After the First Meeting

So I just finished the first meeting of those involved with getting my novel published.

The team over at Xchyler have a detailed and comprehensive system for tracking the changes made, so that both myself and the editors can keep track of what has been done and what has yet to be done

I used this system for the short story I published with them in the Shades and Shadows: A Paranormal Anthology. It works and I’m glad they have it becasue the level of work needed for a short story will be nothing compaired to a full novel.

The other great system they have is an evaluation form that makes you really get inside your own head and your story. It covers plot, character arcs, and deeper and deeper until you see things that you wrote but were not even aware you did intentionally (well, I didn’t because I write so organically) Once you find these things, you can tweak here and there and it allows for a richer story and a more in depth world.

The meeting started at nine and went for an hour. It was not wasted time or time wasted. I understand the challenges my team will be facing which helps me realize the dedication I must put in. I can only hope I have an inkling of the challenges face me through this.

The great thing about Xchyler is that they never forget that I’m the author and that the world, the characters, and the story are mine – they only want to make it the best it can be, not take it away from me.

I have a lot of ‘forms’ (if you will) to fill out over the next few days. It can be tedious but I learned from the short story that it really is worth it – not just to help the team know what I see in my novel and where the plot is going , but for me to understand it fully as I work through it. It may sound silly but it is surprisingly helpful

So I will begin to fill these things out first thing tomorrow. It is not exciting – in and of itself -but it is part of the job. Getting the book written is only the start – that’s why you should just let go and enjoy the process, because there is a lot of hard work that comes later.

But that hard work will make holding that book in hands that much sweeter.