Robyn Rychards is visiting today, talking about how she tackles revisions and editions.
About Robyn Rychards
Editing and revisions is a very hard subject for me. I have two books published with Harlequin’s Escape Publishing and have had very minimal editing to do on either of them once the editor went through it and sent it back. Most of which was more to do with grammar than fixing the story itself. So I feel like I’m talking about a subject I have very little experience in.
However, that’s not to say my stories didn’t need editing, rewriting and revising. I have received several revise and resubmit letters which I took to heart and followed their suggestions, with no guarantee the editor would want my book afterwards. Also, I have received great advice from some fantastic critique partners, therefore my stories were in tip top shape before an editor ever saw them. In the end, you’re going to have to revise, edit and possibly rewrite your story, it’s merely a matter of when you end up doing it. Before an editor wants to work with you or after.
There’s no getting away from it! Be open to suggestions and willing to change your story, BUT stay true to your gut and your story, and don't get sucked into changing YOUR story just because you think that's what you need to do to sell it.
Robyn's latest release:
She may not need a knight in shining armour to save her,
but that doesn’t mean she’s going to look a gift knight in the visor...
About Robyn Rychards
Robyn Rychards grew up in the granola bowl
of the United States, Boulder Colorado, a town filled with fruits, flakes and
nuts. She considers herself a Jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none and has taught
herself to sew, paint, play the piano, garden, cook, the list goes on. But now
that her books are published, she’s thrilled to finally be considered a master
of one. At least as much as a person can be, for the learning never really
stops.
She feels her active imagination is a
blessing and a curse, with the blessing far outweighing the curse since it has
led her to fulfil her dream of writing for Harlequin. Robyn started writing
stories when she was a teenager because she didn’t have enough books to read.
Sometimes she finds it hard to believe that people are willing to pay her to do
something she enjoys so much, but mostly she’s happy to have such a wonderful
excuse not to cook and clean. And a job that means you can stay in your jammies
as long as you want? Priceless.
Over to Robyn now...
Editing and revisions is a very hard subject for me. I have two books published with Harlequin’s Escape Publishing and have had very minimal editing to do on either of them once the editor went through it and sent it back. Most of which was more to do with grammar than fixing the story itself. So I feel like I’m talking about a subject I have very little experience in.
However, that’s not to say my stories didn’t need editing, rewriting and revising. I have received several revise and resubmit letters which I took to heart and followed their suggestions, with no guarantee the editor would want my book afterwards. Also, I have received great advice from some fantastic critique partners, therefore my stories were in tip top shape before an editor ever saw them. In the end, you’re going to have to revise, edit and possibly rewrite your story, it’s merely a matter of when you end up doing it. Before an editor wants to work with you or after.
There’s no getting away from it! Be open to suggestions and willing to change your story, BUT stay true to your gut and your story, and don't get sucked into changing YOUR story just because you think that's what you need to do to sell it.
Robyn's latest release:
Her Knight In Shining Armour
Paisley doesn’t need a knight in shining armour to rescue
her from her high-powered, abusive ex-husband. She’s got it covered on her own:
she's changed her name, liquidated her assets, and has a plan to disappear in
the Rocky Mountain National Park.
Psychiatrist Sterling James has absolutely no intention of
being anyone’s saviour. The only woman he has any time for is his sister. But
circumstances change when Sterling finds Paisley in an unexpected and
life-threatening situation. Brought in to the drama of her escape, Sterling
finds himself invested, and he can't move on until he knows Paisley is going to
be safe.
It should be a simple enough exercise to get Paisley out of
the park and into her new life. But nothing is ever as simple as it should be,
and Sterling soon discovers that even if her ex-husband buys the set-up, he
might not be able to watch Paisley go...
Being open to suggestions for improvement is so important! Nice post :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Meradeth! I usually have to ponder them for a day or two because my initial reaction is, 'it's perfect the way it is!' :D
DeleteThey can be a pain in the butt, but have to be done at one's hut
ReplyDelete:D Yes, sometimes I feel like, I've already done so much work on this and now I have to do more???
DeleteEdits are definitely a necessary part of writing. As much as they make us want to pull our hair out, they make us better writers.
ReplyDeleteThat is SO true Kelly! I have learned so much just from the suggestions of some great critique partners who have been published a long time.
DeleteSo very true, Robyn. Whatever we write, it always needs editing. That which comes straight from our heads is usually too random for a really tight piece of writing!
ReplyDeleteYou're right Val and I find that a lot of the times the way we speak sounds fine until we transfer it into words on a page where it doesn't sound near as good.
ReplyDeleteWith the exception of only 2 or 3, most of the projects I've revised based on editorial input have become stronger/tighter because of it. As for the minority, when the rights revert to me, I republish them the way they should have been in the first place.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with you Milo, as I've heard the same from quite a number of authors. My personal experience so far has only been grammatical input from an editor. The input I've received to help make my stories stronger and tighter, came before the editor saw it. :D So cool that you could go back later and fix the stories you needed to and republish them the way they needed to be!
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