I love the reactions I get when people find out I am an editor. They start confessing all their grammar sins and foibles to me. It’s analogous to when people find out my husband is a dentist and confess they are overdue for their cleaning, or that they never floss. It makes me smile.

I don’t judge bad grammar, poor spelling, or apostrophe abuse. I won’t shake my “you should be ashamed of yourself” finger if you mistake loose for lose or mix up there, their, and they’re. And I certainly won’t accuse you of missing the fourth grade if you switch your with you’re. Will I trip over these things when I see them? Yes. But I will not chastise you. (I may, however, write a blog post on the importance of proofreading. )

The second thing people say is “Oh. So you like, fix stuff in people’s books… and stuff.” Haha! Yes. Something like that, but it’s the “and stuff” that is my favorite part and the most important to your reader.

Think about your favorite book or even a favorite author you keep going back to.

Got it?

Now, think about the reasons why this is your favorite book or author. I’ll wait…

One of my favorite authors is Nora Roberts. I am sucker for romance. But digging deeper, I always relate to and/or admire her characters. They are women who discover the true power of their inner strength and drive to persevere and survive. The male characters swoop in thinking they are going to rescue and/or fix things only to find out their female love interest is perfectly capable to care for herself.  The dynamics between man and woman end up being of respectful admiration and complementary bliss where each balances the other’s strengths and weaknesses.

I would guess that, as in my example, you didn’t say “She’s (or he’s) my favorite because her grammar is truly amazing. And her sentence syntax… there are no words to describe the perfection. Oh and her punctuation just really titillates my senses! Oo lá lá !”

We don’t connect with books because of impeccable proofreading. We connect with characters and story lines because they resonate within our hearts. We connect with and relate to the human elements illustrated within the story or message such as love, honor, respect, survival, success, acceptance, death, relevance, redemption, resolution, spiritual epiphanies, healing, hope, etc. etc. etc.

Editing is not about “fixing stuff” so your work looks good.

Editing is about preparing the work for your reader  to settle in and stay a while. Proofreading is cleaning up the mess you made while under construction.

This applies to ALL writing, not just fictional works. Whether you are writing a an email to a client, a love letter to your spouse, a query letter to an agent, marketing materials for you latest product, web content for your new business, a post for your blog, or an  eBook for your industry, or… etc., you are constructing a message in an effort to move your reader to emotion, action, or new perspective. You are trying to connect with him/her in a way that makes them say: I understand. I want more. I need this. This is so good. I want to read the next one. 

Editing tends to (but is not limited to) the following:

Proofreading tends to (but is not limited to):

You see the difference? Human elements versus mechanics, though they all intertwine. Writing is hard, but editing is excruciating in trying to find harmony between all these elements. Both editing and proofreading are necessary in the revision phase of your process to ensure your reader can easily get to where they need to go and feel like it was worth the journey when they reach The End.

Again, though, I contend that editing is the best part. Arthur Plotnik sums it up beautifully: “You write to communicate to the hearts and minds of others what’s burning inside you. We edit to let the fire show through the smoke.”

Fixing stuff is certainly important and necessary, but sculpting your prose so your message connects with your reader is what determines whether or not your reader will settle in and stay for a while… and then come back for more.

As an editor, I spend the majority of my time buried in the pages of unpublished books, blogs, and other beautifully  blunder-filled prose. I am energized by what I do, and I enjoy (prefer) being behind the scenes helping my writers polish their message so it shines for the world.  I take what I do very seriously because writing is hard… and for most authors, editing is excruciating. I respect that. I honor it. Hey, I’m a writer too, so I get it!

I  love editing, though. It’s my favorite part of the entire writing process because it is where the smoke clears and the destination you were trying to reach comes into view.  But more than editing, I love cultivating relationships with other writers.  I am inspired, intrigued and taught by my community of fellow writers, readers, and life-livers. I find great joy in learning from others and engaging in discussions of or relating to reading and writing and life–life is what gives us the material about which we write.

So imagine my delight when–and here’s the announcement–I was asked to speak at this year’s Faith and Culture Writer’s Conference!

*hand to mouth gasp*

Oh yes! I’m coming out from behind the pages and getting in front of a crowd. EEP! I’m stoked!

Why? Several reasons but here are the main two:

1) Community! Writing is a solitary (and sometimes dark) endeavor that requires community engagement. Our craft, as writers, messes with the psyche, causing both doubt and euphoria regarding our skills in a matter of seconds. A writer’s conference brings us  together with others who understand the celebrations and commiserations associated with the writing process.

