36. Editing is work! 😮💨
Progress update on Grandma's book
The Inner Critic
This is the emotional support playlist that’s keeping me focused while I make yet another pass at editing Grandma’s book. Editing requires me to critique what I’m reading, while also shushing the voice that’s critiquing me; ‘Kenia, you realize you never edit a book before, right. You know what you doing?
Truth is I don’t, which is probably why it’s taking longer than I’d expected. But I’m sufficiently motivated to learn on the job. My process thus far has included a few edit rounds of passes that all have a different focus. Let me share them with you so you don’t have me up too for why Grandma book taking so long.
Editing Passes
Firstly, I’m editing her stories to help me understand them better. I’ve been asking Grandma about some key story points that I think belong on the page. They help connect the dots and paint the picture we’ve heard her describe many times before.
Next I’m doing another pass, but for grammar this time. I’m asking myself, ‘Does the new sentence structure make sense?’ ‘Wait, should a comma be here?’
Another pass is for hearing her voice. Sometimes when I insert grammar changes it doesn’t sound like her, so I go over it again or ask her to talk about the story again (thankfully, she doesn’t mind repeating) to capture how she’d say it.
Then at one point I actually thought, ‘Yay, I have it! I’m done.’ But I read a bunch of stories together I realized the order wasn’t flowing as well as I thought it would. So I’m rearranging them into sections so we see a developing picture of her life. What I hadn’t accounted for was that re-reading them in this new order also alters the stories’ context. So that has meant more edits again.
I prefer reading with fresh eyes and a clear mind to pick up on things I might have missed at the end of the work day. So early mornings are my sweet spot. Especially when I’m editing with a cuppa tea and a good playlist.
Can I borrow your eyes?
I think I’m about 60% through now. I’ll be sharing with mommy and a proofreader once this next round is done to see if I missed anything. Then if you’ve preordered I’ll send you an almost done draft, so you can read with a fresh pair of eyes. I would really appreciate your input before we publish! 🙏 Do take a read and let me know if you pick up on anything else I should adjust.
Love that whenever you see me a road, you ask me how the book is coming! Thank you for being an inspiration, cheerleader, and accountability partner throughout this process.
Have a great day and do sup’m good for your soul!
Kenia