If you’re like me, you’ve probably had a dozen people tell you to read your manuscript out loud during editing.

Yes, that sounds like great advice, but who actually has the privacy and time to read their entire novel out loud? I never bothered to try until I’d finally heard that advice enough. A thousand times and the last one finally stuck.

And let me tell you, it’s a miracle. Well, miracle-ish. Here are my thoughts after making it 75 pages through my current manuscript.

Pros: Your ears pick up on things your eyes skim over. Reading your manuscript aloud lets you hear repetitive words and awkward phrases much easier than reading silently. It’s especially great if you have that frustrating feeling that your manuscript is just a little bit off. Reading out loud can draw out that nameless flaw.

Cons: It’s slow and requires privacy. I read very slowly out loud. It takes me about 1 hour to edit 10 pages. I also usually like to work on my manuscript in coffee shops or distilleries, but I definitely can’t read my manuscript out loud in public, so now I have to lock myself in my office to edit.

All-in-all, I’m very happy with how my manuscript is turning out. It sounds much cleaner and flows really well. I definitely recommend this technique for any writer.

For information, here are some articles on the topic:

• Los Angeles Editors and Writers Group: click here 
• ProWriting Aid: click here 

I am getting ready to begin querying my first manuscript. It’s an adult fantasy novel, and I’m very excited to get it out into the world.

I recently tried out Book Pipeline’s The Workshop Editing Services. I did the Pitch Package, which includes in-line edits of the query letter and synopsis as well as a general review of the first 5,000 words of the manuscript.

It terms of logistics, the process was very straightforward and timely. I purchased the Pitch Package through the Book Pipeline website. Then, I submitted my materials by email. The turn-around time for me was 14 days. I was also able to ask follow-up questions on my review. My questions were answered within 1 day.

I found my review very helpful, especially the in-line edits of my query letter. I’ve watched video tutorials and read articles on how to write a good query letter, but having a professional editor provide specific feedback on my query letter was invaluable.

The service was a little pricey, but I was able to use a coupon to get $50 off. If you’re not on a tight deadline, I recommend keeping an eye out for sales and coupons.

Here are some helpful links if you’re interested:

• Book Pipeline’s Editing Services page: click here 
• Book Pipeline’s sample query letter edits: click here

Hollen the Soulless by Denali Day is an action-packed romance novel. It has been a long time since I found a fantasy novel that pulls me completely into the story. Denali Day weaves a vivid world with an intricate plot and loveable characters. This book is marketed as a romance book, which is usually not my style, but Denali Day changed my mind.
 
Not only did I enjoy reading this book, but it was also a great resource for me as a writer. Here’s a tip for fellow writers. If you find that you love a particular author’s writing style, don’t just sit by and enjoy it!
Learn from it. What do you like about that author’s writing? Is it the pacing or dialogue?
For me, I was really impressed with Denali Day’s imagery. I used sticky notes to flag sentences or paragraphs that were particularly vibrant. I’ve developed my own writing style by studying her work.
 
Denali Day is currently working on a new series, and I’m excited to see what she comes up with next!
 
If you’re interested, here are some more resources:

• Denali Day’s author website: click here 
• The Amazon seller page for Hollen the Soulless: click here 
• My Goodreads review of Hollen the Soulless: click here 

Last week, I revealed what Oreia and I have most in common. Fashion sense is a small thing, but my main character and I are very different. She has to deal with assassins, betrayal, battlefields, and unimaginable sacrifice. I’m a writer who hikes and crochets in her spare time.

That being said, I think the biggest difference between my main character and I is how we deal with stress. Oreia was born and raised to lead her empire. She has trained for political fights and killing fields. The trials and challenges Oreia faces in my current work-in-progress will push her to the limits of her courage and strength.

Towards the end of the story, the pressure does begin to weigh on Oreia, but she relies on the support of her close confidantes and trusted friends. If I had to endure the same stresses and sacrifices as Oreia, I would be a puddle of anxiety.

I have incredible respect for people who deal with high-stress decisions on a regular basis, and I hope I've realistically depicted how a warrior might handle the pressures and anxiety of running an army.

Every author will tell you that they put a piece of themselves in their stories, and I am no different. In my most complete work-in-progress, the main character, Oreia, and I share one trait in particular. We both have a practical, functional sense of style.
Oreia is a warrior (and I am obviously not), so she often wears uniforms. However, when Oreia gets a chance to wear regular clothes, she prefers comfortable, functional clothes. She likes wearing different colors, but nothing too flashy.
In one of the opening scenes of Oreia’s story, Oreia wears a yellow dress that is just a little too bright for her comfort. She doesn’t mind standing out, but she prefers more muted colors. Oreia also only wears shoes she can run and fight in because you never know when the enemy will strike.
My clothing style is very similar. I work from home in my day job, so I wear a lot of tank tops, shorts, and leggings. When I go out, I prefer simple dresses or colorful tops and plain jeans. I usually wear boots, sandals, or sneakers.
It’s a silly thing to have in common, but there it is. I’m a writer, and Oreia is a warrior with the weight of an entire empire on her shoulders. We have very little else in common. Stay tuned for my post next week where I’ll reveal the thing that Oreia and I have least in common.