Writers are also a community of creators who share a common DNA for an art we simply must share with others, yet each individual is as unique as the stories he/she creates. We come together at an event like this and gather knowledge, perspective, and inspiration that help us keep creating and sharing with the world– better than we did before.

2) Learning. I hope to forever be a scholar of the writing craft–always learning how I can be better. Though I am excited about the opportunity to speak, I’m looking forward to being part of this event at a student. Reading through the session-topic schedule is analogous to walking through a See’s Candy shop… everything looks so good I just don’t know which ones to pick!

The bottom line is this: when it comes to writing, the rules are changing, the publishing arena is changing, and what readers want from content and its authors is changing. I want (need)  to know how to better connect with my readers. I need to know how to better help my clients so they can reach their publishing dreams. And everyone who’s speaking at this conference will offer perspective on how to be better.

Plus, the two keynote speakers are Ken Wytsma (founder of The Justice Conference) and William P. Young (author of The Shack), both of whom I respect and believe will offer outstanding insight/testimony! To be honest, I am a bit geeked-out about hearing them live.

So what will I speak about?

My session is called “Beyond the Mechanics: Editing for Audience Connection versus Proofreading for Mistakes.” I will illustrate the differences between editing and proofing, how to craft your message so it connects with your reader. A reader does not connect with pretty words and perfect punctuation; however, good word choice and clean grammar are necessary for a reader to understand your message and take it to heart. That is to say both editing and and proofreading are crucial to your writing process… and completely different from one another.

I’ll be unpacking what all this means and how to approach this phase.

Enough about me! If you’d like to come to the conference, you should definitely come because you are invited! It takes place April 5 and 6 2013; click here: Faith and Culture Writer’s Conference for all the information: speakers, topics, schedule, registration, and of course, the story behind the conference…

You can also hop on over to the  Faith & Culture Writers Connection Facebook page for updates and announcements.

Thanks for reading through this awfully long post, my friends. It truly is a always leawonderful opportunity for all who come, so I wanted to be thorough about why this is so from my perspective.  I hope to see you there… would love to meet you!

Image courtesy of Writers Write.

I disagree.

Respectfully of course. I consider myself a serious writer, yet I must have a life outside of writing. I have a husband, two kids, friends, and a plethora of life experiences I want/need to live. Life gives us the material about which we write. If we aren’t out living, there isn’t anything worth seriously writing about.

I write to learn. I write to discover what lives in my heart and mind and then determine how it is shaping my story. But there is little to find if I am not putting things in, right? If I am not out gathering experience, perspective, and knowledge; if I am not out in the world falling on my face, defeating obstacles, interacting with the hearts and stories around me, then there’s nothing for me to wrestle with, ponder or unpack through my words. I’m simply an empty spirit sitting in front of a blank page assuming and imagining.

Certainly there’s nothing wrong with imagining, of course, but even imagination is enriched through life experience. There are a hundred different ways we can approach each day and the decisions weaved through out it. We pick a path, live out the domino effects of our choices and leave the other 99 paths to imagination and retrospect.  I suppose one can gain knowledge and perspective through reading the works of others, but the best writing comes from our own truths. Our words connect with others when we write from an authentic place.

I’d contend the opposite of Ms. St. John’s quote is true: You must have a life in order to be a serious writer.

Live life to its fullest and then write about it. Be serious and consistent in thoroughly and thoughtfully composing works based upon what you embody from living.  Will outside life take away from your writing time? Maybe. Probably. Absolutely. However, your writing time should very well produce substantial, honest, and timeless prose because you have something serious to say. Even in the most fantastical fictional worlds, there’s a serious message being shared.

As F. Scott Fitzgerald said, “You don’t write because you want to say something, you write because you have something to say.” So go. Live. Discover what needs to be said and then write. Seriously.

Why do you write? Are you a serious writer? 

Image found here.

“Leanne—Your presence in this class was appreciated. You offered intelligent assessments of the reading material, turned in all work on time and showed yourself to actively engage in the class proceedings. Most importantly, you immersed yourself in your writing process and worked towards establishing a clear sense of voice within your written pieces. Obviously, your maturity reflects an academic person that is far beyond your undergraduate class standing. I truly hope that you continue writing and discovering exactly where your voice lies within your writing. You have a talent within the writing arena that should be actively explored, and I wish you the best with your future plans.” ~DT

These words hit me as I let my eyes linger on the note. I don’t remember reading this before—ever. I mean I must have read it when the teacher handed back the portfolio, right? I am floored by the encouragement and humbled by the compliments. I find it a bit ironic that I came across this while embarking on my first big book-editing project for Pen to Paper Communications.

