Bright Lights Editing

24/07/2017

24/07/2017

Real Talk: Writing the revisions for my second novel has been super tough, mostly because I realized after finishing my first draft that I really needed to re-work the whole storyline. If any of you writers have ever been there, UGH. It's been really overwhelming and sometimes hard to motivate myself to get it done.

But I have a deadline of August 31, and one of the things I'm doing to make sure I hit that goal is make a weekly word count.

I can't always write every day. My home life is really busy and I have young kids in the house, so giving all my attention to a manuscript some days just isn't going to happen, especially since my best hours are morning hours.

I have to write just over 7100 words a week, or almost 2400 in my three blocked-off writing sessions. I've got the goal written on my white board, and I update the number after every writing session.

It helps me to see the numbers climbing, to have the goal outlined clearly, to know what I need every day to meet my deadline. And on the days when I don't want to write, that board reminds me that I *have* to, because I want to finish this book.

It can be hard for indie authors to find that motivation to keep going when you don't have a publisher's deadline. When you're not sure if anyone other than you would even notice if you did finish your book. But, remember, you write first for YOU, because you're a writer. And writers write.

21/07/2017

Happy Friday!

Any writing or revision plans before the weekend hits?

If you need a little motivation, or a challenge, try this:

Read through a chapter of two of your manuscript, and only pay attention to your characters' reactions. Keep a count. How many times does a character shrug, roll their eyes, pinch their lips or eyebrows together? Are they always flexing their jaw or frowning?

Especially as we get further into our manuscripts, we tend to re-use the same descriptions. Partly because we've forgotten how many times we've used them, and partly because it feels like there are only so many ways we can describe a person being angry or surprised.

Go through this exercise and see if you need to add some variety. And if you do? Check out The Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi (I'll link in the comments). This book is never far when I'm working on revisions.

And, remember, if you're ready for copyediting or proofreading, I'm booking clients right now for late summer and fall. It's affordable, professional editing for indie authors.

Here's to your revisions, and the weekend!! 🥂

One of the biggest problem areas for writers is conveying a character's emotions to the reader in a unique, compelling way. This book comes to the rescue by highlighting 75 emotions and listing the possible body language cues, thoughts, and visceral responses for each. Using its easy-to-navigate ...

19/07/2017

Editors are taught to create style sheets for every new project. The style sheets help us keep track of specific spellings, character names and traits, spots where we're breaking with traditional grammar rules, things like that.

I've also found these style sheets helpful for myself when I'm writing, especially through revisions. Keep a log of your characters' physical traits, of relationships, of important dates. Those are the things that are most likely to pop up as inconsistencies during the copyediting process (e.g. a character has blue eyes at the beginning of the book, but green eyes at the end).

Mine tends to just be in a notebook. I keep track of plot points, characters, ages, birthdays, etc...but it helps, especially when I'm up to my eyeballs in revisions and can't remember what really happened at the beginning of the book!

Happy writing!

13/07/2017

I believe that the hardest part of publishing a book should be writing it, not finding high-quality editing you can afford.

Bright Lights Editing provides professional and affordable editing services, with copyediting packages starting at $400. The cost of editing shouldn't be a hurdle to producing a fantastic book.

Booking clients for late summer and fall. You can schedule a complimentary sample edit by contacting me here or at www.brightlightsediting.com/contact

16/10/2015

This. This is what I didn't learn until after I married a man who didn't figure he needed anyone's permission or approval to do anything he wanted to do.

And this is what kept me from doing what I wanted for so many years. I was waiting for permission, for someone to tell me I was ready, I was good enough, I could do it.

Don't wait. You don't need permission. If your life looks different than everyone else's, embrace it. There isn't one way to do this. And it's all too short not to feed your passion and do what you love.

(Quote from Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert)

02/10/2015

If you're wondering why it gets so quiet over here, it's because, I have to admit, Instagram gets the best of me! So come on over!


https://instagram.com/brightlightsediting/

Editing for indie authors. ✏ Gimme road trips, family days & a fabulous coffee mug. Living my dream life right where I am. FREE editing cheat sheet:

24/09/2015

Do you agree?

14/09/2015

The new website is live! There are still some additions and tweaks to be made this week, but head over and take a look.

New name, new offerings, same commitment to you and your book.

www.brightlightsediting.com

11/09/2015

The summer flowers won't last too much longer. The mornings and evenings will cool, the sunglasses and bathing suits and flip-flops will be tucked away for next year.

But fall will always be the beginning for me. The change in season, the conditioning after years of public school — my creativity and motivation peak in this season.

I'm bringing new beginnings to LindsayEdits as well. A new name, a new email letter format, new offerings. I'm so ecited to be able to bring indie authors services that are geared to them, to help them publish their books with confidence.

I can't wait for you to see what I'm rolling out. If you want an early look, you can join my tribe of indie authors (link in comments).

New beginnings, new seasons, new adventures.

26/08/2015

Joanna Penn is a bestselling author and runs an award-winning website for authors. She's recently released a FREE video series on how to make a living as an indie author.

I thought some of you might be interested in this...I just watched the first video (linked below), and Joanna provides a lot of worthwhile information.

Grab a coffee and give her an hour of your time; I'm sure you'll find it helpful.

www.thecreativepenn.com/freedom

Add New Row Edit

19/08/2015

A sneak peek into some of the changes coming for LindsayEdits...

Updated, refreshed and rebranded website coming oh so soon!

27/07/2015

What should an author expect from their edited manuscript?

