If Google says it's a word, why do the red squiggles keep showing up in Chrome?

Figure 1. Me when I heard the "new" news.

Figure 2: Harry Potter, a summary,

"I thought, 'What if we switched it around a bit and see how a boy does,' and, you know, it’s about the same." 

Figure 3. A girl who actually does stuff? Blasphemy!

For me, editing has always been an evolving process.

When I first started writing fan fiction at age 12, editing was simply looking through a chapter once or maybe twice before I posted it for the whole world to see. After a few years of doing that, I enlisted the help of a beta reader via email who helped take some of the pressure of grammatical editing off my hands so I could focus more on the content. I still looked over the chapter once in a while but, if I'm being honest, I didn't care all that much and trusted that the beta fixed most - if not all - of the major grammar mistakes in my writing.

After attending college for four years and participating in workshop classes, I changed my technique. Not only was I writing completely original content for the first time (not counting the two projects I started in high school... we don't talk about those), I was also writing short stories for the first time. Kinda. One-shot fan fictions don't really count, seeing as they're more snapshots in an already- developed world. In college, I was faced with the challenge of creating my own world and characters all under 10,000 words (sometimes 8,000, depending on the professor). This required a much more vigorous form of editing that I like to call: Obsessively Checking Everything So I'm Not Embarrassed in Front of the Class.

Now that I'm graduated and finally working on the projects that I want to work on, not just those for a grade or to experiment with a different format, I am forced to once again completely change my
editing style. This is for three reasons: One, I'm working on a novel. My college education didn't cover novel writing, unfortunately, so that means some of the editing techniques I used for short stories are not applicable. To be clear, I'm speaking of larger-scale editing - so those focused on plot, pacing, character development, etc. I suppose grammar could also be counted, but more along the lines of diction. This also leads in to reason number two that I changed my editing style: I'm writing a fantasy novel.

Figure 1. Barbosa gets me.

In college, I was taught the "rules" of writing (see Figure 1). This included the actual act of words-on-a-page, editing, peer reviewing, brainstorming, outlining, and overall storytelling. These "rules" were nearly always set within the perimeters of literary fiction. For those unfamiliar with the term, it basically groups together the books that don't really have a genre. Most of the time, these are books set in present day and have a character-driven plot. Character-driven means that only the acts of the character dictate how the plot moves instead of the plot pushing around the character.

In genre fiction, it is believed that the plot, more often times than not, moves around the character (I wrote an entire post about my feelings on that subject, which you can read here). Because I am writing a fantasy book, which would fall into the genre fiction category, I have to pay special attention to basically all facets of writing I was taught in equal amounts of detail, if not more. Most especially believably and character. If a fantasy world isn't believable, especially one created from scratch, the story will flounder. I also feel the need to pay special attention to character because of the ground-in stereotypes I heard all throughout college. It's a lot of bases to cover and henceforth needs a lot of pre-writing development referred to in the writing community as "worldbuilding." What does this have to do with editing, you ask? Well, in my case, my worldbuilding is constantly growing around me - like flowers in a fertilized garden. I set the soil and watered the seeds by building the world and the rules and the characters. Only after writing the first draft, the watering process if you will, will I be able to see those flowers start to bloom. Some of those flowers will be beautiful and look exactly how I want. Others will be damn ugly, so I'll have to rip out their roots and try again. I did not run into this problem in college or before when I was writing fan fiction, hence the need for a change to accommodate the pretty flowers.

Figure 2. Accurate representation of me literally writing away my soul. Or voice. Or both.

The third and final reason why I am changing my editing style: This book carries a piece of my soul within the pages. Yeah. That's right. My book is a freaking horcrux. (See Figure 2)

Now, I'm not saying that this book is the only piece of writing I've ever cared about. That is the furthest from the truth. Every story, article, blog post, tweet, Facebook update, journal entry, short story, flash fiction, essay - everything that I've ever written means something to me. My number one rule for writing: Never write anything you don't care about. Ever. This book, however, has a piece of my heart, soul, and hours upon hours of development that I spent taking the images and characters and scenarios and transposing them into words. I have been working this project on and off for about five years and have had the main character in my head for eight. She, and everything about this book, is singed into me like the mark of a branding iron across every one of my essential organs. It's hard to capture in words what I feel for this manuscript but that's as close as I can get.