It’s validating for me to know this teacher believed in me. Despite his (constructive) critical comments and corrections plastered over almost every page of my writing in this portfolio, I see now that what I thought was negative perspective at the time was, in reality, his challenge to me… to bring out what he knew I already embodied as a writer, but hadn’t yet discovered for myself. I was one of few people who received and “A” in that class, which tells me that even though my writing wasn’t perfect it wasn’t about the writing per se. In fact, he didn’t make a single mark on my end-of-term reflection letter that sits right behind this grade sheet. I believe this class was about appreciating the writing process and the discovery of who I am as a writer. His desire for me to dig deeper into the text was not necessarily about unpacking what was already written, but rather discovering how that text moved within me and responding with my own voice through my written prose.

In all honesty, friends, that process and discovery is always evolving as I experience life and morph with each lesson that comes my way. The process and discovery should never end and if it does, then I need to stop and reevaluate what I’m doing in my life.

This little serendipitous moment lifted my spirits and boosted my confidence… kind of like when you find a random $5 bill in your coat pocket. It’s one of life’s little “wow” moments that makes you feel like everything is going to be alright.

I have since finished that client’s project and have moved on to others. The clients and projects will change, but this binder will stay the same. It’s a piece of my process and a constant reminder of encouragement to appreciate all that comes my way during the process… even when I mess up.

 *****

Wow… it feels a little strange to bring my thoughts to a page this morning. I haven’t posted since December 29th. It feels a little like opening up a storage room door and being hit with cold stale air, and as the sting of the chill washes over me I see all my thoughts packed safely away in pretty boxes all neatly packed and lined upon the shelves.  Which one do I choose to unpack?

I suppose the most fitting would be the closest one to me… we’re a week into 2013. A brand new year. I’m not really resolution maker. Instead, I tend to make goals all through out the year. Sometimes I succeed and sometimes I don’t, but I always learn and set new goals based on what I’ve learned. By the end of the year I feel like I’ve lived life and perhaps even earned a little more wisdom to carry with me through the next year. But honestly, every day is new beginning isn’t it? A chance to start over or do over… or even just start.

It’s not like anything literally changes when the clocks ticks out of one year and into the next. We’re the same as we were one minute ago. But there’s something magical about that moment when the sparkly ball in the middle of New York City makes its final 10 second decent and lands right on the first second of a fresh new year. It never misses. It’s hard not to feel some sense of “new beginning.”

Several years ago my friend Ana introduced me to a concept called My One Word. Essentially you pick a word at the beginning of the year (or any time– a year is a year no matter when you start) that you want your life to embody in every day living. You use this word to inspire and guide your life for 365 days. Last year I picked fortitude. It’s a strong word that requires bravery, patience, grace, and trust (also good words to focus upon if you’re looking for a word). Fortitude was a good word for me… one that both challenged and strengthened me through out the ups and downs of 2012.

I woke up a little depressed this morning because I knew I hadn’t written anything for myself in 10 days. Life has been swirling around me the last, oh, three or four weeks. The holiday season brought both typical and new yuletide craziness as well as illness. In addition to regular family and friend demands/developments, I’ve secured a fresh load of client-projects and have mentally developed new article ideas for Pen to Paper Communications. All that to say, my mental and emotional energy is rotating around to different areas and people… leaving my own desires/needs unattended. One week into the new year and I’m exhausted.

My one word for 2013 is: center

Sexy, huh? Though simple in sound, this word has significant implications for me this year. Life as a writer mama is crazy… that’s reality. All that swirls will continue to swirl, but if I am centered then I shall remain grounded and not be swept away in life’s tornado of demands and responsibilities. Not only that, but I will be feel peace in the chaos. It’s one thing to remain steadfast, but it’s quite another to stand strong and feel peaceful.

