Editing Tip: Beta Readers

So you've finished writing. You've gone over the manuscript for content development and grammar revisions. You have a version you are proud of and want to get someone else's opinion. Maybe you already have someone in mind. Here are a few things to keep in mind before giving your manuscript for someone to read over:
1. Make sure your readers are interest in the subject of the book. You may be such an amazing writer that you are able to make someone who hates fantasy love your book; but be mindful to select people who will want to read your book. Don't confuse this with selecting "yes" readers. Selecting readers who actually like the genre is not to ensure you get positive feedback, but to ensure you actually get good, quality, feedback.

2. Find readers who will provide constructive criticism. I once gave an early draft of My Not So Normal Life to a co-worker. I worked in publishing at the time and thought this might be the person to give me some feedback. In hindsight, the book wasn't ready and needed more work. What I got back from her was a simple "Don't quit your day job." It was soul crushing. I would later find readers who gave me more feedback and have helped strengthen my book. But I still hear those words echoing through my head.

3. Be diplomatic about asking and following up with your readers. Be polite, don't pester, give them time.

4. Ask multiple people to be readers. And if possible, let them see the other readers' comments. For My Not So Normal Life I allowed my Beta Readers to read the document in a file sharing program. One of my readers read the prologue and didn't like a paragraph, but she decided not to comment on it since she could see another reader's comment praising the paragraph. Being able to see the comment, reminded my one reader that some aspects of a book will not be universally loved.

5. Don't seek solely praise. If you get it, that's great. Congratulations! But remember, you're still in the editing phase. Meaning you want to have weaknesses pointed out now so they can be fixed. Don't be the Emperor with No Clothes.

Editing Tip #3: Dialogue

Have you ever read a book and thought "that's not how people talk"? I get this a lot with some children and young adult books. When editing, make sure to pay close attention to the dialogue. Read the dialogue aloud. Hearing how the character speaks will help. When reviewing the dialogue, keep a few things in mind:

-does the words, grammar, sentence structure fit in with the character's personality. (Ex. a British character will say "Mum" instead of "Mom" and a small child may not have perfect grammar or big words)
-does your character have any distinguishing features with how he/she speaks? If the character stammers (occasionally) consider "P-p-p-p-please," over "Please"
-Does the dialogue give too much away. Don't have a villain who explains everything including his/her motivation. You can allude to backstory, but be mindful of saying everything.

When you are done reviewing it, ask a trusted friend about any sections you still aren't sure about. In the editing process, as many set of eyes as possible is always helpful.

Writing Tip #2: Development

Probably the most common problem I see in writing (both my own and others') is not telling enough of the story. I have the vision of my character in my head. I know who she is. I know what she looks like. I know why is acts the way she does. Some stuff is obvious to me. But it's not to my readers if I don't describe it. I can be a very rushed writer. I have the ideas and need to get them out as fast as I can. That's not bad, but it means that I need to go back and add in any missing information. Then, when I have a draft I have read over, I give it to David and my sister. They read over it. David will ask me questions about character development and tell me how he envisioned certain characters. Katie will tell me where I rushed over the description of the book and give me suggestions for how to enhance the story. To the writers reading this, find these people. The ones who will not passively read your manuscript and tell you it's good. I have read too many published books where I have felt the book needed another set of eyes. Ones where the motivation for a character was lacking or where support characters had not unique features and were interchangeable. 

My advice for this week: Make sure the story and characters in your head get on the page. 

Do that by the following: 

-get a pack of note cards. Each time a character or place is introduced, write the name on one side. And on the reverse side, write the words used to describe that place or character. Might seem tedious, but it will help with consistency and as a check that you described everything. 

-when reading ask why this is happening. Why does the hero continue on his quest and not go back home when conflict arises? Why would two characters be friends if they seem to be an odd pairing? How would a character react to hearing certain dialogue? These are questions readers may be asking themselves when they are reading. When you ask the questions, make sure your book answers them. 

-get readers to read your book and concentrate on development. Yes, typos will annoy the reader, but so will an underdeveloped story. 

Writing Tip:

Writing Tips:

Welcome to November, hopefully everyone who had been participating on NaNoWriMo was successful. My post today is for everyone who has a draft of a manuscript and has the question: Now what?

When I began writing novels as a teenager I got so excited about finishing a manuscript that I'd immediately give it to my sisters to read. They were interested in reading it, if nothing else just to see what I had created. Looking back, my mistake was a big one: I didn't self-edit. Now, I HATE, ABHOR, and LOATHE editing. It can be tedious and is a lot of hard work. You  as the writer go from finishing a book, thinking it is awesome then have to turn a critical eye to it. It's not fun. But you have to do it. I was lucky my sisters were supportive and kept reading through the sentence fragments and undeveloped plot (commonplace in a first draft) and gave me constructive criticism to develop and edit my book.

Give your unpolished manuscript to someone with less constructiveness and you'll get the advice I got from one unnamed family member of "don't quit your day job." Next week I'll discuss the importance of having second or beta readers, but this week I want to focus on how to edit what you've just written.