What does me loving this book - probably too much - mean in terms of editing? It means I will ware myself dry editing, revising, and rereading every little detail until it is perfect. I can safely say that I have never done this with any other piece I have written. Of course I have put an unprecedented amount of time into them and cared about the outcome... but not like this.

Figure 3. Hnnnng.

Now, I understand that perfection isn't possible. I'm not that naïve. We can't all be Mystique from X-Men, gawked at by a young Magneto for our effervescent blue skin. We can, however, picture him saying "Perfection" every time we write a really amazing line/scene/plot twist (See Figure 3). While I know I will never reach Mystique-level greatness nor call over Magneto to my crib via Tinder, I will still continue do my darndest to get as close as I can to perfection without developing arthritis or pulling a brain muscle. This includes utilizing editing strategies I've never used before and abusing ones I know too well. Sounds exhausting, right? It is. In fact, I am now in the "I Hate Everything" phase of editing, which basically means I've been looking at my manuscript for too long. I didn't even realize it was normal until talking to a fellow writer recently. On top of being a giant relief that my book isn't actually trash (well, probably), our conversation also reminded me that it's okay to walk away from your draft for a bit - and by "a bit" I mean more than a few days. You should to give yourself a few weeks before even glancing at it so as to look at it with fresh eyes and a fresh perspective. I plan to take this advice for my second read-through edits, something I have never done before. In the past, I have set aside a piece of writing for a few days, maybe a week at most, but never for very long because I had deadlines. As I have yet to be signed by a literary agent, or even seek one out until I think the draft is ready, I have time on my side to utilize a strategy that I have never had the opportunity to try before. The thought both thrills and terrifies me.

I've read about a dozen different articles about editing and what the best strategies are. Some were very helpful. Others, not so much. It is my belief that editing, like writing, is a process unique to every person. It is also, as the title of this article alludes, the best and worst part of writing. It's the best because it allows you to make as many changes as you want, look at the progress you've made, and get some personal time with your story as a reader - a neurotic, detail-oriented reader, but a reader all the same. Editing is also the worst because of, well, exactly what I said before. Some changes you make to the draft end up causing a chain reaction that sets off major plot discrepancies. Looking at your own progress can be intimidating if you're doubtful on some of your ideas. Reading as a writer can also be a painful experience when you're looking at the flaws of your own draft.

The trick is to embrace the positives of editing. Use it like armor and fight away any negative feelings you have with an iron sword. And take breaks. Lots of them. Unless that doesn't work for you. In which case, I am eternally jealous and bow to your everlasting glory. Also, don't be afraid if your editing style changes from story to story. Each unique tale is entitled to its own unique editing approach, just like how every story is unique in the way it is read by someone. You can't control how people read your story or how they perceive it, what you can control is how the story is written. Think about that the next time you sit down to edit whatever project you're working on, creative or not, and know that you are in control of your own words just like you are in control of your own destiny. If you're lucky, the two might even be closer than you realize.

❤ Dae

 In the wonderful world of books there are so many genres that it's hard to pick just one as the reigning champion of awesome. Everyone has their favorite world they like to dip into whether it be a tantalizing mystery, heart-pounding romance, exciting adventure, or a thought-provoking classic. Throughout the pool of amazing talent lies genres that are both revered and rejected. While the most popular for movie and television adaptations nowadays, fantasy seemingly drew the short stick in regards to respect in the literature field. A fact I find both shocking and demeaning.

Last semester, I had a bad experience with a professor who not-so-subtly put down the fantasy/sci-fi genre along with many others that did not fit into the "literary" category. They argued that these "genre writers" focused only on plot and left two-dimensional characters in their wake, making the book only satisfying as a one-time read. They demeaned the "page-turner" quality of fantasy, sci-fi, and mystery books as as a factor that should not be the desire of any writer - according to them, a writer should write complexly with stories that have multiple layers and focus on character more so than plot. She listed Lord of the Rings as the only exception.

"But I don't think any of you will be writing the next Lord of the Rings," she said. "So why try?"

There may never be a "next Lord of the Rings," nor should there be. It is a writer's job to create something new out of a bunch of used materials. Ever hear the phrase "There's no such thing as an original idea"? Well, that's true. It's what you do with that idea that makes it original - how you tell the story in a way only you can tell it.

Thankfully, I already knew that. My former professor didn't seem to.

I like to consider myself a well-read person. I have read books of every genre - the good, the bad, and the ugly. I have my own preferences, obviously, but I also respect other genres for what they bring to their fans. Yes, even erotica. I also have a writer's perspective on the whole ordeal. Granted, I am aware I still have a lot to learn. Writing is a constant learning experience with a neverending need to improve. But what has always remained constant is my taste in books.