Center requires self care. Not being self-centered. Self-care. That means:

• setting aside client feedback for a moment so I can write a blog post.
•  kissing my family goodbye on a Thursday night so I can serve others at Night Strike.
•  blocking out time on the calendar to hang with a friend–for   the mere pleasure of laughing and drinking coffee.
•  leaving the laundry pile to go get an eyebrow wax.
• putting down the novel to pick up the Bible
• starting work later on a Sunday so I can go to church
• so on and so forth

Centering is stepping out of the swirl of life and tethering to a moment of well-being. On that note– my time here is up as I hear my two young monkeys scampering down for some breakfast. Happy New Year, dear reader. May you experience peace and new beginnings  through out 2013.

Though the basic elements within the writing process are consistent for all writers, the overall journey for each writer is beautifully unique. For this installment of my new series, “A View to Editing,” I am honored to introduce you to author, Ryan Casey! Today he is giving us a look inside his writing life, his upcoming novel, and of course, his view on the editing process.

I was first introduced to Casey’s writing when I read (for pleasure) his short story Silhouette. It is an  outstanding  story centered upon the subject of time-travel and wrapped in layers of intrigue and human emotion. I found it highly entertaining and thought provoking.

Casey is also full of writing and self-publishing information, tips, and musings over at his blog, which I find enlightening.

Ryan Casey is a twenty year old author from Preston, Lancashire, in the UK. When he can’t be found writing, he generally can’t be found. What We Saw, his debut novel, is set to launch on December 6th 2012. He is also the author of several short stories, and regularly blogs writing advice and marketing tips at his website.

P2P: What inspired you to be a writer and how long have you been writing?

R.C.: I know it’s the age-old cliché, but I’ve kind of always wanted to be a writer, ever since Primary School. Well, I did want to be a trash collector when I was REALLY young, but some career paths just aren’t meant to be. As for how long I’ve been writing — pretty much all my life too. I’ve been writing stories for school, college, and I study English with Creative Writing at university so it’s just a part of my life. I love it, and I wouldn’t want things any other way.

P2P: What does your ideal writing environment look/sound/feel like?

R.C.:  My desk does a pretty good job! I tend to cut myself off from the world when I’m writing to really get myself in the zone. Freedom App for Mac is a good way to disconnect from the internet from an hour or so, and I always turn my phone and iPad off whilst writing. My ideal environment is basically somewhere with a lot of space where I can stretch out. I hate being forced to write in a cluttered space.

P2P: Who are a few of your favorite authors?

R.C.: Chuck Palahniuk and Bret Easton Ellis. They are both absolute masters of the craft and have invented whole new approaches to genre based on their writing. I’m a big fan of Stephen King, too. I don’t necessarily read a lot of his recent stuff, but the worlds he creates based on the smallest of ideas are brilliant. I also have a soft spot for him after reading On Writing — a book that all writers should read.

P2P: Tell me a little bit about your upcoming novel, What We Saw. What is it about? What inspired it?

R.C.: Of course!  What We Saw is a nostalgic mystery novel about two kids on a British caravan site. They are intrigued by mysteries and the like, as we all are as kids.  One day their dog goes missing in the woods, and the kids happen to stumble upon something shocking whilst looking for the dog… of course, that’s something I can’t reveal.

As for inspiration — it’s kind of inspired by childhood in general. That spark for discovery within us all really fascinates me. It’s something that never really goes away either, hence why people visit conspiracy websites every day, eager to discover. I spent a few summer holidays on a caravan site when I was younger too, so that element of personal experience comes into play a little. Although I must stress, it’s not a novel about me and my life. So, Mum: the ‘Mum’ character ISN’T you, don’t worry!

P2P: How was writing What we Saw different from writing your two short stories, Something in the Cellar and Silhouette?

R.C.: In a word: very. Short stories I can generally write and rewrite in the space of a couple of weeks. What We Saw, on the other hand, took the best part of 18 months to finish. I imagine I’ll write faster in the future, as I had a few stalls, but it’s different writing a novel to any short story. With a short story, you can kind of just jump into things and ‘tell’ a lot more, whereas a novel-length work you have to define an entire plot and character arc. It’s tricky, but so rewarding.

I do have fun with short stories, though — I wrote Silhouette a few weeks after completing What We Saw, and it was great fun to just do something with no genre or stylistic constraints. I’ll definitely be putting a few more out in the near future.

P2P: You’ve mentioned that you hired a professional editor for What we Saw. Had you ever invested in a professional editor before? What made you decide to invest in professional editing for What we Saw?

R.C.: I had my short stories Something in the Cellar and Silhouette proofread, but What We Saw is the first time I’ve ever invested in a full comprehensive editor. I wanted to invest because I need What We Saw to be the best book it can possibly be. Together with a striking cover, good editing on macro and micro levels is so worth it.