Here are my 5 tips for how to edit your book:

1. Print out the book on paper. You'll find a lot more mistakes on paper than on a computer screen. Also, it is the first time you'll be able to hold up your book and show it off and get to talk about it.

"What are you doing?" someone asks while you edit your book.
"Just editing my book," you respond nonchalantly, with a tilt of your head.
"What? You wrote that? What's it about?" the person asks.
"It's a epic adventure story set in the wild west."

2. Use a colored pen and write on the manuscript. Use post it notes if there isn't enough margin space. Don't keep the pages clean from marks. Marks are good, they mean you're improving your book.

3. Write legibly. I had a professor who loved to bleed over everyone's papers. She had sloppy handwriting and used a felt tip pen. The only way her writing could have been sloppier is if she used her foot to write. Inputting the edits became so much harder. And with editing the easier you make it on your self the more likely you'll actually get through it.

4. Take some time between finishing writing and editing. Read a book. Then another. And maybe one more (depending on your time schedule and how fast you can read). Pick some books with a similar genre or theme to yours. Don't copy from the books, but see if there is anything those writers did that you liked or didn't like.

5. When your editing, ask yourself questions.
Why is the character acting that way?
Why does the setting look like that?
How does the character feel at any given point?
What is the purpose of the chapter?

Finding Time to Write

When you have a full time job, long commute and demanding dog who likes multiple walks a night there is little time to write. Many writers advise writing first thing in the morning. I put these people in the same camp as those who awake early to exercise. I am not one of those people. My alarm is set to give me just enough time to brush my teeth, brush my hair, get dressed (usually doing all three simultaneously), pack my lunch and breakfast (breakfast is eaten at my desk at work), walk Robin Hood, and make it to train just as it is pulling into the station.

After work, my evenings are usually packed with walking Robin Hood (he prefers at least two long walks a night), making dinner, preparing my lunch and breakfast, exercising (if I am really lucky), reflecting on the day with David, showering (because I have no time to blow dry my hair in the morning) and going to bed.

So when do I find the time to write? I pack it into any break I can come across. Mostly I write on the train to and from work and during my lunch hour. To my boss who sits in the adjoining office, the mad typing sounds you hear resonating through the walls during the noon hour are not in connection with our work, sorry. If Robin Hood is not too demanding for a third walk or if dinner requires simmering I will write in the evenings, but that is not always easy to manage.

As a teenager and college student I found time to write during my jobs as a receptionist in a convent and working the check-out desk at my school’s library. I was so blessed. I miss those days. My muse was allowed to be with me for hours on end. Now, she is given restricted times to visit me. It has taken a lot of discipline, perseverance and tenacity to be creative on a schedule. But for over a year now I have managed a hectic schedule and demands of life and written several books. Sure, my house isn’t super clean and I may not work out everyday, but I have completed what I have set out to complete.

Traveling

I spent the first part of my life a homebody. I wrote the adventures of Lily in My Not So Normal Life, because I was too scared to travel. Then I heard of a trip in college, Literary London. I can’t say what drew me to the trip, maybe I was just ready to actually live an adventure.

I found myself in London. I learned how to stand up for myself, that I could survive away from my family, and met my best friend. Since returning from London I have traveled to Switzerland and Ireland and visited several more states in the United States.

Each time I go I discover something about myself, good and bad. In Roanoke, VA I learned I don’t like to travel alone; in Ireland I learned that with David by my side I could be braver than I knew; in Malibu, CA I learned that the sight and sound of the ocean was a great muse; in Switzerland I learned that fondue and wine lead to bad hangovers.

Climbing the Mountain

I am petrified of heights. Always have been. As a child, my dad rented a cherry picker to do some work on our two story house. My sisters rode it up over the house and touched the chimney. I got eye level with the top of the first floor windows and my knees buckled and I crouched down, trying to get closer to the ground.

This past March, David and I traveled to Ireland in celebration of my 30th birthday. Aside: David really enjoys that in lieu of birthday or Valentine’s Day presents we do something, since he doesn’t like shopping.

I knew that Ireland was full of greenery and castles. I didn’t know it had so many cliffs.

One day, as we drove and hiked along the Dingle Peninsula, we came upon a cliff. It probably only rose 50-75 feet in the air, nothing compared to the others cliffsides we’d visited earlier in our trip. But still formidable to me. David asked if we could climb up it. I said okay and willed my feet to move forward. As we climbed over the stone fence blocking off the highest part of the hill, I forced myself to keep going. David encouraged me and was patient, not going too fast and allowing my timid feet to move at their own slow pace. He joked about parts of the drop off being angled so I wouldn’t plunge to my death if I fell over, first I’d roll a bit.

I reached the summit proud of my accomplishment. David praised me for going as far as I did.

I wish I could say that conquered my fear of heights. Unfortunately, as the wind picked up and my scarf whipped against my face I felt the familiar buckle in my knees. My heart raced and I crouched close to the ground. Had it not been for all the sheep poop on the ground I may have been tempted to lay down on the clifftop. But David held me close and waited for my panic attack to subside before he led me back down the cliff.

My fear of heights is still there, but it doesn’t control me as much as it used to.