Y’all remember the cover reveal I did last week for the novel, CREED?  Well, its author Trisha Leaver–and the author of many other awesome novels including BETWEEN SISTERS* from FSG/Macmillan–agreed to be interviewed for Editor’s Note today.

Thank you, Trisha, for being willing to answer some questions for me!

Me: Tell me a little bit about yourself and your book, BETWEEN SISTERS.

Trisha: HA it is going through another title change.  Right now it is: A SISTER’S SECRET*

Okay now the answer:  A little bit about me…I live a pretty boring life.  Three kids ranging, one patient husband, and a rather ill-mannered black lab. I live on Cape Cod—land of sand, sun, and perpetual tourists. I hate the gritty feel of sand between my toes, am not a fan of swimming, and frequently order my groceries on-line to avoid fighting the traffic.  So yeah…not sure why I chose to live in an area known for some of the East Coast’s best beaches.

On the creative side, I write full-time, splitting my creative mojo between solo YA contemporary projects and Co-authored YA psychological horror.  A SISTER’S SECRET is coming Winter of 2015 from FSG/Macmillan.  In essence, it is about the deep emotional connection that exists between siblings and how often, in midst of petty arguments and skewed observations, we lose sight of that bond, the loyalty, the unconditional love that defines sisters. 

Anyhow, that is my take on A SISTER’S SECRET.  Here’s the more formal description:

Ella Lawton spent her entire life living in the shadows of her identical twin sister’s popularity. She always dreamed of having her life, but never once did she actually think it was possible.  

When a freak accident leaves her sister, Maddy, dead, Ella assumes her life.  But her sister’s life is full of secrets…lies that have kept her popularity intact while slowly destroying her from the inside.  With no escape in sight, Ella is faced with two options – confess her ruse and risk the hatred and betrayal of those around her, or continue down the destructive path her sister’s life has mapped out for her.  

I’ve had the opportunity to read A SISTER’S SECRET and it’s dark and gritty and hopeful all at the same time.  In other words, it’s pretty freaking fantastic. 

Me: When you had your initial call with your editor, did she give you an idea of how she wanted the story to change or the vision for the project? 

Trisha: I spoke with my editor at FSG/ Macmillan, Janine O’Malley, at length before accepting the offer of publication.  She laid out her vision for A SISTER’S SECRET, gave me an overview of what she wanted changed as well as what drew her to my manuscript. Not only did our visions match, but speaking with her gave me the focus and direction I needed to take A SISTER’S SECRET to another level.  I would liken the entire conversation to a road map.  There are hundreds of way to get from point A (the first chapter) to point B (the resolution) in your manuscripts, tons detours (threads) you can take along the way. But working with an editor, especially one as experienced as Janine, is like having you own personalized map, one that is interactive and fluid, but in the end highlights the best, the most emotionally powerful route to take.

Me: So when you got your editorial letter, how did you plan your attack?  Was there any special method you used to work through the changes?

My first round of edits came from the above-mentioned phone call.  I had some over-arching changes to make so I attacked those first.  My second round of edits, were more detailed. I knew what threads needed to be enhanced, what character traits weren’t working, and what scenes need more emotional tensions.  The further along in the process we got, the more detailed the notes became, right down to line edits and single word choices.  

As for if I attacked them “global” edits in a certain order…well, no. I learned a long time ago that even the slightest of changes can wreak havoc in a manuscript if simply changed without thought or concern for the scenes that preceded and follow said tweak, causing consistency and voice issues. With that in mind, I read my notes thoroughly let them sit for a day, then read them again  Then I start at page one, make the necessary change, then read through the entire ms adjusting everything from scenes to word choices to make sure the edit is fully ingrained in the ms.  I read the second edit, go back to page one, and do it all over again.  It’s a lengthy process, and by the time I have completed all the revision, I have easily read the ms at least a dozen times, but it works for me.

Me: How has working with an editor changed your writing?