I get that question a lot from new authors. Will they get a manuscript that's polished and clean and immediately ready for publication? How much work should they expect to do after developmental edits? If it's a lot, does it mean the book is no good?

I tell authors not to think of editing as the last stage in the process unless they're contacting me for a final proofread. Writing a book takes many hours and lots of revisions. It's not a reflection on quality, but a commitment to writing an excellent book.

I'm going into more detail about this question in Limitless for Writers this week. You can sign up through the website and receive a combination of writing encouragement and some tough love to your inbox once a week. Always room for more!!

17/07/2015

Something that I've seen a lot of from my fiction-writing clients is the challenge to write a grammatically correct sentence with dialogue. I've linked to an article from The Creative Penn which goes over some of the punctuation points in detail.

It's important to know, but more important to be CONSISTENT. Use your Find & Replace option. Proofread. Get someone else to read your book.

Great copyediting is invisible, which is why a lot of people think they can do it for themselves. But poor copyediting will get you bad reviews and can completely discredit your writing. Pay attention to these little details and hire someone to edit your work. It's an investment that will give you peace of mind and a better book.

PS: Limitless for Writers goes out later today! The link is the comments, and I'd love to have you join us!

http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2014/01/09/writing-fiction-dialogue/

Helping writers understand dialogue tags, common mistakes, and other options.

08/07/2015

This is great advice, especially if you're in a good rhythm. First drafts are that for a reason: they aren't meant to be perfect.
The highlighting tip is a good point, though: you don't want to have to dig around later.

02/07/2015

I keep them at my fingertips for when I don't know the answer, when I want to double-check. I used to think I'd reach a point where I knew all I had to, but now I realize that the best people to work with are the ones who aren't afraid to say, "I don't know, let me find out."

You don't have to be the very best writer to start. Anne Lamott says bird by bird, one word, one sentence, one paragraph. We all have to start somewhere.

But don't wait until "better" before you even begin. Write now. Better will come.

PS: Limitless for writers goes our this afternoon, and it's got some inside scoop. I write every week, with tips and ideas and encouragement. Love for you to join us! (Link in comments)

22/06/2015

Three years ago, when we were first in this brand-new city, the only thing I could find to love was the water. It's not the ocean, but I've loved being able to stand in front of the lake and let my spirit breathe.

Now when I stand and stare out, it reminds me that sometimes we have to fight for what we want. We need to be willing to dig deep and press on. And that just because things don't look the way you thought they would doesn't mean they can't be even better.

Building the life you dream of won't often be easy. But the pay off?

So worth it.

17/06/2015

In case you needed some motivation this morning. :)

28/05/2015

Here's your Thursday writing inspiration:

"Write the story that you were always afraid to tell.
I swear to you that there is *magic* in it, and if you show yourself naked for me, I'll be naked for you.

It will be our covenant." — Dorothy Allison

Go to the hard places. Write the story that burns in your bones, even (maybe especially?) if it makes you afraid.

That's the one we need. That one.

Write it.

20/05/2015

On Thursdays, I send out an e-mail with writing insights and encouragement, geared for the indie author.

Tomorrow, I have a favour to ask, but it comes with a pretty sweet thank you gift. If you've been on the fence about joining, now's the time (if you don't mind doing the favour first).

www.lindsaytweedle.com/newsletter

We all need help along the way. We all have days when the resistance is strong, when the manuscript feels stuck, when we aren't sure where to go next. You're struggling with character development or plot; you need some insight into what's going to take your book to the next level.

20/05/2015

I see this one a lot. Peek vs. Peak

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/sneak_peek

08/05/2015

No one tells a better story than a country singer. I'm not really a big country music fan, but the stories get me. Trisha Yearwood's "She's in Love with the Boy" is one of my all-time favourite songs. And listen to Kacey Musgrave's "Merry Go 'Round"—what a fabulous story.

But listen to these lines from Blake Shelton's newest release, "Sangria."

"Your skin is begging to be kissed by a little more than the sun
You take my hand in yours, you lean in and
your lips taste like sangria."

Think of what that tells you. The images and sensations that you experience when you hear those words. Summer days. Maybe a first kiss? Think of how much is held in those few words: "your lips taste like sangria."

Not all of us are poetic writers. We can't spin phrases with stunning imagery or leave people breathless with our metaphors.

But we can tell readers what the characters experience. And even in the simplest of sentences, we can say a whole lot.

01/05/2015

This is the song I listen to on repeat when I'm writing a big emotional break-up scene. It gets me every time.

https://youtu.be/-2U0Ivkn2Ds

A Great Big World & Christina Aguilera "Say Something" Download Is There Anybody Out There? on iTunes: http://smarturl.it/IsThrAnybdyOutThr Download on Googl...

22/04/2015

The doubting voices were loud for me last week. Wondering about whether I could do this, whether it was worth it.

I sat down last night and opened up a manuscript. I started to read, started to make my comments and felt the doubts begin to disappear.

Because when something is right deep in our core, even if the doubts push us away for a while, we always come back to it. We always come back to what's right for us.

Sometimes all it takes is a really good manuscript, I guess. ☺

09/04/2015

It's Thursday! That means that I'm sending goodness into inboxes today.

A lot of editors will tell you that their job is to edit your book without neutralizing your voice. But how do you really know if that's what happening? How does an editor preserve your voice in a story? And what do you do if you think they're re-writing your book instead of editing?

There's still time to sign up!

http://www.lindsaytweedle.com/newsletter