HA! Oh, if life were that easy.I am pretty new to the idea of editing, since this was the first book I've ever actually finished and attempted to go forwards with.
To be honest with you...
It scares the living daylights out of me! I've been looking up editing everywhere, books, internet, getting info from people who are actually published authors, and from what they've told me, editing is a lengthy, torture filled roller coaster through Hades underworld and back.
Ok, maybe a little exaggerated, but still! One thing they told me was that feedback was essential to editing.
As the creators of our books, we look on them with loving eyes and think nothing could ever be wrong with them, much like the mother from Dance Moms...With my analogy you can see the problem.On the inside, I am a full out Dance Mom! If someone tells me something is wrong with my child/ writing....out come the claws.
"There are run on sentences and grammatical errors?! How dare you insult my child like that, she is perfect because I made her!"
"There are a few sloppy parts that don't flow well?! My child is the best, and therefore she will succeed, so shut up your trap, you-!"
Yeah, you see my point.Though, when I get feedback my initial thoughts are
somewhat like this (not sure how extreme they are though.)One of the things I'm learning is to know that my book may not be as good as I think it is. Though I am critical of myself, it's hard letting go. It's like slowly beating your child to death. Each scene you take out and each little change you make, it makes you wince on the inside, because your killing your baby!
Well... maybe the baby analogy is a bit cruel, but you catch my drift.
But, you have to be cruel and harsh, instead of being a Dance Mom to your child, you have to be an Abby (if you don't know what I'm talking about, go watch Dance Moms!)You have to whip them in to shape, slap em' around a few times, get them ready for competition or in this case, querying and later publication. Make your book cry and then when they do tell them to shut up because they'll never get in the right path to Broadway and they'll be utter failures at life even if they are just twelve...
And that was more of a rant towards Dance Moms.
BUT, the point is all still there. We can't be gentle with editing, we need to know that the books we write may not be as good as we think them to be, then we need to accept their flaws and start working on them.
Like this loverly woman is doing right now...
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Don't be a Dance Mom, be an Abby Lee Miller, because if your not, then your child will never be ready.