P2P: How did you find your editor? What were you looking for as you went through the process of choosing an editor?

R.C.: I stumbled upon Brenda Errichiello via the editing links over at the brilliant SelfPublishingTeam.com. The main factors for me were price and praise. Brenda offers an absolutely amazing service with much praise at competitive pricing levels, so I’d highly recommend checking out her site, eclecticeditor.com. And, from personal experience, I can very happily say that I’ll definitely be working with Brenda again in the future.

P2P: Describe how the editing process was better/different than self-editing. How was having the assistance of a professional editor helpful?

R.C.: Oh, absolutely worth it. Not only is What We Saw a better novel for this editing experience, but I’ve learned so much about writing, plot arcs, and the lot. Most people seem to think editing is just about typos and things like that, but there’s so much more to it. It’s about the big issues — characterisation, plot, and things like that (I intentionally repeated that to highlight a potential editing issue…perhaps). Editors are trained in the art of reading novels. Ignore this stage and you won’t go very far.

P2P: What is one thing you hope your reader gains from reading What we Saw?

R.C.: I want my readers to feel the childhood within again; to feel that craving for discovery once more, and remember what it was like to come of age. Even though it’s a mystery novel about discovery, it’s very much about self-discovery too. It’s about the act of growing up in a world that isn’t quite going so great.

But mostly, I just want people to have fun reading it. If somebody puts the book down and thinks, ‘that was pretty good actually,’ then I’ve achieved my goal.

You can learn more about Ryan Casey and his work on his website; you can also  follow him on Twitter: @RyanCaseyBooks

What We Saw is set to launch Thursday, December 6, so be sure to stay tuned! 

In the meantime, head on over to Amazon and look at:

A View to Editing– Guest Post by Margaret Lesh

I am excited to introduce you to an author I’ve had the pleasure of recently getting to know! California girl Margaret Lesh lives with her husband and son in a quiet suburb near Los Angeles. Co-creator of StoryRhyme.com, she writes middle grade, young adult, and women’s fiction. Her novels Normalish and Finding A Man For Sylvia are now available.

She’s written a wonderful guest post for us around her experience with the editing process for both of her recently released novels. Take it away Margaret!

Benefits of Working with an Editor 

In the pursuit of publication, most writers don’t spend much time thinking about the editing process—at least I didn’t. You write and rewrite your novel, burning through several drafts after the first rough version. After it’s been polished and read by your beta readers, you embark upon the querying process—that soul-sucking experience where a writer shops their manuscript around, looking for a publisher. If you’re lucky enough to find a literary agent to represent you, or if you’re like me and you contact a publisher directly and end up with a signed contract, you will at some point work with an editor.

With two published books now, I have been through the editing process twice, each book having a different editor whose styles were quite different. Here are some thoughts about working with a book editor.

Even if your grammar and punctuation skills are strong, it is extremely important to the finished product to have an outside professional read your book with a critical eye. As writers, we’re very close to our work. Too close. We need an objective outsider to evaluate our manuscript, looking for weaknesses. A professional editor will look at your novel’s pacing and will cut out the dead wood— the stuff that isn’t necessary that causes the action to drag.

When I opened my first set of edits on Normalish—after  first wanting to cry when I saw comments on almost every page—I took a few deep breaths, closed my computer, got a grip on myself, then got to work. My wonderful editor, Ellen Brock, helped me cut out redundancies and tighten things up. I rewrote sections and added a short chapter. The thing is: my manuscript needed help; I knew this. Ellen took my good novel and helped make it great. (At least this is what we think.)

After completing the first round of edits and sending them back to Ellen, we then went through a second round that weren’t as extensive, then a smaller third set of edits. The next step in the process involved a line editor who went through my manuscript line by line looking for any technical issues such as punctuation problems, missed words, and even technical inaccuracies. After the line editing process, I received the galley for proofing—my last opportunity to go over the manuscript before publication.

The process of publication has been an education for me. After working with talented editors, I’ve seen the end result and know I wouldn’t want to publish without one.

Thanks Margaret!! You can interact with Margaret on a variety of fun social platforms.

To learn more about her books, visit her website: http://www.margaretlesh.com.

Twitter: @MargaretLesh

Facebook:  Margaret Lesh-Author Page (Don’t forget to hit that “Like” button!)

