Finishing Touches and Random Ramblings

Greetings,

I am about to begin the last round of editing. Fingers crossed. This round is going to be different than any other. There is a website called HemingwayApp.  It goes through your writing and tells you if your sentences are to complex and hard to read. If you use passive voice, too many adverbs, as well as the reading level grade. It is quite a handy tool to have in your pocket. I will also be scouring my thesaurus making sure I use the best words possible.

It will take time. And patience lots of patience. Full disclosure. Yesterday I started this round of editing using Hemingwayapp. I lasted about half an hour before I reached the limits of my frustrations and quit. I'll probably try to do it again, so fingers crossed whatever glitch I had yesterday is solved. Otherwise I will have to find a different editing route. Honestly I wouldn't know where to begin besides reading it and flipping through my dictionary, thesaurus, and grammar slash punctuation guide.

That's ok though! This is my first book and I'm learning the ropes. Besides I was happy and proud of my book at the end of the last round. By reading my book and making sure things are correct is not going to make my book any worse. Now I just need to lose the self-doubt and believe in myself. Until the rejection letters come in then I'll need some series chocolate therapy and to be left alone, oh for about a month.

Positive thoughts Taylor! I can't cry until the rejection letters are here yet, obviously. Although I hope I don't cry I get headaches from tears. My own and other peoples. You defiantly don't want me around if your sobbing and honestly I don't want to be there either. I'm terrible I know.

Anyway thanks for reading RawLitCom: True Confessions of an Aspiring Author

The First Draft

Hi there,

As I write my new book the main issue is my new and under developed characters. What I'm really writing is dialogue. Dialogue is the number one problem for all books. My dialogue sounds the same and it's boring. That's okay though! This is my first draft it's supposed to suck! As I keep working my characters start to develop page after page they start to take on their own personality. That boring dialogue that I start off with it is the first layer of what is happening in my story. It is the building blocks of this entire new world I'm building.

This was a huge issue I had when writing my first book. I wanted the first draft to be perfect! I wanted it to be the best it could be right off the bat. Wrong. I was a perfectionist as I wrote. I would write and notice it was different then I had written before so I would go back and try to fix it. This is probably the worst thing I could have done.

It took me years to write the first draft (of my first book). Now I'm on my fourth chapter (of my new book) and it hasn't even been two weeks. For me this is amazing! I am so proud. I don't regret how I did my first book because I learned so much! I learned more writing that first book, figuring out my voice, the point of the entire series, how to make the puzzle pieces work all together at the end. I learned this through practice, yes reading blogs helped point out my problems but it was the failure that truly taught me.

I know that when it's time to start editing the flaws of my book will really be revealed and that's good! There is a tone of substance in it now. Next I'll have to add all the details that makes words on a page turn into a movie in your head. I'll really go after distinguishing my characters. Their personalities, their mannerisms, their emotions, and of course how they change over the course of the book. 

So much work but so much fun! 

Thanks for reading RawLitCom: True Confessions of an Aspiring Author

Creating Plot Lines

Hola,

When I started my first book I admit I knew nothing about plot lines. I just knew how it opened, the first plot twist and that's just about it. I just developed my book very slowly scene by scene as I wrote.

I was lucky, a while after I started my book I started to read blogs about what your book needs, about 3-D characters. All these things that makes a novel a good novel. When I read these blogs I noticed that I naturally do what they instructed. I kept reading them and I figured out that I was doing wrong.

I am now working on my second book. I am completely changing my process. First thing, I do basic research for things I know I will need right away. Second, I start a borderline basic plot line. I want to know the first thing that is going to happen, the hill, the climax, and the end. Lastly, I go chapter by chapter figuring out the main thing I want to happen in each chapter.

Notice how my process has taken a 180 degree turn. I'm actually pretty happy about this process. I feel like I'm in control of my book. Whereas before I was completely lost and frustrated. This way I am relaxed and I still have the joy of trying to figure out each scene. Also developing new characters that is going to be a challenge. An exciting one though.

The true hassle is going to be my main character. I'm going to have to completely manipulate her to get what I need. I kind of feel bad about it, but it's necessary. Muahahahaha.

Thanking for tuning in RawLitCom: True Confessions of an Aspiring Author