Notes From the Editing Zone

Boring writer post today. Possibly in bullet format.

Okay, definitely in bullet format.

Some TLC thoughts as I work through Editing Week:

• When I get emails from new writers seeking advice, the two things I always tell them are 1) Read, read, read, and read quality writing from amazing authors. And 2) Never box yourself in with labels. Don't set out to write a particular type of novel; just write the best novel you can. Because you have to allow for natural story progressions. And in this case, that natural progression was one I wasn't expecting.
• About three-quarters through writing the book, I realized not only had Candy not put those legendary teeth-smashing fists to good use...but that he wasn't going to. He was already a legend at the beginning of the book. And the most mature, attractive thing he could do was wield that reputation responsibly. So this book wasn't about Candy being a legend - it was about Michelle becoming one.
• I always like to end a book on a note that makes unromantic me feel a little sentimental. The original ending, that of the Wattpad version, didn't do that. But the new ending ticked all my boxes, so I hope everyone really likes the new sense of continuity and sentimentality Chapter 41 provides.
• The messy, strange family dynamics are my fave! I don't think of this as a very romance-heavy book, but a family-heavy one.
• Michelle is one of my new favorites because she isn't silly. She has goals, she's tough, she looks at the big picture, and stumbles along the way, like we all do. I have such a soft spot for the serious girls, for the ones who resist falling head over heels, because...I identify with that, if I'm honest. Work I understand. Interpersonal relationships are complicated and messy.
• Candy, to me, is so sexy because he gets his girl and he lets her spread her wings. In my mind, the fantasy is finding a guy who lets me do my thing. So A+ for Derek Snow.
• Albie is my favorite of Michelle's uncles, in a lot of ways, perhaps because I have a soft spot for the lonely intellectual types, but also because you need an uncle like that. I love Fox, too, but he's a bit of a wild card.
• Editing sucks, for real, but I think a week of painful rewrites will make the book that much better, and I can't wait to share it in its final form.