and write a story and voila! You're done. Nope. Not quite that simple.

Taking a story from a point of inspiration to a finished product takes lots of hours and hard work, and for the most part, I love that work. Imagine reading the same story over and over and over and over until you know every word almost by heart. By the time I've reached the end, before the editing starts, I've already read the book probably a dozen times. I read to get a "running start" on the day. I read to check for what I've already written. I read to see if it makes sense. I read to ground myself in a character. The test of whether or not I take it to market is whether, after reading it a dozen times, I'm still invested in the story. 

For the most part, I have a good handle on structure, on character goals, on motivation, on conflict, on plot. When I discover myself getting lost along the writing path, I stop to consider what I've missed. Is the story moving forward? Are the characters developing and growing along their character arc? Generally, when I get stuck, it's because I'm writing words and not writing a story. As long as I'm invested in the people I've created, I can find the story, fix it, and move ahead.

Sometimes the stories are easy to write. They flow easily (despite the inevitable muddle in the middle), although there are some that require a lot more thought and craft. So why am I writing this post today?

I've been teasing my next book for several weeks now, a book I wrote while touring canyon country. I'd set it aside after I wrote the first draft (ten years ago!) and left it there. One of my friends asks me about it every so often. She'd read it and said she really liked it. So here I am, resurrecting it. Ten years ago, my skills weren't as mature as they are now, so I've spent a large amount of time correcting "the basics." Picking up a rough copy was HARD WORK, but I persisted. The story was there, it just wasn't "clean." When I finished, I sent it to my editor, and after "sweet sixteen" books together, she sent me the first really tough comments I've ever had from her (or at least that I remember). Don't get me wrong - tough comments are good. They tell me I'm not done putting the work in. After twenty years, I've learned to put the work in during the writing process rather than trying to fix a completed project. 

So back to work, fixing the problems that remain. I'm grateful to my critique partners and my editor for sticking with me on an ugly, older, unrefined manuscript. The good news is that I'm close to a marketable product, but I'm here to tell you - this writing gig isn't as easy as it looks.

And now, in case you're looking for a Halloween treat, have I mentioned that one of my bundles is on sale through the end of the month? Four ghost stories from The Epitaph Series, the McCormick collection, are available for just $1.99. Grab it while it's hot!

Buy it here

Christmas books, already?

 I've been getting notifications for dozens of Christmas books! It isn't even Halloween! I suppose people want to start stockpiling for the weeks ahead, but for me, it's still TOO EARLY.

Okay, now that I got that off my chest...

The autumn leaves are just about done. The colors this year have been outstanding! Brilliant crimsons and sunny yellows and burnt orange. Kind of like taking pictures of snow in the winter, I can't seem to stop taking pictures of the pretty colored trees on my walks when I get out and about. I suppose some of that is because the colors aren't as vivid every year. Sometimes the leaves just die and fall, or sometimes the colors aren't as uniform, so you get more half-and-half trees. Like with the snow. I take pictures because "look how pretty," or "look how deep it's getting." Every snowfall is different (even when it's the same) and every autumn is different.

{clever segue coming up}

And THIS autumn, I've written something a little different (even when it's still kind of the same). Years ago, I wrote a book while traveling through canyon country, but I thought it was too far from what my readers normally expect from me and shelved it. With all this hanging around at home stuff, I pulled it out off the shelf and decided to share it. After all, one of my favorite authors used to change things up regularly, from historical to contemporary and sometimes a little spooky. I'm hoping my readers are willing to take the ride with me. I'm expecting edits for CANYON LEGACY from my editor today. I'm also revisiting my friends in Hillendale and writing the fourth installment in that series.

While you're waiting, if you're looking for a Christmas book, I have two options to consider, one "sweet" - the Hallmark variety of book (WHILE WE WERE SHOPPING) and one steeped in legend with a psychic twist (MIST ON THE MEADOW) - in case you needed a recommendation. 😉

ARC and Beta copies

I often forget when I read an ARC or beta copy that its prepub and uncorrected. I’m not alone. As I’m reading for a friend, I’m seeing the errors. I know my ARC readers always send me the errors they find. How distracting is that? 

 Beta readers can expect more errors, simply by the fact the author is looking for feedback on what works and what doesn't. Technically, its still in development (although it should be darn close to done). The author is the alpha reader by virtue of creating it, and they're looking for a second opinion, or beta reader.

There there's the ARC. I know I've released a couple of books to ARC readers that were uncorrected, and I heard about it. An ARC should be one step away from a final version. That doesn't necessarily mean perfect, but the errors should be minimal, if any. This is the version that is in queue for publication. I've read uncorrected ARCs by other authors, too, but I've also received feedback on uncorrected ARCs of mine that the remaining errors turned readers off. For that reason, I've stopped sending "uncorrected" ARCs. The last couple I've sent out were "one proof" away from final (which means they'd been through multiple sets of eyes to spot those pesky errors that don't want to be caught). Even at that stage of production, there are bound to be errors, and I thank my readers for pointing them out to me. 

As a reader, how annoyed are you with errors when reading an advance reader copy or beta reading for the purpose of providing feedback to the author? Do you accept that those mistakes will likely be cleaned up before the book is finalized? 

Writing Boom and the value of a good editor

When I made my appointment with the editor for my next book, she told me there has been a writing boom. Every author or would-be author has been taking advantage of the enforced downtime to be creative. Getting onto her schedule has required more planning than in the past. I'm delighted for her (she's an excellent editor). For me, that means working to a deadline more than I have in the past. Normally, I'm ahead of my deadlines anyway - a good position to be in. Now I actually have to figure out how long it will take me to write the next book and "book it" months in advance.

I have been with my editor through "sweet" sixteen books. I've tried other editors randomly, one at the beginning (we were NOT a good fit) and another one somewhere in the middle. The thing about editors is having a relationship where you trust their judgment and their industry knowledge. I have an excellent critique group that frequently catches my miscues and has helped me refine my craft, but we are a diverse group. We write different genres, so some of the comments I get don't "cross genres." As with any form of criticism, I often furrow my brow and grumble under my breath until I realize the value of what they're trying to tell me, but sometimes they're just flat out wrong. How much of that is arrogance on my part? That right there - that's where I value my editor the most. I've been writing long enough to know when a critique is spot on (whether I like it or not) and when to disregard the comment. Then there are times when I second-guess myself, and having an editor in my genre who knows "the rules" I'm supposed to abide by is invaluable. For those comments that make me grumbly and I disagree with, it's nice to have validation. 

Editors provide different services, and the other thing about finding "the right" editor is one who complements your skills. No one person is infallible. I have been known to make mistakes, as one of my former coworkers so kindly pointed out on one of my previous blog posts. Editors fall into that category, as well. As a proofreader at the day job, I often ran across instances where five different people overlooked the same mistake. It happens. For that reason, I proof my books several different ways - on screen, on paper, with a narrator. And when I'm done, I read it again. Almost every pass, another mistake will pop up. It happens. I like to believe the multiple passes with the varied ways to force myself to either see or hear the words instead of skimming (because I know what it's suppose to say) help to eliminate the majority of them. Proofreading is a strength of mine. I lean on my editor for different skills - developmental editing and industry knowledge. As a matter of course, she will point out the mechanical errors as well, as she runs across them, but I don't rely on her to catch that stuff. She becomes "the second set of eyes." 

With all that being said, I can say without any hesitation that my books are better for having a professional editor. Thanks, Kelly. And happy sweet sixteen.