Eragon by Christopher Paolini is one of my all-time favorite fantasy novels. In fact, it played a major role in inspiring my own love of writing and desire to become an author.

This book weaves magic, dragons, and elves into an epic fantasy adventure. In fact, I love all 4 books in the Inheritance cycle. Eragon is a great place to start if you’re looking for your next fantasy series. As you can see from the picture I posted, my copy of Eragon is well-loved and has been read many times, but it's not just the novel that I love.

Years and years ago, I read a story about Christopher Paolini and Eragon. I don’t remember where I saw this story, but it’s a tale of perseverance that paid off in an epic victory, and I love it. Paolini talked about how he couldn’t find a publisher for Eragon, so he sold it himself. He dressed up in medieval-inspired garb and presented Eragon at schools. Eventually, Eragon became a hit, and Paolini got a publishing deal.

I love that story. It’s an inspiration to all of us. Never stop believing in the value of your work. If you love it, and you show the world how amazing it is, they will eventually believe you. Keep fighting!

Christopher Paolini has since branched out from fantasy into sci-fi and has been publishing more novels, so we can look forward to many more great reads.

If you’re interested, here are some helpful links:

• Christopher Paolini’s author page – click here 
• The Amazon seller page for Eragon – click here
• My Goodreads review of Eragon – click here 

 How do you work on your story when life gets in the way?
      Let’s face it. Very few writers make it as full time authors. Most of us have day jobs, and sometimes, those jobs can get in our way as writers. This week a project at my day job blew up. I ended up working crazy hours and had very little time to write. By the time I actually found time to write, my brain was too fried to work on my story.
      If you’ve ever found yourself in a similar situation, you probably understand my frustration. I want to write!
      Here are some of my thoughts on how to balance a passion as consuming as writing with the demands of a standard 9-5.
     I think it’s absolutely essential that you set reasonable writing goals for yourself. Of course, "reasonable" can mean very different things for different people. For me, I want goals that keep my project moving forward and allow me to keep developing my writing style, but I don’t want to add more stress and pressure to my life. For example, my writing goal for July was to finish editing my novel. I had 18 chapters left to edit at the start of July. That's nearly 1 chapter every 2 days. Easy.
     My second piece of advice is to try to do something for your writing every day. No matter how small. Today, I spent 15 minutes drafting this post and listened to a tutorial on writing a book synopsis for a pitch package. It wasn’t much, but those are two little achievements.
     I hope my perspective helped you. Leave me a comment or send me an email through my contact page if you have any tips or tricks you use to manage writing around your day job.

How do you handle criticism?
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One of the most difficult parts of being a writer is putting your heart and soul into your story and then tossing it out into the world. This world can be harsh, and people can be cruel.

But we all have to face negative feedback and rude reviews. Here are a couple quick tips for how I handle criticism in my writing.

Tip #1: decide if the person criticizing you qualified to do so. Is your reviewer an editor or literary agent? Or are you the victim of some angry person on the internet who feels better when they tear someone else down? If someone with experience and training in writing is pointing out major flaws in your project, you may need to reevaluate your work. If it’s an angry jerk, ignoring the criticism and moving on is probably your best course of action.

Tip #2: understand the reviewer's motives. Not everyone reading your work will have your or your book’s best interests in mind. Ask yourself if your criticizer is really trying to make your book better. Or are they a competitor looking to slow you down? Or, again, is the reviewer just a jerk who finds faults in everything?

Tip #3: use what you can and throw out the rest. Even awful reviews can have a useful nugget you can use to improve your work. When you get a bad review, let it sit for a few days until you can approach it objectively. Then, dig through the trash of it and pull out anything constructive. Did the awful reviewer mention pacing, character building, or plot continuity? Even jerks can occasionally be useful. Use their hate to make your work stronger.

Tip #4: be kind to yourself and your work. It’s easy to let bad reviews rattle you. What if they’re right? What if your work is garbage? Do. Not. Listen. To. That. Voice. No one can write your story better than you. All the negativity in the world can’t change that.

Writing fiction: a Guide to Narrative Craft, the 8th addition, by Janet Burroway, Elizabeth Stucky-French, and Ned Stucky-French is a great primer for self-taught writers looking for some professional direction as well as veteran authors in need of a refresher. This book covers the entire novel-writing process from developing plot, fleshing out characters, and world-building to tackling the revision process.

Each chapter ends with excerpts from published works and writing exercises that reinforce the key concepts of that chapter. I, personally, enjoyed the writing exercises because they gave me a great way to practice and experiment with new writing techniques. Although these exercises were developed for a classroom or group setting, I still found them helpful as a solo writer. They’re also great for busting writer’s block, if you find yourself stuck.

Fun fact: chapter 13 from my current work-in-progress was originally written as Exercise #2 in Chapter 2 from Writing fiction: a Guide to Narrative Craft.
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Links::
      My Goodreads Review 
      Amazon page