Trisha: I write with a better understanding of the entire editorial process now, avoiding the overuse of certain words and sentence structure from the start.  My ancillary characters get as much attention as my mc and protagonist…their layers, their backstories, the emotional depth of their decisions equally as important and valuable as my mc’s.  I guess, to put it simply, before this editing process I attacked my manuscripts in pieces, scene by scene, character by character.  I know attack it as a whole, realizing that each character, each thread, every single word I write is interconnected. 

Me: What kind of mistakes have you learned to avoid?

Trisha: I have learned that I have a slight addiction to ellipses for one.  I am problem with the word just and a fascination with any and all forms of the word smile. I have come to the sad conclusion that hummed (as is hurled) is a local term that doesn’t translate well across readers. 

Me: What’s the greatest lesson you’ve gained from working with a professional editor?

Trisha: Not to become attached to your title because they change frequently throughout the entire process!  Just kidding….kind of 🙂  Honestly, I would have to say the most valuable thing Janine taught me was  find the heart of my story and subtly bring it to the forefront.  There are a lot of competing threads in A SISTER’S SECRET, undercurrents of sibling rivalry, self-identity, love, and the jockeying for positions of popularity. But in the end, it is truly a story about sister’s and the love and loyalty that binds them even in the darkest of times.  I now identify that central theme in my WIP’s and build my books around that as opposed to the characters.

As always, it’s awesome to work with and learn from such smart, well-read, and well-rounded authors!  I really appreciate your insight!

AND, the next installment of Editor’s Note will include both Trisha and her co-author Lindsay Currie (I call them TEAM CLEAVER)!  Find out about the fascinating process of editing with two authors!

Welcome to my first installment of Editor’s Note!  Mary Waibel, author of the Princess of Valendria Series, has agreed to be my first victim!

Hi, Mary! *waves* Thanks for sharing your experience! Every author and writer wants to know the tricks and secrets that will help make their stories that much better.  So…tell me a little about yourself.

Mary: Thank you so much for having me here today. I’m really thrilled to be here. Let’s see, a little bit about myself. I’m a hockey mom, wife, and full-time employee, and I balance my writing life with my family-not always well 🙂  I have three books out in the Princess of Valendria series: QUEST OF THE HART, CHARMED MEMORIES, and DIFFERENT KIND OF KNIGHT. While they are stand alone stories, each following a different princess and/or prince, there are some spoilers if you read them out of order. You can find them at MuseItUp Publishing, Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, iTunes, Kobo, Smashwords, and other major retailers. Currently they are only available as e-books.  

(There’s more information about Mary’s books and a giveaway below!)

With more than one book out, you’ve been around the block with editors!  Let’s talk a little bit about the editorial process once you know your manuscript is going to be picked up. What happens next? 

Mary: After my manuscripts were accepted, I began the editing stage. First, my content editor would send an editorial letter as well as more specific comments within my manuscript, focusing on the storyline, keeping things accurate (spellings, time frames, etc.) and the overall big picture items. We exchanged back and forth about 3 times, and then it would go to line edits. Here the focus was on grammar, word usage, punctuation (I love me a comma!) and sentence structure-the nuts and bolts, so to speak. And finally, is the galley stage. This is the last chance to look through and catch any typos or formatting errors still lurking in the story.

Are you/have you ever been scared by what your editor asked you to do?  How do you address those fears and meet their demands? 

Mary: I have been fortunate to work with some really great editors who get the story I’m trying to tell and can show me where I need to improve what I’m saying without changing the story. With QUEST OF THE HART, I was really nervous waiting for my first round of edits, as I’d never done this before. When they came, I was excited and still nervous, as I had 3 weeks to turn them around, and would be away on a family vacation at DisneyWorld for the first of those weeks. It all worked out. I read the comments before we left and let my mind stew on them as we took the train down. Then, and the return train ride home, I got to work and actually re-wrote the entire first chapter of the story.

