Hi Reader,
I was sitting on the couch with my fiancé last night, marveling at how cute our puppy is and how lucky we are to have her.
And we are genuinely lucky.
We put a deposit down with the breeder before her eyes were even open (before you come at us for not going to a shelter; we tried and couldn’t even get past the application because we aren’t homeowners, don’t have a yard, and as aspiring first-time pet owners didn’t have two separate veterinarians to recommend us, and no, I’m not making that up for dramatic effect).
Anyway, back to baby Minerva.
She was just a fuzzy black blob with the tiniest wisp of dark brown over her eyes.
There was no sign of the white or light brown or tan that would make her a beautiful tri-color adult. No sign of her adorably speckled paws. In other words, she was nothing but potential.
Adorable in her own right, but we had no idea what she’d look like grown up.
I saw the potential, and we jumped. And thank goodness we did.
The breeder later told us that as soon as the next round of pics went up with her eyes open and her coloring starting to come in, people started begging the breeder to sell our puppy to them instead. Someone even offered double the asking price.
Thankfully, we went to an ethical breeder who turned them all down, and we entered our dog-parent era.
What does this have to do with writing?
It’s all about potential.
My real job as an editor is to see potential.
I see conflicts that could be riveting if they just went that little bit further. A main couple that readers will rabidly ship if only their characterization went deeper. A magic system that is elegantly designed, just not eloquently delivered on the page.
The list goes on.
I help people move past what isn’t happening so they can move on to what could happen instead.
I help people find the pathway from mediocre to marvelous. From just good enough to great.
If you want me in your corner, coaching you to see the potential in your novel for 16 weeks + my honest, strengths-first feedback on your novel, Reader Ready Revisions is officially open for enrollment.
And if you enroll before 5/18, you’ll get double the 1:1 calls and feedback on extra words!
You can learn more here. Then, fill out the short fit-check form at the bottom of the page, and I’ll get back to you ASAP to let you know if the program is right for you right now.
Better Writing
This week on the podcast, I’m talking about the pre-work that goes into revision. Specifically, 5 questions that I think every writer should be able to answer before they rewrite a single word.
Just FYI, that doesn’t mean you have to answer them for the first time going into revision; just that you should be able to answer them by that point.
They are:
- Why this book?
- What is your genre?
- Who are you writing for?
- What experience do you want readers to have?
- How do you plan to publish?
And here’s why they matter:
Question #1 is your motivation. The why that will keep you going when revisions are stressing you out or the destination feels so far in the future you can’t even see it.
Questions #2-#4 are all about defining that destination. They’re about deciding what you want to create and the answers should guide every decision you make along the way. The sooner you can get clear on what you want your story to be, the sooner you’ll start making the strategic decisions that will make your book great.
Question #5 is your tiebreaker. I don’t think publishing goals should determine every choice you make in revision (writing is an art and it should stay that way), but your tentative publishing plan is a great tiebreaker. For example, let’s say you’re thinking about cutting a scene. If you’re 10k words above the industry standard for your genre and aiming for a trad deal, that might tip the scales toward cutting the scene to ensure you don’t need to make cuts to stronger sections later.
You can listen to the full episode here.
Better Living
I just listened to the latest episode of The Shit No One Tells You About Writing podcast. The hosts had a fascinating conversation about AI and the way people are starting to outsource their judgement and discernment to this tool.
As someone who still has a toe in the world of K-12 education, I am deeply aware of the ways that young people are outsourcing all of their thinking to bots. It’s frankly terrifying and something you should be talking to your school-age kids about if you have them. But it’s not just young people.
A business owner I follow recently shared a ChatGPT prompt for evaluating your gut feelings. Literally. What’s more human than going with your gut? How could a bot possibly weigh in on something you’re supposed to feel deep in your bones? It’s ludicrous. And scary. Do I want to live in a world where no one trusts themselves anymore? No, I do not.
You cannot outsource all of your thinking, reasoning, and skill acquisition to a bot and expect to master anything.
I’m not entirely opposed to the use of AI for automated tasks or data analysis, or other areas where it can legitimately assist human endeavours without replacing human thought.
But when it comes to creativity, to reasoning, to having gut feelings, ditch the bots. Develop your own brain.
That’s part of what I love about being a developmental editor & book coach. I don’t just give feedback on one project. I help writers learn the craft a deep level so they can bring those insights (and a newfound confidence) into their next project.
Better Reading
I’m still reading Our Vicious Oaths by N.E. Davenport*. To be completely honest, I’m not in love with the style. But the story works and I’m still really loving the enemies-ish dynamic. There’s bickering, there’s banter, but there’s also plenty of evidence that these two characters are also destined for love, which is key!
Thank you so much for reading another issue of the Better Writer Weekly!
Have a wonderful week and happy writing!
Olivia
P.S. Reader Ready Revisions is open for enrollment! You can learn more and fill out the fit-check form here. Questions? Just hit reply and let me know, I’m happy to help!!
Your story matters. Let's make it great.
Curious to know how I can help? Check out my services here. I can't wait to work with you, so you can write the book your future readers are waiting for!
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