Working with a development editor.

It is sobering to work with a development editor.

When every sentence, every punctuation mark comes under some-one else’s scrutiny it makes an author take a hard critical look at their work. 

When it’s pointed out….that this sentence takes away from the drama of a scene… or this description of a character should have appeared a few paragraphs earlier…or being told that this scene adds nothing to the overall story… is a salutary experience.

I keep scratching my head, thinking why couldn’t I see that? And the answer is painfully obvious. As the author, you tend to read the words that are on the page. You are too close to the story and often a book needs the author to take that step further back and see the manuscript through the eyes of an unbiased reader.

I have been working a with Rachel Blackbirdsong  through the 10Day Book Club on the edits of A FARMER TAKES A WIFE. The 10daybookclub is run by Gayle Grosse and you can read more details of their service here… www.10daybookclub.com

These edits are almost done. it’s been a painstaking process. One that involves, deleting, rewriting, adding a scene here and there to make some vital point, then rewriting, deleting and adding some more. It’s been a huge learning curve, and one I have enjoyed tremendously.

That’s the joy of being an author…you’re never done learning and I am one of those people who really enjoy learning new things… I remember my dear old dad, he was a self educated man, and told me so often, “Charlie  (he always called me that) unless you’re learning something new every day, you’re not living.”

The older I get the more I appreciate his homespun wisdom.  

For my readers who have been waiting patiently for this book… The third in the series, THE MULLEINS OF KATHERINE BAY  I’m sure you’re not going to be disappointed.

Tags: editing, featured, The Mulleins of Katherine Bay

Published on Sunday, March 31st, 2013, under Latest News