Anju Gattani's Blog - Posts Tagged "grammar"
Dark Circles
Hi,
I'm looking at myself in the mirror and wondering where all those dark circles around my eyes came from. Was it from reading? Writing? Or rewriting? I'm not sure because the division between each becomes blurred when you've gone over the same book so many times.
What's worse is when you're reading your own work and wondering "How could I have written that?" or "How did I not see those mistakes in grammar, run-on sentences and more?" My list goes on.
Which explains why the edits are taking longer than I expected. I can see more. Understand more. Which requires more focus and attention... and dark circles - are those the proofs of a good writer?
I don't think so. Because one thing I've learned so far is that easy reading means HARD WRITING. So it's back to the edits and wearing my dark circles again!
I'm looking at myself in the mirror and wondering where all those dark circles around my eyes came from. Was it from reading? Writing? Or rewriting? I'm not sure because the division between each becomes blurred when you've gone over the same book so many times.
What's worse is when you're reading your own work and wondering "How could I have written that?" or "How did I not see those mistakes in grammar, run-on sentences and more?" My list goes on.
Which explains why the edits are taking longer than I expected. I can see more. Understand more. Which requires more focus and attention... and dark circles - are those the proofs of a good writer?
I don't think so. Because one thing I've learned so far is that easy reading means HARD WRITING. So it's back to the edits and wearing my dark circles again!
Hats Off To Editor
Hi,
Just finished the edits on the 2nd book and am breathing a sigh of relief. Not because it's over. But because it's the best it can possibly be.
Grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, sentence construction,fact-checks... the list goes on. It was HARD work. Harder yet for my wonderful copy editor who goes beyond the words. She was able to dig deep in the story and say what caracter arcs were incomplete. What needed to be more clearly defined in simple language. What didn't make sense. What sense / sensations needed to be added to clarify the meaning.
I could have never accomplished this on my own. Yes, I created the characters, carved the stories, and lived the characters' lives. But bringing it together in clear, logical and flawless language... that takes the skill and knowledge of a highly trained eye and sharp mind.
Hats off to my editor!
She's one of a kind.
Just finished the edits on the 2nd book and am breathing a sigh of relief. Not because it's over. But because it's the best it can possibly be.
Grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, sentence construction,fact-checks... the list goes on. It was HARD work. Harder yet for my wonderful copy editor who goes beyond the words. She was able to dig deep in the story and say what caracter arcs were incomplete. What needed to be more clearly defined in simple language. What didn't make sense. What sense / sensations needed to be added to clarify the meaning.
I could have never accomplished this on my own. Yes, I created the characters, carved the stories, and lived the characters' lives. But bringing it together in clear, logical and flawless language... that takes the skill and knowledge of a highly trained eye and sharp mind.
Hats off to my editor!
She's one of a kind.
Writing - The Thick Skin
Hi,
They say you need to be able to take criticism to write.
They say you must have a love for structure to get your grammar right.
But what about professional writing? What does that take? Time? Energy? Your emotions? A huge (and I mean HUGE) portion of your life? Dedication? Devotion? I could go on... but over the years I've learned that it takes a thick skin (and I mean thick) to stay afloat.
It's all too easy to throw in the towel when the going gets tough. I'm sure we've all done it at one point... some ideas:
Tried to burn the manuscript (but saved a copy before you did).
Tried to kill the manuscript (but chose a blunt knife).
Tried to run your car over the manuscript (but avoided the imaginary squirrel that happened to be sitting on it).
Tried to forget you wrote a manuscript (but kept going back to fix that missing detail, and oh yes! That punctuation mark).
So... because you failed to detonate the manuscript, do you call yourself a failure? No. You tell yourself (at least I did!) that you had a nervous bookdown and you had to let it go - for a while. Put it to the test, like you do with your characters, and then see what you, the author, does next.
And you did something. Right? You saved it! Because you know you have to save yourself. There's only one way. The right way.
So sit down and write. Right?
They say you need to be able to take criticism to write.
They say you must have a love for structure to get your grammar right.
But what about professional writing? What does that take? Time? Energy? Your emotions? A huge (and I mean HUGE) portion of your life? Dedication? Devotion? I could go on... but over the years I've learned that it takes a thick skin (and I mean thick) to stay afloat.
It's all too easy to throw in the towel when the going gets tough. I'm sure we've all done it at one point... some ideas:
Tried to burn the manuscript (but saved a copy before you did).
Tried to kill the manuscript (but chose a blunt knife).
Tried to run your car over the manuscript (but avoided the imaginary squirrel that happened to be sitting on it).
Tried to forget you wrote a manuscript (but kept going back to fix that missing detail, and oh yes! That punctuation mark).
So... because you failed to detonate the manuscript, do you call yourself a failure? No. You tell yourself (at least I did!) that you had a nervous bookdown and you had to let it go - for a while. Put it to the test, like you do with your characters, and then see what you, the author, does next.
And you did something. Right? You saved it! Because you know you have to save yourself. There's only one way. The right way.
So sit down and write. Right?
