Viking Book Update

Hey everyone! It's been a month since I've come on here and talked about what's going on progress wise with DAUGHTERS OF ASH. In my last post I shared about my book, I explained that I was waiting back on edits from my CP. Well, I got them back. For only 6 chapters.

Long story really short, I needed to do some finer tuning, and after a brainstorming session with my CP for something else in the book, I revealed some of the unread plot and the decision was made to redo the plot's direction.

Can you imagine? You create this book and stand behind it through thick and thin to realize the plot is going in the wrong direction. At least I have a saving grace in this, I only need to technically massively rethink the beginning to midpoint of the book. The rest is more edits and occasional rewrites. Everything before that is new chapters, new characters, combined chapters, and lots and lots of editing.

Here's the cool part - you'd think I'd be upset about it. And initially I was. However, once I got going on it, I was having all the fun. It felt right. All of it. Now, I'm half way done!

I want to share a book with you that seriously rocked every being of my core before I partook of the editing bread. It's called SELF-EDITING FOR THE FICTION WRITER. And as much as I want to keep this as my little secret, I can't. And I haven't been. It literally rocked my writing perspective. I followed that glorious bible of editing genius-ness with two other suggested editing books by my CP you will see on my left side-bar, but they were just repeating the same things this one did.

If you're going into edits at any stage of your writing, read this book. Eat this book, in fact. Devour every word. I ended up writing pages and pages of meticulous highlighted notes from all my highlights IN the book. Ha! Plus, I'm doing a lesson on one of the points in my writing group today!

Wish me luck through these edits. I seriously need all the cheering I can get!

Question: Have you ever completed a book, thought you were nearly done to find your plot just wasn't working in the right direction after all??

BOOKS READ: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black (a human girl finding her way in a fae world of crooked reigning) On Writing by Stephen King (half memoir, half editing tips)

READING: Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor (magic in Nigeria), The Book of Dust by Philip Pullman (a boy spy protecting a baby), Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott (editing book)

MOVIES WATCHED: The Saratov Approach (True story of 2 missionaries kidnapped, beaten, and held for ransom in 1998 during a Russian mission) I cried...so much.