The Unsexy Part of Writing #barrioblues

Copy editing: The unsexy part of writing. I have been copy editing my collection Not Your Abuelita’s Folktales almost every evening. Yes, I do have a copy editor, a fabulous copy editor, but I want to give the collection a really good pass before I send it to beta readers. (Watch out Mark K.)

After that, I input useful feedback. I read the manuscript again. Then, read it backwards, starting with the last sentence. Then, read it out loud. Then, read it for specific issues. Then, read it as an e-book. Once it’s done and published, I read the printed proof. As you can imagine, this is very tedious work. It is not sexy. Not fun. Not a killer pachanga like writing.

It’s the hangover.

It’s when you sober up because you don’t want to find pernicious typos in the printed version. Or, there goes your ethos, and some asshole reviews your story and points out the few typos in the manuscript. Never mind the other amazing 99% of the book.

This hangover could last a while, and there is no menudo to cure it.

I also decided not to write until I finish with corrections--there won’t' be any fun excursions as this work gets done--which is also difficult and takes discipline. This work takes patience.

Yes, I’m taking it to the next level.

For some people, this writing purgatory is the synopsis of their book. Some writers hate generating the covers letters for editors or crafting author bios. Don't get me started on what happens after the book is published. (Can you say, fear of public speaking? Well, not for me. I have a big mouth.)

Writers have different parts of the process they would rather not do. But, keep on.

Your work deserves to get out into the universe. You deserve to do better today than you did yesterday, regardless of your writing process challenge. Soon, very soon, you'll be able to do the fun stuff again.

I’m rooting for you. #barrioblues