Edits!

I re-read my earlier post about not writing during edits, and realized that the word “editing” covers a wide variety of tasks for me. There’s the initial quick-edit of a piece after the first draft is done, just to get in those changes I don’t want to forget. I generally think of this as finishing up the first draft. Then there’s the first round of line-edits and whatever re-writes are necessary after it sits on the shelf for a few months (if my schedule allows for it). This is what I think of as the real editing – the intensive stage where I find it very hard to be writing something new. Then there’s the final polish before sending it out.

Now, I’m entering an entirely new stage of editing – working with an editor (Holly Atkinson!) on Wandering Soul! It is extremely exciting, and I can’t wait to learn more about this part of the writing and publishing process.

I’m also excited to be returning to the world of Wandering Soul and getting to spend more time with these characters that I love so much. The foundation is laid for both sequels, with plenty of back story written out (close to 20,000 words worth!). The outlines for the next two books are nearly complete. The books occur during the same time period, with events affecting both plot lines, so I need to be sure to get their continuity straight. The second book is speeding along, and I hope to have the first draft finished sometime in February.

Now I get to see how well I can jump back and forth between editing with Holly and writing a new piece. I’m keeping plenty of notes on the sequel in case I need to shelve it at any point during the editing process. No matter what I do and learn, I plan to have as much fun with these stories as I can. Wishing you all tons of fun with your stories and characters, too!