I was going to lead into this topic with the title “Writing Advice”, but that seems pretentious and presumptive and I don’t feel qualified to accept that kind of responsibility. So, I’m just going to share what works for me. I’m also going to preface this by saying: Don’t be too critical of yourself or over analyze. When you let go of self-judgment and expectations, wonderful things happen. I hope this helps…

1. Get it out. Just write. Put everything in your head on paper. You’ll go back and change it later, but at least you have a skeleton to build upon. It doesn’t have to be perfect. (Easier said than done.)

2. Reread and edit. Grammatical changes are easy (unless you’re challenged like me in the comma department, which makes editors mystical, miraculous creatures.) I edit for content in my head constantly. My cup holder in my car, my purse, my table at home are all littered with sticky notes, scraps of paper, and old receipts with words or phrases jotted on them. Inspiration strikes at odd times, but it’s usually those random flashes that add detail to your story, the small things that add life.

3. Your editor is your best friend (like I said before they’re mystical and miraculous), but your best friends are also your best friend. Let them read through and offer feedback on content. They offer a different perspective than your editor.

4. Final edit-work closely with and trust your editor.

5. Publish. Let go. Because let’s face it you can edit a book to death and it will never, ever be perfect. There comes a point when your heart tells you it’s done. Listen. Because at that point it is…done. Trust yourself and share it with the world, which incidentally is the scariest part. But you know what? People are incredibly kind and encouraging. And judgment in reality is never as harsh as it is in your own head.

Good luck writing!