Thursday, January 19, 2012

Editing and Dance Moms

  I'm sure most aspiring authors and writers have heard the word editing, and shuddered. I know I do. I recently finished my first book (after many failed attempts at others) in a planned series. I look at the manuscript and think, hey, this is pretty awesome. You know what I don't even need to edit! It's super fantabulous as it is and I'm going to send it out right now at this very second!

  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...

  Don't be a Dance Mom, be an Abby Lee Miller, because if your not, then your child will never be ready. 


Sunday, January 15, 2012

My New Blog!


  Well hello everyone!
  This is my first blog post, so I guess I'll just use this post to introduce myself.

First and foremost, yes, I was born in to the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saint, and I am a proud member! 

    Second of all, I am a novelist, an author, a writer, a book person thingamabob... that doesn't even make sense, but that's besides the point. I write because it is my passion, it is what I love doing and what I hope to do for the rest of my life. I have had many late night creative episodes where you could just NOT go to bed.
 And third of all, I am a teenager... passing through those ugly years of solitude, desperation, horror, atrocity, solemn isolation, terrible anxiety and.... well being a teenager isn't that bad! We get to eat all the pizza we want and not worry about double chins... err at least I don't.






  And that is what this blog is for and about. Those three facts about myself and how I love and live with them.
  I will complain about my life to all of you.
  But along with that I will give you advice.
  I hope you all enjoy this blog and it's posts.
-Giselle