Monday, May 12, 2014

The Silence Breaks!

I know, I know. It's been quite a long time since I've blogged about anything going on in my writing world. I apologize for the silence, but I assure you that I haven't been filling the void with frivolous endeavors.

The main thing that's been sucking up my time has been preparing for my adventure with the JET Program. I'll be flying to Japan in August for an adventure teaching abroad, experiencing a new culture, and a healthy dose of growing up. Don't worry, I still plan on writing more YA fiction and chronicling my writing journey halfway around the world! Just expect this blog to turn into a author-travel journal hybrid in a few months.

So, let's get back to the writing journey. After a grace period of waiting in limbo, I got my first round of edits. Editing is not for the faint of heart. Now, I thought I'd seen the bottom of the ego barrel after 50+ agent rejection letters. Hell, even that humiliating creative writing course seems more uplifting when compared to reading my first edits. Imagine someone taking your only child or pet, criticizing it and its upbringing, and then telling you that you have to cut off an arm or sever a paw to make it better. That's about how editing feels. Thankfully I forced myself to simply take in the critiques once before typing anything in the comments margin. I'm glad I refrained from typing the biting words of an emotionally wounded creature. Without editing, we would have a lot of fat-headed authors in this world, one of them being myself.

I am, in no way, trying to insult my editor. She has been fantastic and a pleasure to work with for both rounds of edits. I just want to show how hard it is for someone to watch her cherished work be so objectively scrutinized. But, like physical therapy or an invasive surgery, it was all for the best. My editor pointed out some very good changes and some really stupid mistakes on my part, and I know the end result is a much more succinct story for my future readers' enjoyment. I also know that I can cross out "editor" on my future career possibilities. It takes a very special person to successfully do such a necessary job. If I couldn't be a hard ass in my creative writing class, there's no chance in hell that I could accurately dissect someone's years of toil and love.

So what's next on the literary agenda? Cover art! I'm mostly excited about this, as I do tend to judge books by their covers. It also means that I can start pimping out my social media with visual proof that I did indeed write a novel that is coming out soon.

Guess it also means I have some work to do this summer!

Until next time~

-Fred

3 comments:

  1. Congratulations on your contract and for getting through that first edit. I agree, it's one of the most painful things to go through but it does get better. I somehow see it as the labour pains of birthing your book into the world. Writing it was like the pregnancy but the editing it the really painful pushing it out into the world, lol. All the best with your release when it comes out.

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  2. Great post! The cover art part of the whole process was the funnest for me! Well, besides the actual writing! I love getting lost in a good story! :)

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  3. Totally understand about seeing your baby in someone else's hands with a red pen! However, my editor at AP was wonderful (Paula) and will never forget all the good advice she gave me.

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