It’s a Good Thing When You Like Your Own Book, But…

As a general rule, I like my own books. Which is a good thing considering how many times I read them over, changing words, rearranging paragraphs, scrapping scenes and fixing plot points to get them as perfect as possible for publication.

(To anyone who hates alliteration, I apologize for the sentence above.)

Right now, I’m putting the finishing touches on “Not So Human,” the first installment in my Faerietales trilogy (which, incidentally, might turn into a four-part series since I may or may not have started fiddling around with another book last week. I'm sick; what can I say). 

I have a printed copy in book-form, and I’m going through it line by line one last time to make nitpicking changes before I officially publish it on February 24.

Honestly, I’m enjoying myself as I do. Not to say that my red pen isn’t coming out, but I rather love my story about Sabrina and her flight to stay one step ahead of the evil, faerie-hating Human Preservation and Advancement Committee. I’m almost up to the part where I introduce a crucial new character, which has me smirking in anticipation, even as I write this.

I kinda love this particular upcoming character. And not just because I designed him with most of my specs on male physical perfection in mind. He's also quite the entertaining blend of everything that can drive a girl mad... in the best and worst of ways.

Like I said, it’s great that I’m so delighted with my own story. It’d be sad if I wasn’t. But my opinion isn’t the only one that’s gone into the final product, and I'll admit that some of the outside opinions I've solicited have been downright irritating at some point or another.

Based on such feedback, I’ve cut out entire sections, deleted I-don’t-know-how-many random words, and added setting details I could personally care less about since I can see the scenes in question just fine in my head, thank you very much. (I also don’t care very much about setting as a reader, which shows in my writing if left to my own inclinations.)

I’m saying all of this to admit that it’s not always fun receiving criticism. But hey, like I said on Monday's blog post, what doesn’t kill a writer makes her story stronger… and her readers a whole lot happier.

Which makes it all worthwhile.

So since no writer - at least no good writer - is an island, thank you to all the people who already read “Not So Human.” Since I was too busy enjoying my oh-so-amazing story lines and OMG, like totally engaging characters... I really needed someone to do the necessary nitpicking I couldn’t do on my own.

So editors, please know that I appreciate you in the long run! 

No matter what I might say in the short term.