• Home
  • Blog
  • Only May
  • Wild Spinning Girls
  • Snow Sisters
  • Ghostbird
  • Contact

Making it up as I go along

Making it up as I go along

Monthly Archives: October 2015

Due Process

20 Tuesday Oct 2015

Posted by Carol Lovekin in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Books, Dead Darlings, Editing, Editor, Ghostbird

I’m reading a book in which the main protagonist is a High Court Judge. The phrase, ‘due process’ struck me.

‘Process’ is one of those words writers struggle to find an alternative for. The other day, on Facebook, I called it a cliché before reminding myself that most clichés are true.

I’m currently line-editing my book, Ghostbird, a part of the process I’ve never before encountered. I knew about editing and proofreading (and the crucial difference between the two.) I knew what copy-editing was. And I understood the need to be edited. What I had no previous experience of was a professionally line-edited manuscript.

The reality of it took my breath away.

I opened the document and was hit in the face by a waterfall of highlighted, struck-through, underlined wordage, accompanied by ‘comments’ in assertive boxes.

One thing was clear. I wasn’t going to be allowed to get away with anything. Not if it wasn’t in the best interests of my story.

And breathe… Because that’s what you have to do. What I decided I had to do. Take a great big breath and knuckle down. In some ways, it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done. It’s one thing to choose to kill your darlings – it’s between me and them and I’m quite good at it now. I even have a file called ‘Dead Darlings.’ (You never know…) It’s another thing entirely to see them ‘offed’ by a third party!

All of that apart, it’s definitely the most rewarding part of the process. And like all the other steps, it’s the first time and needs to be cherished. Several published writers have urged me to savour each step of the process because there will never be a repeat of those magical ‘first’ moments. Getting the offer of publication and accepting it. Taking delivery of a contract, creating a cover and the myriad other ‘firsts’ involved in one’s first book.

Not least, the editing.

And the line edit is where the magic happens. I’m fortunate – my editor is gifted. She is wiser than Yoda (I’m not kidding) and she knows stuff. With her keen eye and gentle insistence, my little book emerges – a butterfly from her chrysalis.

WELSH WEDNESDAYS INTERVIEW with Carol Lovekin

15 Thursday Oct 2015

Posted by Carol Lovekin in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Interview

This week I have been interviewed by Christoph Fischer as part of his Welsh Wednesdays strand. Thank you, Christoph!

writerchristophfischer

carol lovekin 2 by janey stevens small formatToday I have the pleasure of introducing you to Carol Lovekin.

Carol was born in Warwickshire, educated at the equivalent of ‘St Trinians’ and after that picked it up as she went along. She has worked in retail, nursing, as a freelance journalist, a counsellor and in several other part-time occupations. She is retired and now works full-time as a writer.

Welcome Carol. First up, please tell us about your connection to Wales.
Wales has been my adopted home since 1979. My mother came from Northern Ireland and my father was Anglo-Irish. I describe myself as having Irish blood and a Welsh heart. You and I met recently, Christoph, at Tenby Book Fair when the splendid Judith Barrow introduced us.  12042689_10152946036737132_4575173976906203821_n

Oh yes, I remember that day very fondly. 🙂  Please tell us a little about yourself as writer.


Like most writers, writing has been what I’ve done all…

View original post 734 more words

My novels

Wild Spinning Girls
Wild Spinning Girls
Snow Sisters
Snow Sisters
Ghostbird
Ghostbird
Only May
Only May
Follow Making it up as I go along on WordPress.com

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 166 other subscribers

© Carol Lovekin and Making It Up As I Go Along, 2018. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Carol Lovekin and Making It Up As I Go Along with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Archives

Blogroll

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Facebook

Facebook

Tags

#NotTheBooker Authors Ballet Beach Birds Blodeuwedd Bloggers Blog Tour Book 3 Book 4 Book Fair Book Review Books Countdown Crow Drafts Dylan Thomas Editing Editor Edna O'Brien Extract Family Feminism First Lines Friends Genre Ghostbird Ghosts Ghost Story Glittering Prizes Guest Post Honno Interview Island Life IWD Janet Janey Judith Barrow Letter to America Llandeilo Lockdown Magic Mist Muse Mythology New story Not Writing Only May Photographs Process Public speaking Publishing Quotations Readers Reading Review Reviews RiverBook SisterBook Sky Snow Sisters Social Media Storyteller Structural Edits Titles Traditional Publishing Virginia Woolf Wild Spinning Girls Word Birds Workshops Writers Writing Writing Advice Writing Group Writing rituals

Archives

  • August 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • September 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • April 2021
  • February 2021
  • November 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
“The vote means nothing to women. We should be armed" ~ Edna O'Brien

Blog at WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • Making it up as I go along
    • Join 166 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Making it up as I go along
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...