Write Now Editing

How I Write: Penelope Kaye

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“Does editing ever end?”

Author Penelope Kaye has dipped her quill into several markets, but her passion is children’s picture books. That’s not a market I read OR edit, but Penelope’s advice is truly limitless — it doesn’t matter if you’re writing children’s books or writing adult novels, keep reading for great writing tips!

Thank you so much for being here. What do you write? How did you pick your genre?

I actually write in several genres—Christian nonfiction, children’s picture books, poetry, devotions, articles, and newspaper columns.

My favorite is picture books, both Christian and secular. I began writing seriously in my late 20s, to the point that writing consumed me. When I committed my life to the Lord, the desire for writing completely left. About two years later during a worship service, I saw a picture of a large number of children swarming me and Jesus handing me a gold pen. I knew God was calling me to write stories for little ones. My desire for writing returned, but it took many years before I learned to write from God’s heart.

How long does it take you to: write the book? Edit it? Finalize it?

For a picture book for pre-schoolers, it takes about two hours. For my adult works, it’s usually months.

As far as the editing process, does editing ever end? Honestly, it’s hard to give a specific time frame for that question. I go back over the manuscript numerous times. I read it aloud. I read it backwards. I read it to others to get their feedback. Then I leave it alone for a few days and come back to it for more editing. (For my adult books, at this point I engage a professional editor.)

All of this can take days, weeks, even months before I feel it’s ready to submit to a publisher. And then when I think I’ve reached perfection, another round of edits comes from them. But it’s always rewarding to see the beauty of your heart’s desire when you hold your first copy.

Which was harder: the first book or the following books? Why?

My hardest book was the first one, Making Crooked Places Straight. I had to include a lot of personal examples so readers could relate to the topic of spiritual warfare. Consequently, I had to deal with a lot of spiritual warfare while sharing painful experiences.

How do you prepare to write your books: pantser, plotter, both, something completely different? Describe your strategy.

I derive my stories from titles, and the titles for my books come from literally anywhere—conversations, sermons, workshops, when I’m out and about or on the internet. At the same time, I hear or see a phrase that grabs my attention and I immediately get a picture of a scene or a character, which then drives the story.

Why did you decide to use a hybrid publisher?

I work with hybrid publishers so I’m able to keep all of the intellectual property, which is extremely important to me. I can create other items to sell or give away without a publisher’s approval. Hybrid publishing also gives me the final say in the layout, formatting, editing, etc.

If I’m not happy with any aspect of the direction things are going, I can freely share those concerns with my editor. I don’t sign off until I’m satisfied. I’m not a perfectionist, but I do strive for excellence.

Hybrid publishing also frees me from the actual printing, uploading files, contacting major distributors, etc. I do have the bulk of the responsibility of marketing, but every author does at this point.

I’ve worked with hybrid publishers for all of my books, and each time has been a tremendous learning curve. But it’s been worth it. This latest project especially became a team effort, and we had a great flow of suggestions back and forth that resulted in a beautiful picture book.

What advice do you have for new authors?

Attend writer’s conferences. Several of them. You may have the gift of writing, but if you don’t understand the craft of writing, your manuscript will go nowhere. I never would have had an award-winning book without the knowledge I gained from conferences. I cannot even begin to place a value on them.

How did you find your freelance editor? How would you describe the experience?

I have worked with two freelance editors. I actually met my first one at church. She was a retired college English professor, and I had wanted to meet her for a long time. We attended different services, so I kept missing her. One day we connected, and I asked her if she would be willing to help me with my manuscript. Long story short, circumstances allowed me to sit with her for hours editing page by page, line by line for five chapters. The knowledge and understanding I gained was phenomenal. Took my manuscript from grade-school level to a doctorate level.

I connected with another editor (for the same manuscript) after one of my endorsers recommended I engage a professional editor to polish things up. Again, she provided outstanding work.

What does your revision process look like?

Messy. I cut and paste; shift words, sentences, whole paragraphs; backspace repeatedly; delete words, sentences, whole paragraphs; and sometimes start all over.

If, in the midst of the messiness, I can’t make the words gel, I print off the page and cross out, draw arrows, scribble, write notes until I’m satisfied. Then I go back to the computer and add it to the text.

