Hey folks, it’s been a minute since I got caught up on here. My last post was probably in December or January when I had just completed my WIP from NanoWriMo. So as you know I took a deep developmental editing class that lasted until March 1 and wow was it intense!
Most of us could not keep up with the assignments and some things we just skipped altogether but the main points I got from the class was to ensure your novel’s protagonist has a worthy goal and one that stays in focus throughout the story. Character goals were a big focus as well as a good plot. I never focused on plot first when I come up with an idea; it’s usually premise first. But I learned that if the plot is not strong enough to carry the story then you have no storye.
She also taught us to focus on our characters needs and wants and to ensure they are going after the want before they realize what the need is.
We went over things like sentence structure, dialog tags and cues, MRUs and so on. I learned a lot and intend to use these lessons in upcoming work.
Once I finished the course I continued revising, sharing chapters with my critique group and a few other people. But after keeping company with that WIP for so long, I got bored and started seeking alternative activities. I did send the manuscript to the agent who requested to see it once it was edited but I have not heard from her in 6 weeks so…
In the meantime, I have been catching up on important things like sewing headbands for my store, cleaning house since we are about to move, and helping my son get into school.
More later! Happy writing!
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