An author’s work is never done, even on vacation! Which is both awesome and sort of a bummer. 😉

What has the editorial process taught you about your writing? Are there mistakes you used to make that you know now to avoid?  

Mary: I’ve learned several things. You can’t fix it until you’ve written it. No matter how much you like a sentence, paragraph, chapter, if it doesn’t move the story along, you don’t need it. Once a grammar/writing mistake is pointed out to me and I weed it out, a new one crops up in its place. For example, I used to use the word ‘that’ a lot. Then I moved to ‘and’. I’m not sure what my new favorite is yet 🙂 It was pointed out that I write a lot in passive voice. And this has been the hardest for me to work with- finding ways to make my sentences more active. I’m getting better with it, but it still sneaks up on me from time to time!

Do you write your stories differently now (plot ahead, character quizzes, scene outlines) than you did before you had an editor?

Mary: I’m trying to work from a loose plot outline with some new works, but for the most part, I’m still a pantster. I know the beginning and the end, and the middle gets made up as I think my way through the story. I do a lot of thinking about the story before I ever sit down and type words to the screen. I’d say the biggest change I’ve made is in trying to write a cleaner first draft. Rather than just get the story down and go back and edit it all later (like in NaNo), I’m trying to be more careful in my word choices and sentence structure the first time around. For example, I have a thing about sentences and paragraphs near each other starting with the same word. Before I’d just write it and fix it later. Now, I’m trying to get it “right” the first time.

What do you do if you disagree with your editor on some point? 

Mary: I have an open line of communication with all my editors. We use track changes (to show the suggested correction) as well as the notes feature. If I don’t agree, or am not sure I was on the right track, I leave a comment as to why and they answer back to me in the next send. In the end, the final decision to make changes lies with me, but, I know that my editors only want the best for my work and usually make the suggested change. Sometimes it’s a grammar rule I don’t know (or one I think I do know!) and I’ll say, ‘I thought the rule was XYZ, and that’s why I did this, but if it isn’t then I do want to change it, as I want it correct.’

I remember the first time I saw track changes.  I was like, “What is that? Where’s my story? How do I fix this mess?” It’s great what a little experience (and a few embarrassing emails) can do for you.

And speaking of experience, I’m so grateful you were willing to share yours! Thank you!

Here’s a little bit about Mary’s newest book, A DIFFERENT KIND OF KNIGHT, available now.

Now, onto the giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I may have mentioned this before (I can’t actually remember and I can’t find the post, so I’m going to pretend I haven’t), but last summer I went to a book signing.  The author, Elana Johnson, answered a few questions before she started slapping ink on paper, and one of her comments has been stuck in my head for months.

Someone asked if there was any one thing that helped further her career. Elana’s response was, “The one thing that really improved my writing was working with a professional editor.”

We don’t all have the luxury of having an editor, or paying one, but wouldn’t it be awesome if we could collect all the knowledge authors have gained as their stories have gone through editorial?

I’m not going to pretend I can pin all of those lessons into a blog series — I could probably have an entire blog devoted to just that subject — but I’m hoping that over the next few weeks, I can create a “best of.” Maybe these posts will help those of you trying to break into the business or others who are honing their craft.

Authors from every category — big houses and small, self-pub and multi-pub, individual and co-authored — have agreed to participate.

Here’s the line-up so far:

• January 24th:  Author Mary Waibel (MuseItUp and BookFishBooks)
• January 28th:  Author Trisha Leaver (FSG/Macmillan and Flux)
• January 30th: Co-authors Lindsay Currie and Trisha Leaver (Flux)
• February 4th: Author and Copy Editor Dahlia Adler (Spencer Hill)
• March 4th: Author Lynne Matson (Henry Holt/Macmillan)

And, I’ll add more as the weeks go on including my own personal experience!

If you have any questions you’d like answered, please let me know.  I know these authors would be happy to help!