To me, fantasy should garner much more respect than it receives. It is an audience favorite in many respects, which is great. But to the writing world, it seems to be more of a nuisance than a comrade. A good number of teachers I've had in my career as a writing student always seem to advocate against fantasy as a genre and advice that writers go for a deeper and more meaningful storyline.

I have read high fantasy, urban fantasy, teen fantasy, and pretty much every in-between niche that the genre has. As a majority, they have some of the most complex and sympathetic characters around. To name a few: Harry Dresden, Kvothe, Severus Snape, Kylar Stern, Katniss Everdeen... the list goes on. I have related to and been enamored with these characters a lot more than Jay Gatsby, Elizabeth Bennett, and Oliver Twist. Not to demean any of those authors or books, I like them all well enough, I just think the aforementioned pioneers of fantasy novels have much more depth and deserve as much respect as their literary brethren.

 As for fantasy writers relying heavily on plot - that's true. Of course it's true. Fantasy has the burden (and the privilege) of transporting the audience into a new and confusing world. What's the best way to cement this world? Have the characters go on a new and confusing journey so that the rules of the world will be revealed  slowly, not scaring away or confusing the reader. As the characters are occupied with other things like life and death, things like their long forgotten cities and/or their complex, infuriating families are not just thrown in with chapters upon chapters of needless mind-dwelling. The characters instead are revealed through their actions and interactions, which I believe is a much stronger testament to who they are than sitting alone in a darkened room, brooding and contemplating their life. A character can very much do that in fantasy or any other genre, but if it makes up the bulk of their character development, the character loses interest.

As of late, I have been a part of many conversations that label setting as it's own character. It didn't take me long to recognise that I am a firm believer in this, as should be any fan of fiction. And which genre has the most detailed and intricate setting? Fantasy. I mean, come on, Hogwarts and Middle Earth have just as much character development as their title characters. Look at all of the crap they're put through. All the history wraight in their infrastructure. All the blood spilt on their soil.

Even if none of these points reach you, there should be one thing you are absolutely aware and respectful of: The craft of fantasy. All writers go through an outlining stage where they craft the basic plot, characters, conflicts, etc. For a writer working within the rules of the world as we know it today, they can focus more intently on niches and individualities for their stories to possess. Fantasy writers can do this, too - on top of the worldbuilding stage. Worldbuilding is exactly what it sounds like. Hogwarts, Middle Earth, and Westeros all took hours upon hours of rule making, land building, history crafting, and more to come to life. Since they are worlds completely separate from our own, they require their own set of rules. Some rules can overlap, but for the most part the worlds have to be original and concrete. This takes up much, if not most, of the outlining stage of writing. In some ways, worldbuilding never ends. This process is long and draining but the result is nearly always worth it. The authors create a new world readers dream of escaping to and that talent it is taken very much for granted. Not to demean any other genre of literature, for there are countless amazing stories and plots of all genres, but there is no question the amount of work that goes into writing fantasy. This is the main reason why the lack of respect for this genre boggles me.

The fans of fantasy are also not usually looked upon with high regards. From television to books to RPGs, fantasy fans are deemed social outcasts to the point that many feel the need to hide their passions so as not to be ridiculed. I find this ridiculous. As a former D&D (Dungeons and Dragons) player and LARPer (Live Action Role Play), I also continue to feel these pressures. But with the growing popularity of shows like Game of Thrones and games like Skyrim, I feel there is a change coming. At least, I hope so. It is now very common to run into someone reading A Song of Ice and Fire or geeking out with their friends at the newest episode of GOT. Fads in television and books have had both positive and negative connotations throughout the years. When I was growing up, everyone wanted to be a wizard - a la Harry Potter. Now everyone is a closet Harry Potter nerd, it seems, and those who have not seen it or don't like it are the outcasts. A few years later, the Vampire craze hit. That one wasn't as pretty. But now it seems like high fantasy, or really fantasy in general, is becoming the norm. I hope this respect and love for the genre seeps through to more than just the general public and is also felt by critics of literature and the writing community because, as it has been for years, fantasy is not going away anytime soon.

Fantasy has drawn the short end of the stick in many regards but it still remains my favorite genre. True, there are many bad fantasy stories. But there are also many bad literary stories. Just because someone went the extra mile and used their creative energy to create a new world on top of a story with colorful characters and plot to tell does not demean their talent. It extends it.