A teacher who loves to write, Penelope Kaye has taught in a variety of venues over the years. Her writing includes poems, newspaper columns, and children’s church curriculum, as well as writing and choreographing several children’s holiday programs. Author of the award-winning book Making Crooked Places Straight as well as a writer’s how-to book called Land Media Interviews Without a Publicist, she annually reviews children’s picture books for the highly respected High Plains BookFest. With more than thirty visits to Yellowstone National Park, she is thrilled that the setting of her first picture book, I Do Not Like the Rotten Egg Scent in Yellowstone National Park, encapsulates her vivid memories of majestic landscapes, unpredictable buffalo, Old Faithful eruptions, and, of course, the rotten egg scent. Penelope lives in the Mountain West and enjoys walking, completing word puzzles, and eating blueberries anytime of the day.

Link for website: https://ps2710.com/
Link specific for children’s books: https://ps2710.com/just-for-kids-books-new
Link for children’s letter: https://ps2710.com/letter-just-for-you
Link for children’s freebies: https://ps2710.com/justforkidsresources
Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/Penelope-Kaye-author-718916071559856
YouTube: https://bit.ly/3anTfG1

Editing Fiction by Morgen Bailey (book review)

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How to polish your novels and short stories – a comprehensive guide including a 170+ tips checklist.

In this book we look at:
– the components of your story;
– points of view;
– tenses;
– the power of three: beginnings, middles, ends
– another power of three: characters, settings, plots
– conflict and pacing
– polishing your writing: 170+ tips for making your writing shine;
– the layout of your book;
– and finally (a summary checklist)…

This book is suitable for…
– Writers of any age and experience;
– Writers of novels and short stories (predominantly – it will help scriptwriters and poets too);
– Writers looking to have their writing taken seriously!

I’m not a fan of writing 2-star reviews. I actually avoid it at all costs. Even when I don’t like a book, I’ll usually leave a 3-star review because I realize everyone has different tastes, but there are a few times when I feel compelled to leave a low review as a warning. This is one of those times.

Had Bailey published her list of 170+ things to check for in your manuscript, it would have been a helpful book — not an example of how to successfully edit fiction, but a good list of common mistakes often found in manuscripts (especially for new writers). Even with the typos and punctuation errors, the content isn’t bad. It could be a helpful resource. However, the rest of the book not only won’t help authors edit their books, the advice might actually hurt their chances at getting published or selling books.

I won’t go into all of the details, but here are a few examples of the issues:

  1. LOTS of punctuation and grammar issues, including inconsistent use of commas, several missing parentheses, and extra words in sentences.
  2. Bad information. Her definitions of third person limited and third person omniscient point of view are wrong. She often uses Wikipedia as her source of information; no publisher considers Wikipedia a reliable or accurate source. Finally, Chicago Manual of Style is THE style guide for book publishing; she references a variety of websites but never mentions CMOS.
  3. Incorrect formatting. If you follow her formatting for font, spacing, and citations, publishers won’t read your manuscript.

Those are some of the inaccuracies and mistakes in the book. If it was merely a matter of the book not having enough information to help writers edit their books, I’d give it 3-stars and recommend other supplemental books. However, if you take a lot of her advice — including to do what you want instead of following market and industry standards — you’ll actually hurt your chances of getting an agent or publisher. And if you self-publish, it will look like a self-published book (which turns away a lot of readers).

If you’re serious about publishing books that will sell in today’s market (either traditionally or self-published), don’t spend your money on this book. There are many better resources that will help you hone your craft and capture people’s attention (for the right reasons).

How I Write: Christina Sinisi

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It’s always a good day to get to know a new writer of contemporary Christian romance — today’s a good day! Author Christian Sinisi gives us a peek at her writing life, experiences, and writing tips for new authors. Let’s find out more…

Thanks for being here today! I sort of spilled the beans, but let’s start with you telling us what you write. How did you pick your genre?

First, thank you for having me on your blog—I truly appreciate it!

I write Christian Contemporary Romance. I actually started writing secular fantasy romance because I love creating imaginary worlds. Over time, though, I would only get so far with those stories and became frustrated. My mentor, Eloisa James, looked at me and said, “why aren’t you writing inspirational? Your faith is so much a part of who you are.” I had no good answer and switched—and am very happy that I did.

How long does it take you to: write the book? Edit it? Finalize it?

