Hello Friends!

I apologize for my absence. I underestimated the intense impact hiring a seasoned editor would have on my time and heart. I’m sure I’m preaching to the writing choir when I say it is very challenging to hand your word baby over to the hungry red-marker wolf. This was my first time hiring an editor for a problem project and she was very thorough … painfully so. Please don’t misunderstand me, I am beyond grateful that a publisher recommended her to me and I absolutely needed a fierce pair of critical eyes, but I didn’t realize how hard it would be. She was extremely gracious and actually set aside time to talk to me. I’m quite certain this project would’ve been in the trash if she hadn’t been so generous with her time.

Since the end of October, I have been slowly reading each edit and trying to learn from her expertise. I limited my time to an hour or two, allowing myself time to process the information and guidance. As a whole, it was very challenging converting several screenplays into a novel. Then I compounded my challenges when I changed the timeline and setting. I have a long standing issue with becoming dazzled by new research. I’m still groaning inwardly when I think about how clean the original screenplay was before I adapted it. I have always enjoyed adapting novels into screenplays to keep my skills sharp, so I thought it would be a good writing exercise to try the opposite. I also think it’s vastly different adapting your own work. I love to adapt Frances Hodgson Burnett novels into screenplays because she’s one of my favorite authors, but I don’t add anything to her beautiful work like I do to my own.

I just finished the last edit today and now I’m going back through my other projects to make sure I didn’t share the same mistakes/viruses. Fortunately, my other projects weren’t adaptations. My confidence is at a low ebb at the moment, so I’m trying to focus on other projects and use other talents. I’m grateful for the ability to work in other areas while I grow through this process. I encourage all of you to use other talents while you’re growing as writers too! This process has discouraging seasons, but we can get through it together.

I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday season! Remember to start the New Year with healthy choices in work and play! Keep stretching your muscles and talents!

Blessings,

Bree