BookingIt

Right now I'm waiting on line edits for my soon-to-be-pubbed (eeek!!!) book. I did a set of revisions before contract and a set after, but now the story is being sent to a different line editor. Even though authors from the same line gave me some encouragement about these edits, I'm still nervous. What will be changed? Will the editor like the story or hate it? Will the editor cross out all my "was"s? The suspense of not knowing what will happen is driving me to chocolate. Are you waiting for anything right now? How do you handle the suspense of the unknown? Are you prepared for the changes an editor might ask you to make?

One thing I've loved about my new job is talking books with one of my co-workers. She's a big reader who ranges from literary to all things Harlequin. The perspective of someone who reads but doesn't write is fresh for me. Now another co-worker started reading a book and was telling me how mad she was at a male character over how he treated the heroine. The depth of her immersion in the story was inspiring for me because last week she'd mentioned that the story was confusing at times due to an abundance of characters. Yet that didn't stop her from rooting for the heroine. How do I make a story like that? One that, despite its weaknesses, ensares a reader to the end? There are lots of rules on how to do it, but sometimes I think it comes down to voice. What was the last book you read that put you in tears or made you mad at a character? Any insight on how the writer did it? Do you talk books with nonwriters?

Have you ever heard a parent tell their toddler to use their words? That's how I feel about writing. This Song captured me partly because of the lyrics. Lord, make me a rainbow, I'll shine down on my mother She'll know I'm safe with you when she stands under my colors Who would've thought forever could be severed by the sharp knife of a short life The writer uses words to make metaphors that create interesting images. She created a mood with her words, which is so important for us to do in our books. Do your words evoke the mood you're going for in a particular scene? What about your metaphors? Have you ever heard this song before?

After Harry Potter we knew something else would be big, but what? Then suddenly Twilight appeared and for years captured the imagination of our world. Now Twilight is approaching the end of its movie run and I can't help but wonder what will be the next big thing. Do you think the next huge book will be YA? Is there room for anything else to get so big? Is there something big right now that I don't know about yet?