Book Update: I Love Writing. I Hate Editing.

I have snuck in here to write to you really quick about my book.    In case you were wondering what is going on with it.  And yes, the title of my post says it all.  But after my update I have to go because we have family coming over later and I have to once again vacuum all the dog hair up.


I loved writing the book.   And I have started editing it.  About a hundred times I have started the process.  It is very tedious.  I also am not the best anymore with grammar.  Spelling isn't as hard because of spell check, but it still doesn't catch everything.  I need to look at the dialog and make it better. I want to get my book in the best possible shape for trying to get it published, but it is hard.  I keep trying to just read it, instead of looking at it with a critical eye.  And when I read for pleasure, I sometimes skim, and I catch myself doing that while trying to edit it.  Plus I would like to start the new book that is rattling around in my brain.  It keeps calling to me. . .C'mon.  Just one or two pages.  Just the first chapter. 


But how can I start a whole new book when the first one I have is in desperate need of a good edit?  So I trudge along. 


I hope that one day, if I am lucky enough to get it published, and then if I'm even luckier and it sells well, that I will maybe one day also be lucky enough to have someone edit future books for me.  If anyone wants to edit my book now for me, I'd almost be willing to hand it over with some relief.  Almost anyway.


Maybe "hate" is a strong choice of words for how I feel about editing.  But I have found the editing process to be almost as hard as the publishing process.  However, I did find out some interesting information and I thought I'd share it with you here.


So I was bumbling around on the computer yesterday thanks to my pastor, who suggested I look at a few of my favorite authors in the chick lit/romance genre and see who their agents are, how they may have gotten started etc.  I checked out one, and was surprised that she had a whole section on how she came up with her book idea and how she went about getting it published.  And wouldn't you know, her story was very similar to mine.  She has young children.  She got the idea and was obsessed with getting it on paper.  She let one person read it and started sending them chapters and the person would ask her for more, etc.  I did those same things.  And you may have even heard of this author.  She happened to write a little series called "Twilight".  Lucky girl! 


Her story of how she came up with the book and what she did while writing it is interesting and some of it sounds like my own.  If you'd like to read how she came up with the idea, as well as how she got her book published, here is the link: 


http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/twilight.html


After reading it, I even thought about putting a sentence at the beginning of my book that just says, "Oh and by the way, David is a vampire too."  And not mentioning it anymore.  Because apparently, vampire stuff really sells right now.  But he isn't really a vampire.  I just have normal, ordinary people in my book.  I hope that I one day come up with a really great idea like she did.  But not everybody does.  So I'll try to get my ordinary book published in the meantime.  She had some really great information on her website, and I hope to try the Writer's Market website she refers to. 


So that is where I am.  Currently in editing hell.  But I will persevere.  I want my book to be as well-written as possible.  Then I have to send out queries to literary agents.  Wish me luck.