Tag: Editing

When You Want Something Done, Ask A (Crazy) Busy Person To Do It

authorledelano

So I’ve got a book to partially rewrite.

And I blog – on multiple platforms.

I need to write three different freelance articles this week.

I work full-time and I’m gearing up for a big project there.

My son’s IEP is next week (for those of you without a special-needs kid, this is where they tell me they’re cutting some of his therapy to save money and where I tell them I’m not signing a damn thing and we’re going to go a few rounds over this until you give him what he needs).

My daughter has her first Homecoming dance on Saturday.

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Sometimes You Need To Look Back To Move Forward

authorledelano

One of the things that came out of my brainstorming session with the editors last week was a complete change in how I’m ending my epic tale.

Yep. You read that right.

Once we started really firming up the rules of this universe I’d invented, and the way the characters behaved within the confines of those rules, I had to face one big, immutable truth:

I had set up my story from my protagonist’s point of view and then planned to snatch it away from her at the last minute and hand it over to somebody else in the story.

It was going to have been an amazing plot twist, one guaranteed to make people smack their foreheads and say “Wow!”

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Under Construction: Where Do I Begin?

authorledelano

So I need to overhaul my book, not a complete rewrite, mind you, just some demolition and remodeling work, but still…it can look a little overwhelming if I let myself dwell on it too long.

So where do I start?

I just do. I’m going to take a line from one of my favorite movie songs and start at the very beginning. It’s a very fine place to start.

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We Love Your Book! Except We Need To Change Your Book! #amwriting #YA

authorledelano

So I didn’t get my full-on edit letter yesterday, as I thought. Instead, we sat down over lunch – and in a conference room for nearly five hours and hashed over the universe I’d built, the special powers that I’d given to certain characters, and how we could simplify all of this to make it a lot easier to follow.

The general agreement (among my editors and the fans who gave feedback on the contest site) is that the book was fun and unique and romantic and thrilling and they loved, loved, loved the characters, but some of the fantastical elements were hard to follow and at times seemed contradictory.

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Tomorrow’s The Big Day (She Says Apprehensively): I Get My Edit Letter

authorledelano

Well, tomorrow’s the big day. Not only am I meeting my editor (and the rest of whoever I get to meet at the publishing company) and my agent face-to-face, but I’m also getting my Edit Letter.

This is where my editor and her compatriot editor sit and rip my baby apart in front of me and tell me how they think I can improve upon the DNA and raising of my child.

Sounds harsh, doesn’t it? I mean…as an author, this book is my baby. I’ve slaved over it. Cried over it. Beaten my head against a desk for it more than a few times. I’ve agonized and laughed hysterically and shoved it out into the cold, cruel world begging for it to be noticed. And it has. It has been noticed.

Those critical eyes also noticed that it needs some tweaking, some polishing, some “where can we go with this” suggestions. And God help me, I’m sure they’ll have some “this has to go” suggestions, too.

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This Week Is A Big Week: I’m Heading To The Big Apple To Meet My Editor & Agent

authorledelano

NYC_Apple

This is a big week for me! On Wednesday, I’m off to the Big Apple to meet my editor face-to-face. We’re going to sit down and hash over my book, pull some things apart, discuss some things, and when that’s all through, I head a few blocks over and meet my agent face-to-face and we talk about all that I just did and all that I have yet to do and we’ll probably eat dessert.

Okay, there’s no probably about it.

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