Category: editing
Powerful Vowels
SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) has a wonderful writer’s retreat each year. One year Darcy Pattison presented a discussion on the power of words, especially the energy of vowels. As readers and writers her ideas will shed light on how authors heighten energy in their stories. Here are a few details that may inspire you to occasionally stop and re-read for a different purpose. **High energy vowels include long e (tree), short i (sit) and long a (say). Compare these two sentences. Decide which provides more energy into the writing. The autumn I was seventeen, the nightmare...
Book Trailer for for Ballet Trilogy and Interview with Videographer Emily Hill
Book Trailers are one way authors introduce readers to their books. My dear friend, Emily Hill created a lovely book trailer for my ballet-themed books: 84 Ribbons, When the Music Stops – Dance On, and Letters to Follow – A Dancer’s Adventure. She took my ideas and massaged them into this lovely tribute to ballet. After watching her work, I decided my blog followers might enjoy a peek behind the scenes of how she organized the trailer. Here’s her brief interview. Your book, The Ghost Chaser’s Daughter had an amazing book trailer. When and how did you get started making...
Writers VS Editors ? I Think Not!
Authors may feel the relationship between themselves and their editors are contentious times. I’ve had only great experiences so far. For me, the time I spend with my editors is invigorating. We share our concerns about my work: word choices, punctuation errors, pacing on the page as well as whether a sentence or paragraph progresses the story. We discuss my ‘why’ verses their ‘concern’. Often I concede that what I meant and what I wrote are not in harmony. Then we work through the section, make adjustments to help the reader understand my meaning, and move on. In the process...
Ending and Beginnings
My trilogy is ending as 2016 begins. It’s a bit nostalgic to think I’ll soon be stepping away from Marta, Lynne, and their friends and families. I say that hoping that their stories will continue on in reader’s minds when they think of real dancers, teens, growing up, making life-changing and life-shaping decisions. Since I’ve lived with the characters for so long they are as real to me as you, my readers. I’ve hoped to share their dreams as well as their day-to-day reality, their ability to wiggle out of tense situations and their joy of dancing and life. As...
December? Already?
Where did the year disappear to so quickly? Last week was summer wasn’t it? Or maybe September? But December…so soon? My writing goals took a hit earlier this year when we had problems with the covers on When the Music Stops- Dance On. That slowed my event planning which in turn pushed back my writing time on the last book in the trilogy, Letters to Follow. Talk about the domino effect!! Now, as 2015 ends, I’m hoping I’ve found the ending to book three. I have a clear resolution to most all the issues left unfinished in the first two...
Even New York Times Authors Write Wrong
I have several favorite contemporary authors I enjoy when I read to escape for awhile. Recently I read a book by a well-known NYTimes author and almost choked on one of her glitchy sentences. See what you think. (The following is one sentence with the character names changed to protect that author from embarrassment as she writes another 2-3 books before the end of the year.) She walked out to get the phone, and heard, as she assured Hannah the baby was fine, was sleeping like an angel, had been no trouble at all, the front door close behind him....
Part THREE: Sending the Book Forward (publisher and printer)
My publisher, Tendril Press, is called a small press. It produces about a dozen books a year. I’m lucky enough to have extra support as well as input with regard to book title, character names, and cover details as well as final approval of the almost finished book. The publisher, Karin Hoffman, is also a graphic artist. She’s the one who designs the cover, the page details, etc that I feel sets my book apart from mass marketed books. She does the final layout then sends it to me one last time for my read-through and final approval. After that,...
Part TWO: The Editing Process (formal edits)
I am fortunate to have excellent editors helping me refine my books. The first editors offer informal feedback, the second editors are people I pay to work out the kinks. Both serve an important purpose. Let me introduce you to my second level of editors, my formal editors. After my critique groups suggestions are incorporated into my writing, I contact and pay for edits by people who help me ‘fix’ errors in story line, overuse of favored words, punctuation, etc. Usually they are not familiar with my story which is a distinct advantage for me; they do not know anything...