You think my title is sarcastic, don't you? Well, I've actually enjoyed the process (I know I'll look back at this post one day and cringe--oh, to be a newbie again, I'll sigh.) Thankfully I was assigned to a wonderful editor. She was personable and funny in our emails, and wrote lovely little commentary in the margins of my book. It made me think of her as a normal human being. Not some crotchety Grammar Police lady.
I didn't have to change any chapters or scenes around, but she asked me to take a look at the most commonly over-used words. And she included a word count of how many times I used words like: like!!, just, then, was, got, get, felt etc. Okay, I thought. No biggie. I'll just (overly used word) do a quick word find and change a few words here and there.
Well. Let. Me. Tell. You. Once the words were pointed out to me, I cringed and wondered how Liquid Silver could even agree to publish my work. I used the word 'was' 851 times in my 60,000 word book. Eeeek. The first few words I checked and changed weren't so bad, but then I got on a roll and checked every stinkin' overly used word on the list. Even if I hadn't "overly used" it. It got to be one of those annoying little nuances. I simply HAD (another overly used word) to change some.
After a week of editing--going through three words a day--I finally sent my manuscript back to my editor, who quickly replied, "Wow! You edited the pants off this!" I don't think she meant for me to make so many changes, but I know every synonym or rewritten sentence made my book better. And for that, I am truly thankful. An annoying process, yes. But so, so rewarding in the end.
I received an email from my editor the very next day with, "And that's a wrap!" as her first sentence. I smiled. I sighed in relief. And then worked on my current WIP (I'm 10k from finishing) avoiding as many of those pesky common words as possible.
Editing. Sucks rotten eggs while doing it, but very rewarding in the end.
And that's a wrap.
I didn't have to change any chapters or scenes around, but she asked me to take a look at the most commonly over-used words. And she included a word count of how many times I used words like: like!!, just, then, was, got, get, felt etc. Okay, I thought. No biggie. I'll just (overly used word) do a quick word find and change a few words here and there.
Well. Let. Me. Tell. You. Once the words were pointed out to me, I cringed and wondered how Liquid Silver could even agree to publish my work. I used the word 'was' 851 times in my 60,000 word book. Eeeek. The first few words I checked and changed weren't so bad, but then I got on a roll and checked every stinkin' overly used word on the list. Even if I hadn't "overly used" it. It got to be one of those annoying little nuances. I simply HAD (another overly used word) to change some.
After a week of editing--going through three words a day--I finally sent my manuscript back to my editor, who quickly replied, "Wow! You edited the pants off this!" I don't think she meant for me to make so many changes, but I know every synonym or rewritten sentence made my book better. And for that, I am truly thankful. An annoying process, yes. But so, so rewarding in the end.
I received an email from my editor the very next day with, "And that's a wrap!" as her first sentence. I smiled. I sighed in relief. And then worked on my current WIP (I'm 10k from finishing) avoiding as many of those pesky common words as possible.
Editing. Sucks rotten eggs while doing it, but very rewarding in the end.
And that's a wrap.
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