Reader, By the time you read this, the Lonely Girl manuscript will be with my editor, Laura!
She lives locally here in Salida and even used to be my neighbor! Even though we lived near each other, we mainly exchanged pleasantries. We talked about her ghost writing and editing, but not to any depth.
More recently, I mutual friend "introduced" us again, and I asked Laura to join me for coffee one afternoon near the end of the school year. She shared about her struggles to write her memoir and juggle it with her paid editing and writing work. As she talked about her writing process and goals for her memoir, I realized she'd be a valuable resource in taking my memoir to the next level.
We met up a few more times, and I picked her editor brain about what level of editing I needed next. I hired a different editor for a developmental edit (overall themes, pacing, story structure) over two years ago when the manuscript still contained memoir and self-help elements. As I neared the end of my edits following that massive rewrite at the beginning of this year, it was time to get a new set of eyes on my story.
To be honest, I was nervous to send the manuscript out. Not only are these some of my most vulnerable stories and experiences, but I also dreaded any negative feedback that might discourage me in my writing process. I believed the plot really came together after the rewrites, but what if I was wrong?
Laura agreed to skim the full manuscript and propose what she believed to be the next editing step, along with pricing and timeline. She told me I could expect an email from her in the next day or so. I pressed "send", shook off the nervous energy and tension in my shoulders, and hoped for the best.
I checked my email the following evening as I got ready for bed, hoping to clear out any junk or ads. There was the email response from Laura. I shut the app down without opening in, worried that any discouraging feedback would mean a sleepless night.
But then I picked back up my phone, unable to resist the pull. After putting in so much work, I had to know.
Thank you so much for sharing your book with me, and for your patience. I must admit, I wanted to keep reading! Your writing is immediate, well paced, and intimate. I felt like I was getting a precious glimpse into your life, a traveler in your heart. You've captured your story with care, wisdom, and balance. You're so close; you've worked so hard. And it shows.
-Laura
What a relief! Laura saw it how I did! Close to the finish line with some need for clarity, trimming of excess stories to bring the word count back down after all the rewrites, and more integration of my reflections.
So as I'm typing this, I'm completing the edits of my last ten chapters. But by the time you read this, the manuscript will be with Laura! She'll review the 108k words over the course of July.
Depending on her feedback and the recommendations I choose to implement, I'll be editing in August and September. This pushes back my timeline for beta readers for a bit, but I'm excited to give them a really clean copy that is much closer to the final version.
What's Next?
Check out this recent blog post where I write about the next writing idea I'm working on.
Dabbling in Fiction
I can’t believe it. I just wrapped up my latest round of edits after rewriting a large portion of the memoir early this year. By the beginning of July, my full manuscript will be in the hands of my new editor, Laura, for in-line developmental editing. I know she’ll be able to help guide me through the steps to take it to the next level. But it feels strange to not have some writing to work on. I find my mind churning about my next writing project.
Cut Stories from the Memoir
I've chosen a story for this month's newsletter about one of my previous summer adventures, paddling the Mississippi River. While a condensed version of this longer piece is included in the memoir as a flashback, this is the full, original writing of that experience and the key lessons I learned along the way. Per usual, I have not gone back to edit any grammar or spacing issues. Clearly I've been busy editing more important things!
Healing Waters of the Mississippi
You may not know this, but we actually recorded videos and posted them to YouTube along the trip. I went back and watched some of these while preparing to write this story.
Interested in connecting one on one? I'd love to hear from you and get an update on what's going on in your life! Hit REPLY and let me know how you are!
