Namaskara fellow travelers,

After a weekend of brilliant sunshine, it is pouring rain: perfect for a day at the desk!

Last week I met up with Bryce Wilson, my Developmental Editor. Bryce is the person responsible for helping me improve the overall structure, content, and narrative flow of Bella and Rami. The “big picture" side of things.

My first contact with Bryce was via email six weeks ago. He was reaching out to introduce himself and setup a time to talk. He said that he was reading Bella and Rami and “very much enjoying it”: heartening words for a first time author! 

A week later, we met up on WhatsApp. It was great to talk in depth about the manuscript with someone who had read it closely. Bryce helped me understand that Bella and Rami has a three Act structure and that the second Act, in particular, needed some refining. When I reflected on what he had said, along with the written feedback he provided, I knew that he was right. 

The rewrite has taken several weeks with periods of intense work interspersed with breaks to get some perspective on what I had done. Whenever I had a doubt or a wobble I reached out to Bryce for guidance and he always responded in a clear and thoughtful way. By the time I had finished, all sections had been reworked to a greater or lesser extent. 

The rewriting process was taxing, as it meant revisiting the thoughts and feelings of long ago. However, it was needed and it was worth it. Bella and Rami is now in better shape, with a clearer structure and better flow and pace.

Publishing a book, particularly one as personal as Bella and Rami, does leave one feeling quite exposed and vulnerable. A sensitive editor can make it less daunting; I am lucky to have had such an editor in Bryce. 

When Bryce and I last spoke we agreed that Bella and Rami is ready to move on to the next stage – copy/proof reading.  

Perhaps not as exciting as the big picture stage, but not as daunting either!

Thank you once again, for joining me on my writing journey.

Tip for the emerging writers amongst you

Spend some time getting to know the various types of editing that are part of the book publishing process.  This will be necessary whether you plan to self-publish or go through a publisher. Fortunately, there are many free resources available online. A simple search in any browser will get you an AI summary and links for where to go from there.

 Photo by Casey Horner on Unsplash