I’ve been working on a fantasy project on and off for 10 years because I could never make the beginning fit with the rest of the story. So Thank You because you just gave me an idea of how to fix it!! 🙌🏼
I always write the story - line first. Its on the first page and stays there until the plot line has been finished, or the editing process has been completed rather than removing the story - line before starting to edit.
I was asked to beta read for someone, and after I gave feedback (respectfully and NICELY) for two chapters, they told me they didn't want me to beta for them anymore, because they just wanted me to applaud their amazing novel and that's not what I was giving them because, like you said, that is really doing them a disservice. I'm glad they told me after the first two chapters rather than having me waste my time reading a whole novel then telling me they didn't actually want my help.
I would like to hear about how you edit your own poetry or how you edit others' poetry? I like hearing about others' processes and gathering more poetry editing tips! :)
This video was super helpful! The color coding tip is such a good idea. I’m such a dialogue-heavy writer and that tip will help me out so much. I would love more writing/editing type videos from you. Maybe some editing tips, like the color coding one??
And omg yes some people can be so unreceptive to criticism! I’ve been watching a lot of editing type videos lately and so many people in the comments have been so rude. (Hopefully that doesn’t happen on this video!) I completely understand that receiving criticism is not easy, but these people are actively seeking it out and then admonishing the person giving it to them. Sorry for the mini rant 😂 it’s just something I’ve noticed recently.
so glad it was helpful! I find a lot of people are more dialogue-heavy. (myself included!) Especially in early drafts, just because it's so much faster to write
Katesbookdate thank you for responding! And yeah I definitely agree. It makes the first draft writing process easier but definitely something I need to focus on in editing.
The last thing you talked about was something I hadn’t experienced until college. And it was jarring to hear something was wrong with my writing. Then I slept on it for a day or so and was grateful. It made me into a better writer and now I prefer a more harsher critic. I would rather be told straight up what is wrong, then have be wrong the whole time.
I loved this! I’d rather a beta reader ripped apart my story. Positive feedback back is nice but it doesn’t help you improve your story. I will literally watch any video you make on writing!
Regarding dialog, it's easier to follow and more believable if the characters have distinct voices. This is especially true if the writer isn't specifying who's speaking. It's even more important if the writer and editor are not using traditional quotes (or get sloppy with them).
I can tell this is super professional and your degree and experience really comes though. I’m not even a writer and I appreciate this video. Proud of u Katie.
I love the idea color 🖍️ highlighting. I'm a visual person especially with colors. That is an excellent thing for me. It will definitely have me gone in on what needs to be done Great advice 👍 Thank you. As a reader, for pacing. I like the rhythm of the story. I like for the writer to guide me with that rhythm of a story is going to be. When you read it you feel it. I know and have a sense of where that story is going. For me personally I think you get the sense of rhythm early on. Depending on the writer it can start out strong or taper off or or vice versa. I prefer a good sense of rhythm most of the book minding some scenes may go off path a little.
I really enjoyed this video!! It makes me want to go back to my creative writing class I took in college! Although I am by no means a writer, I think these tips are helpful to readers too. I think it would be a fun way of looking at writing from an editor/beta reader perspective. You should do a writing series! I would be very interested.
Btw, in my creative writing class, having to read my work in front of everyone was soooo scary!!! I would much rather have someone write up a critique of my work rather than have to hear from the class to my face lol
my creative writing workshops had us do that too! Though often we'd pass out our work a week ahead of time to give people a chance to read it, then had to sit there for the next class while everyone gave their critiques to our faces haha definitely helps build a thick skin
I’ve been brainstorming for a story and I’ve also been watching videos like these so I know what to try and avoid when I start writing. Your video helped! Thank you
Great stuff, already looking forward to the next editor talk instalment. I had the 1st one [01:30] during my November 2018 NaNoWriMo project. I think the issue was I was writing the middle book of what is currently a trilogy. Seeing the three stories within the AND, BUT THEREFORE framework illuminated what the 2nd & 1st stories needed.
@@Katesbookdate yes, that was the eureka moment. Sometimes figuring out you are in the middle of drafting your Empire Strikes Back, opens up so many possibilities for your universe. Glad you are sharing & igniting the discussion. Workshopping the process will make us all improved editing clients.