“You write to communicate to the hearts and minds of others what’s burning inside you. And we edit to let the fire show through the smoke.” ~ Arthur Polotnik

Let me preface with this: You won’t find a bigger cheerleader in your quest for publishing success than me. Writing is so hard, and you pour your tears and triumph into your work in hopes the world will absorb what’s burning inside you. It’s an incredible feat to even get the words in some coherent and meaningful order let alone to a level of quality worthy of publication. I want you to celebrate your accomplishment! You should feel proud!

So, here’s the thing, my dear readers.  Formatting and publishing are completely separate parts of the writing process AFTER editing. Before you even consider the formatting and publishing phases, your work should go through an intense and thorough editing process. There is no point in publishing your work unless you can say without a doubt that you have an outstanding product. Get your work edited.

If your reader is tripping over typos, trudging through grammatical mishaps, and wandering aimlessly within your message, you as an author and your message will lose credibility and loyalty. Not only that, but your audience has the ability to shout to the world how disappointed they are in having wasted their time and money on a product—through a plethora of social media platforms. Yikes! You lose your credibility, then the time and emotion you poured into your book, or any published prose for that matter, is utterly pointless. Sure you expelled what you’ve needed to, but it had no place to land. You may as well have just written yourself a personal journal entry.

Editing is most crucial if you are self-publishing. As an indie author, you don’t have a publishing house that’s going to fine tune your book to top-notch, sellable quality. That’s on you. And you only get one shot. If your debut work is deemed sub-par, your audience isn’t coming back. Not to mention, it’s disrespectful to ask your reader to pay for your book if it’s full of poor writing… in both message and mechanics. You could be error free in terms of punctuation and grammatical accidents, but your story or message could be totally unorganized or poorly presented. Editing is a comprehensive process that involves digging under the surface of the words and exposing the roots of your prose to uncover what the reader needs to feel.

I know the prospect of calling yourself a published author is thrilling. But, you want to be a credible published author; that is you want your content to be quality so your audience comes back for more. Think about a few of your favorite authors and why they are staples on your bookshelf. In fact, grab a sheet of paper and write down the reasons why you love their writing. Go on… I’ll wait.

I promise you: all your favorite authors have an editor. And so should you.

This is not to say that if you do a thorough edit and rewriting process that some people won’t criticize your work. They will. Remember that writing is subjective. One person may think you’ve written a masterpiece while another soul throws it straight to recycling. Just don’t allow people the ability to prove your work is bad. Negative criticism shouldn’t go beyond opinion.

I want you to become published if that is your desire. I want you to be successful in your writing career, in whatever way success is defined for you. I want you to have your work edited. Like the quote at the top of this post states, “You write to communicate to the hearts and minds of others what’s burning inside you.” Make sure they hear what you have to say because what you have to say matters, otherwise your story wouldn’t burn inside.

I don’t believe in writer’s block. The second you tell yourself you “have writer’s block,” you have given yourself permission to stop and fester; to focus your mind on the negative disposition that “you can’t find the words.” Block implies there’s an inability, beyond your control, to move forward and that your only option is to stop.

I submit to you, dear reader, the moment of uncertainty when you struggle with what to say next is merely a misplacement of your focus.  You have not lost your words. To misplace simply means you need to look to find; this implies movement that is completely within your control—a continuation of your writing endeavor with a detour.  You need to go back and define the point and purpose of what you are writing. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in finding the words that we lose sight of what we wanted to say in the first place.

Before you sat down to write, you had an idea, thought, or desire you felt the need to share. There was something you needed to say or create in order to express what was on your heart or mind, right? Go back to that and define what it was you felt the need to say. One to two sentences—this is the point of your piece.

Now take this deeper. Why does this point matter? We write to covey that which burns inside of us, so what is it that is driving you to make the point?  Keep asking “why” until you hit the raw part of you that is driven to emotion… anger, tears, laughter, peace, etc.  The thing that moves your heart is the purpose of your prose. Define it and write it down.You have found and regained your focus from a deep and authentic place.

Not only that, but think about how much more powerful your message will be now that you’ve tapped into the emotion driving the purpose. When you’re moved, your audience will be moved. Go back to your project with your point and purpose defined; let them guide you in crafting your message.Never once in this process are you blocked from writing but instead are driven to rediscover perspective, which is motivational. It’s positive motion rather than an undesirable stop.

