The Joy and Pain of Editing

I'm not updating the blog quite as much during the summer, partly because it's good to have a slight break from constant online activity while the sun shines, and partly because I'm in the middle of edits for my new full length historical from Tirgearr Publishing, Midwinter Masquerade, which will be published late October/early November, all being well.

This has been an interesting novel to work on, as I had already sliced about 5,000 words off my original manuscript before even submitting to Tirgearr - much needed redrafting and sorting of some plot problems. Not that it was anywhere near perfect even then, of course. But after acceptance, my lovely editor got to work with me. I love this part of the book's progress to publication. We need a professional, objective eye cast over our 'baby' as we're far too close to the words, ideas and plot lines we create.

This is where it helps to have a good, trusting working relationship with an editor. I couldn't be happier with GA as she spots inconsistencies and repetitions and makes excellent suggestions which I then incorporate into the story in my own voice. Sometimes, we have to get rid of passages that add nothing to the story and which might actually slow it down, at other times I have to add more. I hope she would agree that my failings are not to do with grammar or punctuation and such basics on the whole but, oh boy, you should see the list of words I tend to repeat which I have now printed out and left on my desk for future work! And I tend to get carried away with the story and cause all kinds of needless complications in the plot for my characters at times.

But it's all worth it in the end when that next novel sits on Amazon begging to be read, so I'm taking a deep breath before tackling the next few chapters and can now see the glimmer of light at the far end of the tunnel. At least when I'm working on another novel, or any piece of writing, I can arm myself with that list of 'words to watch' and hopefully make the editor's job a bit easier in future. Now if I could only become more of a plotter and less of a pantster, that might get rid of some unnecessary complications in the next novel. The joys of writing and editing - and learning more with every single publication!

Rosemary