This is one of those, “it depends,” answers. My first published book was a novella I wrote in three and a half weeks. This year, I’m struggling to finish one novel. Life happens. In June of 2019, when I wrote Christmas Confusion, I had nothing else going on and could write seven plus pages a day. This year, we were short-handed at work in the spring semester, I’ve taken two big trips, and there’s my new release to market. I’ve learned to be patient with myself. The book will get done as long as I keep moving forward.

If you’ve written multiple books, which was harder: the first book or the following books?

The first book was the easiest. Then, I was on a roll and wrote five more books, one every six months. This seventh book is some of my best writing—I believe—but I’m just struggling to find the time.

What’s your favorite book on writing? What do you like about it?

Deb Dixon’s GMC: Goal, Motivation, and Conflict is my go-to book on writing. I always do a GMC chart for the hero and heroine in every book. I also add a couple of rows to her basic chart—personality quirk (something that makes the person interesting) and faith arc (since I’m writing inspirational romance, I believe the characters need to undergo a faith change or struggle).

What’s your favorite writers conference? What do you like about it?

I haven’t been able to attend a Christian writer’s conference in person—so I’m planning on doing so next year. I’d love input as to which to attend. The only problem is, I can’t attend ACFW because the conference takes place in September and I’m a professor. I can’t miss class!

What’s your writing day like?

Over the years, I’ve found myself less and less able to concentrate for long periods of time. But again, I am patient with myself. So, I write a page or two, and then clean something and so on throughout the day. I am writing at best 5-7 pages right now but have been known to write 25 pages in a day when I was younger. I don’t think it’s age, but rather, so many distractions with everyone else at home so much.

How do you combat writer’s block?

Be patient with yourself—if you can only write a paragraph, write a paragraph. Then, do something else and come back and write another paragraph. I do find if I’m kind to myself and no one comes in my office to chat, I can write longer. Also, if life has been busy, and you haven’t been able to write for days or even weeks, reread and remind yourself of the mood and where you were going.

Also, I’m a big fan of storyboarding—if I get stuck, I can glance at the storyboard and remind myself of where I should be in the story.  If anyone is interested in learning more about storyboarding, I have posts on my blog about how to create one.

How do you self-edit your manuscript?

I go through a series of steps. First, I do searches for “bad” words like it, that, and words that end in -ly. As I’m going, I notice if there are any other words that are over-used in the manuscript and do searches for those. As I search, I try to find a better wording rather than those over-used words. If I can’t, I don’t worry too much. Most of the time, I get rid of half or more of those sticky words.

I also search for grammatical errors—looking for blue and red squiggly lines in Microsoft Word as well as rereading.

I have a critique partner who reads for bigger issues. For the last two manuscripts, I have used freelance editors—one is a friend who volunteered, and the other was a local editor who critiqued for free in exchange for a testimonial. I found out about her through one of my two writing groups.

Right now, I’m procrastinating (not for long, but still) going through my latest manuscript for faith development—the last step for me.

Formerly the wild child of three sisters, Emma Marano grew up to be a single mom working two jobs, estranged from her mother, and lying to her friends. She’d told everyone that her daughter’s father wanted nothing to do with his child, but in reality, her own inability to deal with her mistakes and shame led to the biggest lie of her life. But her daughter, Haley, is all Emma has in the world, so how can she regret keeping Haley to herself? Emma’s struggling, though, and her life is slowly imploding.

Right after high school, Justin Lee broke up with Emma Marano and joined the Army, leaving her and all her drama behind. Years later, he stumbles upon her and what turns out to be a daughter he never knew he had. Angry and confused, he insists on having a relationship with his daughter, but to do so, he’ll need to rebuild some sort of relationship with Emma, too. As he gets to know his daughter—and Emma again—he soon realizes that his biggest mistake was leaving her all those years ago. What he dismissed as drama turns out to be a serious mental health issue, and Emma needs help. Now, Justin has to decide if he can see past her flaws and forgive her lies, and together, they’ll have to work to reclaim their love and a faith in each other and in God, or they risk losing something precious in the process.

https://amzn.to/3JBuB2f

A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Christina Sinisi writes stories about families, both the broken and blessed. Her works include a semi-finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest and the American Title IV Contest where she appeared in the top ten in the Romantic Times magazine. Her published books include Christmas Confusion, Sweet Summer, and Christmas on Ocracoke. By day, she is a psychology professor and lives in the LowCountry of South Carolina with her husband, two children and her crazy cat Chessie Mae.

https://www.christinasinisi.com/
https://twitter.com/christinasinisi
https://www.facebook.com/Christina-Sinisi-Author-105861987440664/?modal=admin_todo_tour https://instagram.com/csinisi123
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/101218889-christina-sinisi
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/christina-sinisi
https://www.pinterest.com/csinisi/

Editing Fiction: Detect and Correct for Success by Kathy Gaudry

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Want to edit your first manuscript but you’re not sure how? Here’s the ultimate guide to a simple editing method that will bring the best out of your manuscript!

