My Editor's Notes

Today I received my editor's notes from the manuscript of A Mending at the Edge, the third and final book in my Change and Cherish series. I crave this kind of feedback and am so grateful that she gives me both an overview of what she likes and what she hopes I won't delete and where she thinks the story lags or needs improvement. Both are valued. For some writer friends I have, their agent acts as an early editor but I've been privileged -- and I do feel it is that -- to have had really fine editors who give me their studied and experienced response so I can make changes before submitted for acceptance and meeting my deadline.
Before these comments arrived, I'd read Elizabeth Lyon's A Writer's Guide to Fiction so I already knew something I needed to work on: clarity of protagonist purpose. You'd think after spending months writing the book, then sending it off, that I'd have figured that out! But it was only AFTER I sent it off and have a few weeks away from it and had read Elizabeth's book that I realized what was missing. I'd highly recommend that book but also the use of freelance editors if you don't have the gift of a publisher's editor to work with.
I've printed my editor's comments out and will now let them "cook" as I drive the 100 mile round trip to the nearest store where I can access yogurt and sweet potatoes as part of my errand-running day. I do some of my best thinking in the car and often tell people if they see me pulled over to not stop as I'm probably making notes. For a writer, a hybrid is a good thing because when I do pull over to write a note or two, the car turns off!
But before I leave I need to write my monthly memo for my website, update some scheduled events I added over the weekend so my webmaster/niece can add them, send some addresses from my guest book signed at events I had last week (to my other niece who keeps the mailing list) and work on the class I've agreed to teach at Write! Canada in June and write the three posts I'll send to http://Charisconnection.blogspot.com a blog for those interested in Christian and inspirational writing. I'd best get at it. I hope your day goes well. Jane

Entering the blog age

As I wrote "blog age" what I heard was "blockage" and that's part of what has kept me from creating a blog, a blockage of skill and information and not wanting to look foolish as I try out these new things on the computer. But my friends at Women Writing the West, a writers group I belong to, have spurred me on so here I am. I even added a photograph that seems a little large but maybe I'll find a way to reduce it. Later. Right now I will celebrate that I've learned something new and didn't have to break my arm to do it! Afterall, even old rats grow new brain cells when given new mazes to learn. This is my newest maze.