30-Day Challenge — Edit, edit, edit

Just because the first draft is perfect, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t edit.

I hate editing.

There. I said it.

By the time I should be editing, my brain is already working on the next story, book, or series.

Did I tell you about the amazing vampire series that … no.

Writing a book in 30-days could be an excuse for skimping on editing, but at the end of the day, I respect my readers too much. They deserve my best and that means editing.

So, there is nothing else for it other than to sit my sweet ass in a chair, open up the manuscript that I wish was perfect, and start to re-read it as a reader rather than as an author.

You see, I love to read. For me to enjoy editing, I treat my book or manuscript from the perspective of a reader. Have I fallen in love with the characters and do I find them compelling? If not, add words or scenes.

Did I fall asleep while reading? If so, either add scenes, delete scenes, tighten writing, or add more conflict.

And then there are my favorite oops — the ones that make editing necessary. Such as when I completely mixed up Bailey and Trey in a text exchange. I had been pleasantly reading the book, thinking that this didn’t need much editing at all…