You’ve finally finished your manuscript! But what’s the next step?

If this has happened to you, don’t worry because you are not alone. Just keep reading!

In every manuscript, there is an author and in every author, there is an editor.

We all know how tricky and tiring editing can be, especially if you’ve just started your writing career. Editors can be a bit pricey and seeing that you’ve just started out, you have to edit it yourself because you have no budget.

Here’s the problem: How do you start your editing? What exactly are the things you have to look out for?

Well, I’ve got the solution for you! Presenting the Editing Fiction: Detect and Correct For Success by Kathy Gaudry. We know how editing fictional books is hard, so in this book, you will learn a simple method of editing your work!

Through this book, you’ll discover:

  • The ABCs of Editing Your Manuscript: Learn the basics of editing grammar for fiction works such as how to use proper apostrophes, punctuations, and more!
  • How To Build A Detailed Stylesheet: Create a simple yet detailed stylesheet that helps you to edit faster and maintain consistency throughout your work.
  • The Elements Affecting Your Work: Delve into the various elements of fiction and understand how these elements relate to your manuscript.
  • How To Deal With Editing Issues: Acquire the skills to deal with editing issues, for instance when your brain stops you from doing an accurate edit.

Kathy understands how editing can be challenging for a starter. This book is meant to ease you through the toughest of concepts and empowers you to confidently edit your own manuscript.

Knowing this was a short book, I didn’t expect a lot of in-depth fiction-editing information, but this book was a little sparse for someone who’s been studying fiction writing for a while.

There’s some good info in here that I would recommend to people thinking about writing who aren’t sure how much work is involved — this will give you a good idea of how many different things you need to know before you write (though it won’t help you identify or fix those areas).

However, despite the emphasis on producing a clean book, there are a few typos and significant formatting errors that make the book awkward to read at times.

My biggest issue with the book is the suggestion to use the Chicago Manual of Style but offering other grammar guides. If writes are seeking traditional publication, CMOS is THE style guide. Relying on any other could result in punctuation/grammar mistakes in a manuscript.

Overall, I’m not sure I’d consider this to help an experienced writer self-edit, but it could definitely help new writers manage their expectations.

Get your copy here!

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

How I Write: Leslie L. McKee

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Writing and editing go hand in hand, but success in one doesn’t automatically translate into success in the other. There’s still a lot of hard work involved, and it can take years to succeed in both.

But for professionals like Leslie McKee, the hard work is paying off. A successful book editor, Leslie became a published author last year, and today she’s going to share her tips and suggestions with us. Welcome!

What do you write? How/why did you pick your genre?

At this time, I mainly write devotions, and I’ve written a few flash fiction stories. I am starting to work on some ideas for future projects, which are a children’s book and a nonfiction book.

While I wrote a lot when I was younger, my current journey began when an editing contact presented me with an opportunity to participate in a devotional compilation. I agreed before I gave myself time to think about the fact that I’d never written a devotion before 😊 That led to a contract for ten devotions to be included in the Just Breathe devotional journal compilation (published in 2017 by Ellie Claire/Worthy Publishing).

How long does it take you to: write the book? Edit it? Finalize it?

At this time, I’ve only had one book published: my devotional journal, Hope Amid the Pain, which was released in October 2021. I worked on the book for close to three years, from start to publication. Most of the book was written over the course of one month, and I largely wrote it for myself. The introduction and back matter came later, after I decided I was going to self-publish or seek out a traditional publisher. I worked with an independent editor, which didn’t take long. I signed my publishing contract in April 2021, and the book was published six months later.

What’s your favorite writers conference? What do you like about it?

I’ve attended a few conferences (in alphabetical order: ACFW, Breathe, KCWC – Kentucky Christian Writers Conference, KidLIt Virtual Conference, Kingdom Writers Conference, Mt. Zion Ridge Press Conference, Penned Con, and She Speaks). Over the past few years, I’ve attended them virtually, which I LOVE doing! I’ve been able to attend conferences that I wouldn’t have been able to attend in person, and I’ve been richly blessed by the knowledge gained at all of these. I can’t choose just one favorite. I really enjoy the opportunity to learn more about the craft, as well as the numerous connections that are made at conferences.