This is Evelyn. She's seventeen. Loves the rain, asking questions, and eating bread right out of the bag.

She's also a character I started writing last summer.

I've been playing Sims 2 since I was in middle school. I loved decorating the houses, making the cute little babies - but most of all I loved creating the Sims themselves. Seriously, I would sometimes spend two hours in the Create-A-Family mode, move them into a house, and then never play them again. I would also import characters from books that I read and have them marry the characters they should have ended up with. With no regrets.

It wasn't until a few years ago that I started using Sims for a different purpose.

I had my first idea for a book when I was in high school. The project has since been filed away for future use but at my planning stage I was having trouble grounding the images of my characters. I had named them, given them careers, and outlined the basic plot of their story. I just couldn't picture any of it.

One day I was playing Sims, getting bored of the family whose lives I was ruining, when my eye caught the piece of paper where my characters' names were written down (my desk is like a war zone most times so "re-finding" things is a pretty common occurrence). Then, I got what I deem to be one of the best ideas I've ever had: Creating my characters as Sims.

Within a few hours, I had grounded the likeness of all four of my characters into the game, moved them into a house, and started building their backstory. Well, granted, the backstory bit went a bit wonky. As any frequent Sims-player can attest to, sometimes the Sims themselves get a little hard to control and end up running off and doing their own thing. Which is kind of like writing characters - sometimes they dictate their own story. But at the time I didn't know that so it freaked me out and I stopped.

My game has crashed since then and I don't have those characters imported anymore. But I have the Addams family (pun not intended... not really) all created and moved in, which includes Evelyn and her parents. I also plan on importing all of my other original characters into a city I built called Bookville. Not creative at all, I know, but I started the neighborhood not to play necessarily but more to worldbuild.

If you are a writer and have any version of Sims, I highly recommend using it. Especially if you're just getting into writing and having trouble with any aspect of worldbuilding/character building. I used to constantly berate myself for not having any artistic talent but thankfully I found something to remedy that. Hopefully, with this insight I can bestow that relief onto someone else.

Hint fiction: A story told in 25 words or less.

I tried my hand at it today during a discussion led by author Roxane Gay. She gave us around ten minutes to write a hint fiction piece. I quite like the one I did so I figured I'd share it with you fine people. Seeing as how I usually have real trouble with flash fiction, I thought I would have trouble with this as well. Maybe I just got lucky.

Democracy
It has been 38 days since the government banned all use of numerical counting.

-

Have you ever written hint fiction? Have any pointers or horror stories? Want to share one? Let me know in the comments!

So I was casually reading comments on my old stories. You know, a normal Friday night. Some of the comments were amazing to look at. Super flattering, nice little reactions to small twists I wrote. It was surreal - especially reading them years after I finished my story.

And then there were the criticisms.

In all honesty, I like reading those the most. I genuinely enjoy most criticism as long as it's helpful and genuine. Usually, you can tell when criticism is written with genuine interest in improving the story and the writer's style as a whole. I take all of those comments very seriously and incorporate the ones I feel I should work on.

The thing with posting your stuff online where literally anyone can comment if they so choose... you're going to encounter another type of criticism. Although, I wouldn't even call it that. Some people have come to call it "flaming" but that doesn't quite seem to cut it for me. I just call it being a jerk.

The way to tell the difference between constructive criticism and someone being a jerk is very simple. Criticism usually starts out with a positive thing such as "I like how you did this" or "Great job with this" and then is promptly followed by a "but" or list of things they didn't fancy. The things they list are done so eloquently, and mostly with examples from the writing itself where you did so. If it's character or plot they're having an issue with rather than prose, its more or less the same formula with a few generalizations about mannerisms they didn't like or a certain way your under-described something.

And then there are the jerks.

Jerks start either with an insult or something about how they found it difficult to get through your story. They go on and on about the horrible choices you've made or how juvenile your plot is. Yada, yada, yada. Once upon a time, these comments used to hurt me so badly that I would cry. But then, after years of practice and some really great advice, I stopped caring. I stopped letting them get to me. Because, really, it's not you they're after. Their comments are real and hurtful, yes, but are they helpful? Are they a true testament to your skills? No. Most of the time, they are hateful tirades that can easily be refuted by a simple fact.

They didn't have to keep reading.