Walk with me through a simple example:

The point of this blog post: to contend that writer’s block does not exist, but rather the loss for words is simply a lack of focus. Go back to the beginning and define the point and purpose of your prose.

The purpose of this post (why the point is important): To redirect your mind away from a negative myth and encourage your writing.

Why? 

Because a positive mindset breeds motivation to continue forward–to keep writing.

Why is that important? 

Because you have something to say that needs to be shared.

Why?

Because what you share brings to life a piece of your unique story.

Why does that matter?

Because your story ignites my story; my story ignites someone else’s story… bridging us together in community. 

Think about all that happens when people come together as a community. That, my dear reader, is what moves me and, therefore, is the ultimate purpose of this piece.

Do you buy into the notion of writer’s block?  Why or why not? Think about your current writing project. Can you define the point and purpose of your message?  

“Oh. I just edit my own stuff.”  That’s nice. Who edits your work after you?

I recently heard a fantastic analogy from author Daniel Audet about editing your own work. He says, “No race car driver can also be his own mechanic and he’ll never win any races without a good one.”

Whether you are blogging every day or working painstakingly on what’s sure to be the next New York Times Best Seller, you have a message for thousands if not hundreds of thousands of readers. With that many people reading your words, it is imperative your writing be perfect.  A good editor will help make sure your message is clear, concise, and well-written. Here are five reasons (though not limited to these) why you should hire an good editor:

1) An editor is a fresh mind:  If you are pumping out one or two blog posts every day, your brain is tired–whether you realize it or not. You are passionate, do doubt, and your passion is still burning, but your mind is weary. Crafting a solid, well-written message (or two) every single day is mentally draining. Your language is at risk of sounding the same in each post and simple mistakes are likely missed.  Let a fresh pair of eyes look at your work, correct it, and suggest snazzier language (if necessary).

The same concept applies to novelists as it does to bloggers. How long have you been looking at your novel? Two months? Five months? One year?  Your mind is weary too, and tired minds miss mistakes that can be potentially embarrassing. Not to mention, you’re the only one who’s written and read the story. How do you know your story flows well?  How do you know if your plot makes sense? Should chapter three even be in the book? How do you know if the love story actually sparks emotion for your reader?  An editor will answer all these concerns for you, make suggestions, and fix the problems.

2)  An editor saves you time:  Once you’ve taken the time to craft your message, self-edit, do your re-writes, and self-edit again, you’ve spent a lot of time on your prose, thereby pushing other writing projects aside. However, while your piece is in the hands of your editor, you could be working on your next blog post, outlining your query letter, or writing your novel’s synopsis. An editor can help you be efficient with your time.

3)  An editor sees what you don’t: This sntnce is hrorbly wrtetin but uoy can siltl raed it. When you self-edit, you pass over things that should be fixed because you can read and understand your own words (it’s normal to write like you talk, and that’s okay to do… in a rough draft.).  However, just because your prose makes sense to you (the author) does not necessarily mean your audience is going to comprehend it. An editor will catch things like misplaced letters, dangling modifiers, the wrong to, too, or two, apostrophe abuse, passive language, subject-verb disagreement, missing or misplaced punctuation, and bad grammar.

4) An editor knows the writing rules: In relation to point three, sometimes you miss things in self-editing because you don’t realize you’ve broken a writing rule (or a few of them). There are so many rules in writing, that it’s hard to knowALL of them, especially when you are focused on just getting your message on paper.  An editor is knowledgeable, educated, and well-referenced of the rules and will make sure your writing is in compliance. You never know how many people in your audience will catch your mistakes; do you really want to risk it?

5)  An editor is unbiased: You are emotionally attached to your work. You should be; you are passionate about your topic. Of course, this also makes you biased in self-editing. Your girlfriend, husband, best friend and mother are also biased. No one in your personal circles wants to risk hurting your feelings, so even if you hand off your work to a loved one for editing, you are still at risk of publishing less than stellar prose. A professional editor isn’t afraid to be up-front about your mistakes because he/she isn’t emotionally attached to you… but neither is your audience. Your editor will read and correct your piece from an objective point of view. This is fair warning; an editor may unintentionally hurt your feelings, but try to remember, an editor’s comments and changes are only to help you make your message better.

You want your audience to be moved when they read your prose, whether they are moved to emotion or action or both. A good editor will help make that happen for you by reading your work in detail, correcting mistakes, suggesting changes, and ultimately helping you make your message the best it can be.