Last week I wrapped up a copyedit for a local writer. This was our fourth time working together. His first book all those years ago was great – strong opening chapter, well paced narrative, realistic characterisation. Even with that solid foundation, I made a lot of edits. He’d done all that solid work, so I was able to build on top of that and give suggestions to really take the story up a notch.
Onto our fourth book, and his writing is even stronger. I didn’t find myself making nearly as many suggestions as I had way back with that first book (or his second) because he’s been improving his writing craft with every manuscript.
Instead of making basic changes to his writing, I was able to concentrate on subtle changes to really beef up the tension and pacing. I had a lot of fun editing this book, and the author is really happy with the improvements I’ve brought to the story.
Your first draft is going to be rough. Your second draft will be rough too, but you’ll have made so many improvements. That’s the writing process: small improvements over time.
Celebrate those writing wins! Working out how to address a tricky scene or finding the exact right adjective to describe a key moment – those are the satisfying moments that you can celebrate.
What writing wins are you celebrating this week? I’d love to hear so I can cheer you on!
Cheers,
Deborah
PS: My next blog post is coming out tomorrow. It’s all about one small word that can weaken your writing. Best of all, it’s easy to swap out. Hooray for small wins!
📚 What I’m reading
A Training School For Elephants, by Sophy Roberts.
📅 Availability
Currently booking manuscripts from late-May.
If you’re thinking of getting your manuscript edited, do get in touch now. I can give you a free sample edit and we can jump on a video call to chat about the editing process too.
✍️ Ways to work with me
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Deborah Shaw Adventure Editing 