Sharing, reading and rejoicing

Afternoon folks, I’ve had an epiphany moment this week regards my W.I.P. – honestly I have. It started with a conversation at the RNA Chapter meeting on 17^th, when I had lunch with 11 other RNA writers. The discussion turned to editing - with the majority of us expressing how difficult we find the process; be it lacking in creativity, time management or a simple loathing for the much needed process. Morton Gray mentioned that she’d attended a wonderful talk given by Nell Dixon on the very subject, where Nell shared many tips. One glorious tip was a ‘list’ of pesky words that writers frequently use but usually proved to be superfluous, for example: just. Fast forward to Monday morning and hey presto, using the ‘find’ search, I discovered that Nell was so right – I too had the word ‘just’ popping up here, there and everywhere. A simple Goggle search found Nell’s blog containing her original list. The remainder of the day was spent checking my W.I.P for the rest the her list and included a couple of my own ‘well’ and ‘oh’. Nell’s blog has been a little gem of a find this week as she offers other advice on editing – so, it goes without saying, I must share. www.nelldixon.com/tips.aspx

Last blog update I mentioned Jane Wenham-Jones’ pilot series about ‘Wannabe a writer?’ I was so intrigued by her experiences that I purchased her book of the same title, and began to read. A word of warning should appear on the front cover: this book will consume your weekend. I have read it cover to cover in record time and… laughed my socks off - the woman is hilarious, as well as being frank and utterly honest! Well worth a look for every writer www.amazon.co.uk/Wannabe-Writer-hilarious-informative-ebook/dp/B008J0BTGW/ref=sr_1_1?s

And finally, having spent the week at my desk, with a renewed energy for editing, I’ve fallen in love with my W.I.P all over again. It has taken a number of weeks since I received a mixed review by an editor but it has happened, my feelings have reverted. And, the greatest thing is, I knew all along, that in time, it would!

You can follow me on Twitter (@odwyer_author) or Facebook (odwyer author) for daily progress reports as I push on with draft three. Enjoy!