Recently, I watched a great video by a YouTuber named Carrie Fletcher. The premise was that you shouldn't continue reading something you don't like. Even if you have a personal record of how many books you've finished cover to cover, it doesn't mean much if you didn't enjoy the experience. Reading is a magical thing. Some stories touch you in ways you'll never forget. Others, not so much. Why waste your time on a bad story if you could be out searching for the next book to make you feel all tingly inside? I know I struggle with this. I've put myself through a lot of misery reading certain books. But now I don't feel so bad about putting them away and starting something new.

I think these jerks should take a lesson from this. No one is forcing them to read your story. They're doing it out of their own free will. They are also taking the time to write down every negative thing they can say about it. I think they need to take a lesson from Carrie stop reading if they're not enjoying it. Not start a personal vendetta against the writer and all the work they've put into it.

Sure, there have been a few times where I want to yell at an author for the choices they've made. But would that help? No. I wouldn't enjoy their work anymore if I yelled at them about it. And that's the point, isn't it? To enjoy what you're reading.

So before you comment on someone's work, whether it be online or at a workshop-type thing, please, PLEASE think before you speak. Some writers take it very personally. Hurtful words, whether said with good intentions or not, still hurt. Is it worth it to hurt someone just to vent and make yourself feel better? Or should you step away and read something else?

Today I want to talk about the importance of feedback. Now, this can apply to any number of things but I'm going to focus mainly on the writing aspect of it. I know - shocker, right?

As some of you may know, I'm currently working on my first novel. As many published novelists will tell you, the first book is always the hardest. The same can be said for running your first mile or even drawing your first self-portrait. While the process of development is relatively (and I use the term lightly) quick and simple, the habit of sitting down and actually typing things out is where it gets tricky. Some people only write when the muse's smile upon them, some have a set time every day/week that they write something out, and so on. And when you finally get that first draft of the first chapter done, you're filled with such an immense pride that you could just get up and sing show tunes for the rest of the day.

The feeling is then promptly stomped on by the big foot of reality. Instead of being flattened like a pancake, you're left with questions like: Is this even any good? How is my prose? Are my characters believable? Will anyone actually read this other than my mom?

There is only way to answer those questions: Ask someone.

But not just anyone. You have to choose this person very carefully. You have to choose someone that you know will be honest with you - who will praise some aspects of your story while also constructively questioning other choices that you've made. You need another writer. Or maybe just someone who reads like one. I went through many "readers" until I found the one that helped me out the most. And it wasn't someone who I was expecting. Not in the least.

The point is to address those questions that you have about your own work as soon as you can. Personally, I don't want to hand in my first manuscript with an ending that doesn't convey what I want it to. Or one that's written in prose that has a habit of switching tenses every sentence. Even though a manuscript is far from a final draft, I want it to feel like I've put everything into it before sending it in. That way, when I get a verdict from the publishing companies on whether or not they want to publish it, I know that maybe they're not the ones I want publishing my baby in the first place.

Ahem.

This process may not work for everyone. For instance, you may not want to show anyone your work until you've already sent it to a few publishing houses so that you can brag about how you wrote it all on your own. I know that's what I wanted to do at first. But then I realized after talking to the right people that I love bouncing ideas off of someone. I love having someone there to tell me what does and doesn't work for them about the story, the characters, etc. I just love the workshopping process. But, oddly enough, I only like it as a one-on-one activity. Everyone is different. The trick is to find what works for you.

I would recommend this feedback/workshopping technique to anyone who is writing something. Chances are you might have already taken a class in high school or college where you had to do something similar.Why not pick your own partner instead of having one assigned based on how close your last names are? Ever since I did just that, I've been more inspired than ever. Finding the time to use the inspiration to my story's benefit on the other hand... well, that's a tale for another time.

If any of you have tried this, let me know how it worked out for you! I am endlessly fascinated by other people's writing processes and would love to hear about the different things you do to get past certain plot holes and structure issues. Who knows - maybe you can help me find another method that works well for me and I'll return the favor and share some other tips. ;)

I've tried this blogging thing before but it's never panned out to much. I start, I go on for a while, then I loose interest and forget about it. I think now's the time to change that cycle and start anew.

As a writer, I am constantly on my own case to write every day. Especially since I'm working on a new story, one that I'm very excited about. But with that excitement comes fear - the kind of fear you get when you don't want to be let down. It's even worse when you only have yourself to depend on. A blog seemed like an easy way to relieve some of that tension.

I think the easiest way to start this out and make it all official and stuff is to introduce myself.