I have read articles about authors who said writing the book was the easy part of the process and wow, am I beginning to understand that. Luckily, In The Shadows flowed from my mind on to the keyboard; it's great to see your thoughts become real words on the screen. Then you finally type "the end" and there's a feeling of accomplishment: that's right, I did that and hell yeah, I just wrote a book! To say I wasn't ready for what came next is an understatement.
You need energy and concentration for the editing process. You must be critical of your own writing and try not to cry when you read an entire chapter that doesn't make sense. I didn't cry, but I was worried about some parts I had created. I shouldn't be too hard on myself, when you're writing at midnight some nights, your mind may not be completely switched on.
I've learnt that it's okay, and that is what editing is all about. Noticing your mistakes, creating a way for your book to sound better, read better and bring the characters to life is what this process is about. It's true, the chances of anyone actually reading the first draft of you novel are extremely slim. I spent a lot of time in the editing process. It was important to me that I did because In The Shadows is an important story that I want to tell.
And just when I was in a place of happiness and serenity after two months of editing the tension increases. I'm waiting for my professional editor's thoughts regarding the book... nail-biting time for sure!
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| In The Shadows cover |
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