Writing

Editing, as it turns out, is one of those processes that could go on indefinitely. It is, I fear, only the deadline that will bring the matter to an end.

And, of course, I had to go and make the process even longer by changing my mind mid-way through about what I wanted.

Something wasn’t working and I couldn’t put my finger on it. And then the answer came to me in a flash. Cue a rather large re-write which I’m currently in the process of. My editor is being very patient.

What’s my process?

Listening to my instincts. If something feels off, there’s no point in glossing over it, being lazy or pretending no one else will notice. Readers are sharp and they’ve given up their time to read my book. The very least I can do is give them the same courtesy and put time into editing. Tempting though it might be to tell myself I’m overthinking/the book doesn’t need these drastic edits/it’ll all be fine, I didn’t. And I think the book is going to be much better because of it.

How do I edit?

I have gone through my editor’s suggestions and then, using tracked changes, taken an axe to some portions and a quill to others.

I find my brain can’t process the novel in a Word document format, so I change it into that of a professional book (using Reedsy’s editor) and then go over it on my phone, scribbling down any notes in the margins. So far, I’ve done a lot of scribbling. I then go back into the Word document and make those changes.

At the moment, I’m especially looking to improve the flow and make the novel feel less like non-stop action and more like a cohesive story that won’t leave readers feeling like their brains have just been mangled.

When is the deadline?

11 March. Which isn’t very far away.

What’s left to do?

I’m going to finish up this round of reading the formatted book and then making edits. Then format it again with the new edits and read it another time. Then send back to Emma, my lovely editor.

Emma will go through what I’ve done, see if she agrees, make any tweaks to spelling and grammar and I’ve asked her particularly to make any suggestions about improving the flow.

What would your editing process would be? Have you any tips for me? I’d love to hear all about it in the comments.

An email arrived in my author inbox today (the first email that came from an actual person and wasn’t spam.)

Who was the email from, I hear absolutely nobody ask?

It was from my newly-assigned editor, the lovely Emma, who had already completed an initial proofread of Venom and Blaze. In my day job as a copywriter and editor, it’s usually me who completes edits and sends chunky word docs back to clients, so it feels a little unnerving to be on the receiving end of an edit.

So what happens next?

I will take a look at Emma’s edits over the weekend. As this is my debut novel, I have no clue what to do. Do I leave tracked changes on? Do I approve her changes? What happens if massive edits are required? Does she make suggestions and action them or does she make suggestions and I action them? I have no idea. And, as a chronic overthinker, I suspect I might end up being a nightmare client.

After I’ve had a look and made any more tweaks, Emma will proofread it for a second time and go through the novel with a fine tooth comb. After that, I genuinely have no idea what happens next.

How am I feeling?

Like it’s all starting to get very real. When I signed the contract to publish Venom and Blaze, the publishing date was in Summer 2024. As I signed in 2023 and I happen to be remarkably short-sighted, 2024 seemed like a very long time away. Now, an actual editor has read my book, made some changes and we’re going to work on it together. It’s all starting to feel like it’s actually happening, and, seeing as I’ve dreamed of this since I was six, that’s quite a big deal for me.

Are you interested in more updates in my What’s involved in writing a book? blog series? Let me know in the comments.

When I set up my Instagram page, I did it to document my attempts to get City and Shadow published. I wanted to share the highs and lows, whether that was for myself to look back on later or for other aspiring authors to learn from my (multiple) mistakes.

In a similar vein, I wanted to write a series of blog posts on what’s actually involved in writing a book, from the initial idea to holding the finished copy.

The actual writing

City and Shadow started life off as a couple of notes written on my phone. I’d always loved the word “City” as a name and I thought it would be cool to have a protagonist called that. I was re-reading the old notes for story ideas when I came across that one – and combined it with another one along the lines of “What would happen if everyone had a dark, Mirror-self that was only capable of doing bad things?” Rough, eh?

The writing started in Spring 2023 and didn’t stop until the summer. It seemed to be quite a fast process, and, unusually for me, I didn’t struggle hitting the accepted word count for YA fiction (I’m usually pithier than an orange that’s full of pith). I lost myself in Mirrorworld and even started dreaming of my characters.

The editing process

I let the story sit for a while (okay, not very long) before editing and editing and editing and editing. And editing some more. I asked beta readers for their opinions, sending my work off to strangers in the hopes I’d get some honest feedback (which I did.) I had a wonderful beta reader from across the pond who called out every little inconsistency (of which there were many) and really helped me tighten up the prose.

Agent or publisher?

Then I had to decide whether to look for an agent or try and get it published myself. In the end, I set myself a deadline of September 2023 and, if I didn’t have a publishing offer by that time, I’d go down the agent route.

I kept disgustingly detailed spreadsheets of who I’d submitted to and when, when they’d rejected me and who I would submit to next. This let me see at a glance how many times my baby manuscript had been rejected.

And, much to my delight, by August 2023, I had an offer from a publisher I’d been absolutely dying to work with.

Researching

There are so many amazing resources out there for aspiring authors. I especially found this blog post by Jane Friedman very helpful, along with this one by Lisa Tenor. Both deal with navigating publishing contracts. I also joined the Society of Authors, who have been invaluable and tireless in sharing advice, resources and expertise.

What’s next?

City and Shadow is due to come out in Summer 2024 – and there’s still a mountain of work to be done before then.

The book is yet to go through a detailed edit – and I’ll actually get a team of editors to help me with this, instead of me going through it on my own with a red pen second-guessing myself.

We’ll also be talking covers and picking one that really encapsulates the heart of the book. This means I’ll get to work closely with some amazing and talented designers.

I’m also planning promotional activities as we speak, including getting my book into local book shops, my local library and, maybe (if I overcome my chronic shyness and introversion) doing some kind of book tour.

Stay tuned for Part Two!

The logical thing to do when writing a trilogy is start at the beginning, right?

And yet I started the Mirrorworld stories by writing slap, bang in the middle of the planned trilogy (the planned trilogy that my publisher knows nothing about yet. Unless they read this blog. Which is unlikely because I get less than two hits per day.)

You see the characters in City and Shadow, my upcoming debut novel, decided their story didn’t want to end there. And two characters in particularly wouldn’t let me rest until I’d put their stories down on paper. And, unfortunately, those stories took place several years before the events of City and Shadow. Leaving me with the problem: do I call it a sequel? Do I turn it all into a trilogy and pretend that was my plan all along (full disclosure: it wasn’t. In fact, I do recall telling a beta reader with unwavering conviction that I definitely wasn’t writing any more Mirrorworld stories any time soon as, and I quote, “I don’t see what else can be done there.”)?

Fast forward to today… and I’ve just finished the (very rough) first draft of Venom and Blaze. (It’s a working title. But I’m so in love with it. And in love with the story. It’s very dark. I think you’ll like it.)

Venom and Blaze is one of those stories that just wouldn’t let me drop it until I’d finished. I wrote it on holiday with my mother. I wrote it on my lunch break at my day job. I wrote it whenever I could and, whenever I couldn’t, I was thinking about writing it. And now it’s written. And, once I’ve let it sit for a while, I’ll edit it. Then casually tell my publisher about it and see where it goes.

“That’s all very well,” I can hear you thinking. “But you said a sequel. So where does the third one come in?”

Well, turns out I was wrong. There definitely is more to be done in Mirrorworld. I still have no idea if I’m writing a trilogy, or a standalone story that just happens to have sequel and a prequel. But something is happening at Roz MacLaren HQ. And, while I absolutely can’t share any details yet, I can promise you it’s going to be a wild ride. Are you ready for it?