Come for the Mysteries. Stay for the Characters.
If you have finished a story or article or any kind of writing, you will need to edit it. This post from The Write Conversation provides very helpful definitions for the four types of editing and in what order you should do them. This post concerns novels but these editing processes can be applied to any written work.
As the new year begins, I am deeply involved in what I would call a line edit. I will write about what I am learning over the next few months.
Every year my husband asks me for a Christmas list, and every year I come up with a few books which I must own a hard copy. To qualify for my list, it has to be a book I know I will read, reread, and re-reread over coming years. The problem with my list is that I often pick books that are out of print and hard to find.
This year, I received from my in-laws The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries. I talked about it earlier this month. Because it’s made up of short stories, both classic and modern, it has wide appeal and you can dive in anywhere.
Did you get books for Christmas? Digital or paper? What titles and why did you ask for them?
This post from business author and speaker Anita Agers-Brooks offers wonderful literary gifts ideas if you are still have people on your Christmas gift list. I love that writing gifts can be personalized. From the twelve ideas Ms. Angers-Brooks lists, I especially like #1, #2, #10, and #11. #10 concerns using puns as gifts ideas, and I have a definite weakness for punny humor.
In a previous post, I wrote about other literary gifts you can give. I have given poems in the past.
Have you ever given or received a literary gift? If so, what was it?
Recently, I was attempting to edit, or maybe I should say, re-re-re-edit my YA novel, using techniques I had learned in Understanding Show, Don’t Tell by Janice Hardy. Agent and author Tessa Emily Hall recommended the book to me.
While I was working, I dropped into my writing zone. It doesn’t happen very often, and usually only when I am doing original writing, straight out of my imagination. When I get into my zone, my entire mind is occupied with writing. I’m not thinking of anything else, not the laundry, or how my kids are doing at school, or even what’s going on outside my window.
It feels like I’m underwater, immersed in a strange, new world. When I surface from my writing zone, I might actually need to gulp a breath, as if I’ve just come up diving deep. My surroundings seem strange to me. When I take a break from writing, it may take me several minutes to over an hour to acclimatize myself to reality again.
Do you ever dive into a writing zone? What does it feel like? When does it occur? I would love to hear what other writers experience!
JPC Allen Writes