The joy of watching your editor read and react to your manuscript on twitter:
I spend a lot of time crafting individual metaphors that carry the world through the characters' points of view. To me, that is the power of deep POV, where the author's voice fades into the background, even in the narration. I don't always achieve it, but it's one of my primary goals."The irony was thicker than the pollution that swirled overhead and just as choking."— Karen S. Conlin (@GramrgednAngel) March 16, 2016
YES. #Dreadnought&Shuttle #amediting @lisajanicecohen
Writing a character who acquires synesthesia was a challenge and one that I really enjoyed. I have a touch of synesthesia, in that things I process through my eyes and ears also often have a kinesthetic impact. e.g., loud voices can hurt my skin. And when I get the words right in something I'm writing, I feel them fit with the sense of jigsaw pieces snicking together. It's weird, but it's always been that way for me."The orange of worry streaked through her voice." Neural implant. Nanoemitters. Synesthesia to the Nth degree. Love this boy. #amediting— Karen S. Conlin (@GramrgednAngel) March 16, 2016
"She had as much respect for containment as a nuclear meltdown." ZING. Micah's not impressed. #amediting #DreadnoughtAndShuttle— Karen S. Conlin (@GramrgednAngel) March 16, 2016
"Even if everything else was venting atmosphere, at least he'd found a friend." I love how @lisajanicecohen recasts sayings. #amediting— Karen S. Conlin (@GramrgednAngel) March 16, 2016
Just a few changed words to fit the setting, and it's a new saying entirely -- but it's not, because we know it. From before. LOVE it.— Karen S. Conlin (@GramrgednAngel) March 16, 2016
"Out of the wormhole and into the supernova."— Karen S. Conlin (@GramrgednAngel) March 17, 2016
Familiar, but new. #amediting @lisajanicecohen #DreadnoughtAndShuttle
It's so gratifying to see Karen pick out those turns of phrase that I crafted for the characters and their world. She also noticed that the one character who'd spent her whole life on Earth doesn't use space-based sayings. A perceptive editor is a thing of beauty!
OMG The way Greek mythology ties into this YA SF story is AAAAHHHHHH! SO COOL! It was there before, but just now OH MY GOD #amediting— Karen S. Conlin (@GramrgednAngel) March 17, 2016
Pacing is one of those issues I nearly always get wrong in the first draft. In particular, I accelerate as I'm working through a novel, so my ending half seems to abrupt. Because it's something I know about at the outset, it's something I spend a lot of time on in the revision before it gets to the editor.Believe me when i tell you THAT was a much-needed spot of levity in a VERY tense spot in the story. The pacing KILLS. #amediting— Karen S. Conlin (@GramrgednAngel) March 17, 2016
LOVE this. Not merely "bring him up to speed."— Karen S. Conlin (@GramrgednAngel) March 18, 2016
"Bring him up to cruising velocity."#amediting @lisajanicecohen #DreadnoughtAndShuttle
#HappyAuthorIsHappyAlso, not merely "we're so screwed."— Karen S. Conlin (@GramrgednAngel) March 18, 2016
"We are so spaced."
If it's REALLY bad, "we are so spaced without air."
Little tweaks, BIG results.
This book is the first of mine that had a title long before the first words appeared. It emerged from something I created in book 1 - I needed a game that kids in a spacefaring society would play that was less generic than Hide and Go Seek, and more relevant to their world than Rock/Paper/Sissors, and have greater connection to their culture than using 'Cat and Mouse' as an expression.The words have appeared before (it's a children's game), but this time they really resonated for me. YAY. #DreadnoughtAndShuttle— Karen S. Conlin (@GramrgednAngel) March 18, 2016
"Don't underestimate the power of adrenaline and stupidity, soldier."— Karen S. Conlin (@GramrgednAngel) March 22, 2016
For me, that encapsulates this character's world view. #amediting
Folks don't get thrown under the bus in the HALCYONE SPACE series.— Karen S. Conlin (@GramrgednAngel) March 22, 2016
They get thrown under the afterburners. #DreadnoughtAndShuttle
Oooh, now Ro and Emma are going head to head.— Karen S. Conlin (@GramrgednAngel) March 22, 2016
"It's not about whose plasma rifle is the longest."
BOOM. #amediting #DreadnoughtAndShuttle
Folks don't "cross that bridge when they come to it" in HALCYONE SPACE.— Karen S. Conlin (@GramrgednAngel) March 22, 2016
They traverse that wormhole.
Little touches are so important!
"No reverse in a wormhole."— Karen S. Conlin (@GramrgednAngel) March 22, 2016
Ain't that the truth. I see @lisajanicecohen has started brainstorming Book 4. GOOD. #DreadnoughtAndShuttle
It's not necessary that your editor like your story to do a good job in the editing, but I'm not going to lie - seeing her reaction really thrilled me and took a lot of my writerly insecurity off the table. And let me tell you, it doesn't matter how many books you've written, you get to a place where you think everything is crap somewhere in the process. Objectivity? Yeah, right. What objectivity?
So having an outside source enjoy the story helps to keep those particular devils at bay.
DREADNOUGHT AND SHUTTLE is on track to be out in the world summer of 2016. Stay tuned!
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