What conference do you most want to attend?

Since I wear a variety of hats, I’d like to do many conferences (writing, editing, and speaking). I like the general writing conferences, since they cover both fiction and nonfiction, and many seem to cover speaking, as well as general practices such as marketing. Some on my radar for the future are Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference and Writers Digest’s Annual Conference. I’d love to attend one overseas, as well.

What’s your writing day like?

I don’t have a specific schedule, which does create a problem for me. Since I am an editor, my clients’ stories come first most days. At this time, I work on my writing where I can fit it in, which often is in the evening. When I wrote Hope Amid the Pain, I almost exclusively wrote it in the evenings (and much was done during the month of November, for NaNoWriMo.) I’m working on creating a schedule where my writing is worked into my day so I can have a bit of “off-time” in the evenings.

How do you prepare to write your books: pantser, plotter, both, something completely different? Describe your strategy.

So far, I’ve only written/published one book. For that book, as well as the devotions I’ve written for compilations, I have done a bit of both. In general, I choose a Bible verse and let that lead me through the devotional content. When I wrote the flash fiction stories, which were quite outside my wheelhouse, God dropped the ideas in my head, and the stories came together quite quickly. For the projects I currently have in progress, I have a general outline for what I’d like to cover, as well as a few examples, but I haven’t got much beyond that at this time.

What’s surprised you the most about the publishing process?

I’ve been associated with the publishing industry for close to twenty years (as a reviewer then an editor and now as an author), so I knew quite a bit about the publishing process. However, I’ve learned that putting on an author hat is quite different from the editing hat I’ve worn for many years.

If you’ve ever worked with a freelance editor, how did you find that editor? How would you describe the experience?

I used a freelance editor for my debut book. I’m an editor myself, and I wasn’t sure if I’d be self-publishing or submitting to traditional publishers. I know the importance of hiring an editor, so I didn’t want to skip that step. Thanks to my membership in The Christian PEN, I already knew a number of freelance editors, so it was somewhat easy to choose one who would be an appropriate fit for my manuscript.

Why me? Is God punishing me? Is my faith not strong enough for God to heal me? How can I achieve my dreams? What’s my purpose?

If you’re someone living with a chronic illness or chronic pain, these are just a few of the questions you’ve likely asked on more than one occasion. You may feel overlooked or even resentful. You try to stay positive, but some days it’s hard. It’s natural to feel this way and grieve, but it’s still possible to have a hope-filled life. God has a purpose for the pain.

Leslie is an author, editor, and reviewer. She’s a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and The Christian PEN. Her devotions have been published in compilations by Ellie Claire (2017 and 2020). Her flash fiction stories have been published with Havok, Splickety, and Spark. Her devotional journal (HOPE Amid The Pain: Hanging on to Positive Expectations When Battling Chronic Illness and Pain) was released in 2021. She enjoys reading, crocheting, spending time with family and friends (and her turtle Speedy!), and rooting for the NY Giants. 

Website: https://leslielmckee.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leslielmckee
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leslielmckee/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeslieLMcKee
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7300724.Leslie_L_McKee
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Leslie-L-McKee/e/B09G26L6BW?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1663249020&sr=8-1

ABOUT ME

Editor. Teacher. Novelist.
A passionate lover of fiction, Karin doesn't just write novels, she helps others write their best stories! A certified substantive editor with the Christian Editor Connection, her goal is to help authors to put her out of business by equipping them with the tools they need to become better writers.

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Karin understood my advertising and marketing writing needs and accomplished the project in record time. She asked all the right questions up front to equip herself with enough … [more]

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Substantive Fiction Editing: A substantive edit looks at the big picture. Start here to tackle the big issues before moving on to the nit-picky details. Substantive edits not only point out … [more]

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Lover of all things fiction, I also love University of Michigan football, the Detroit Lions, Tigers, and Red Wings, kayaking, gluten-free cupcakes, and my husband.

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Fiction: Substantive Editing Classes Substantive Editing for Fiction 101 In Substantive Fiction Editing 101, we’ll look at the basics of a well-written novel and learn how to help our … [more]