As a writer, I have Beta readers of different ages and demographics with different reading backgrounds. Some love urban fantasy, some aren't used to it. This helps me see where I may be blind to ones lack of knowledge with folklore or blind to a certain demographic, and if more than 1-2 people complain about the same thing, the common denominator is the issue in your story, not those people who happen to both see the flaw that they are helping you to fix. It's all for the betterment of your story. I also sleep on things for about a week so not only do I have fresh eyes to the comments, but also to what I wrote; enough to be more objective and open to what others see. I actually really like critique, but I love laughing at my mistakes cause some of them seem so obvious after someone else points them out lol
I think you are right that people tend to feel that knee jerk reaction to get upset when they receive feedback on their work, but that is when it is important to remember that reading is subjective to a degree. This is why having a handful of beta readers that can be honest and give you different perspectives and feedback is most ideal. You made the point that people may choose not to change certain things a beta reader points out. This is completely true, but if one person had an issue with that specific part, I think it is important to ask yourself if other readers will have the same issue. It is our job as writers to appeal to the widest audience possible, which means sometimes setting aside hurt feelings/knee jerk reactions and really weighing what is being suggested to you. It is easy to get attached to your characters and stories and feel like you have to protect them from the evil beta reads and edits because hundreds of hours go into this kind of work, more if you are disabled like me and have to talk to text everything (which sucks editing wise). In the end, feedback is like a golden ticket because you get to see what a small subset of readers like and dislike about what you have created and from that, you can decide on what is worth changing and keeping. I really appreciate you sharing this information. We should all be willing to learn and grow.
Do you think there's a time stamp on finishing a novel? I've been working on a project I'm really proud of for around four years and I'm always nervous people will think if it's taken so long it's clearly not going anywhere and I should just give up.
Blackheart Books if you’re still passionate about it - definitely not! Everyone has their own process and moves at their own pace. Just be careful not to fall into the trap of working on the same project forever, trying to make it perfect. One of the hardest things to learn is when to step away and move onto the next project if something just isn’t working
My problem is that I can't write a long book- only shorts. And sometimes I feel like I'm not detailed enough. Like, when I tried writing my first long book (never finished oof) I didn't have enough detail on what's happening
I’ve been working on a fantasy project on and off for 10 years because I could never make the beginning fit with the rest of the story. So Thank You because you just gave me an idea of how to fix it!! 🙌🏼
omg yay! So glad it was helpful - and best of luck with your project! I love those "bolt of lightning" moments where something just clicks
I always write the story - line first. Its on the first page and stays there until the plot line has been finished, or the editing process has been completed rather than removing the story - line before starting to edit.
I was asked to beta read for someone, and after I gave feedback (respectfully and NICELY) for two chapters, they told me they didn't want me to beta for them anymore, because they just wanted me to applaud their amazing novel and that's not what I was giving them because, like you said, that is really doing them a disservice. I'm glad they told me after the first two chapters rather than having me waste my time reading a whole novel then telling me they didn't actually want my help.
I'm glad they at least told you early on!
@@Katesbookdate Oh gosh, me too!
I would like to hear about how you edit your own poetry or how you edit others' poetry? I like hearing about others' processes and gathering more poetry editing tips! :)
I could definitely talk about that!
This video was super helpful! The color coding tip is such a good idea. I’m such a dialogue-heavy writer and that tip will help me out so much. I would love more writing/editing type videos from you. Maybe some editing tips, like the color coding one??
And omg yes some people can be so unreceptive to criticism! I’ve been watching a lot of editing type videos lately and so many people in the comments have been so rude. (Hopefully that doesn’t happen on this video!) I completely understand that receiving criticism is not easy, but these people are actively seeking it out and then admonishing the person giving it to them. Sorry for the mini rant 😂 it’s just something I’ve noticed recently.
so glad it was helpful! I find a lot of people are more dialogue-heavy. (myself included!) Especially in early drafts, just because it's so much faster to write
Katesbookdate thank you for responding! And yeah I definitely agree. It makes the first draft writing process easier but definitely something I need to focus on in editing.
The last thing you talked about was something I hadn’t experienced until college. And it was jarring to hear something was wrong with my writing. Then I slept on it for a day or so and was grateful. It made me into a better writer and now I prefer a more harsher critic. I would rather be told straight up what is wrong, then have be wrong the whole time.
Getting used to criticism of writing during college classes made me a better writer. I felt more eager to write and share. Thanks again for the tips!
Your example of being melodramatic and the differences between stage acting and movie acting was GREAT. Excellent vid!
I loved this! I’d rather a beta reader ripped apart my story. Positive feedback back is nice but it doesn’t help you improve your story.
I will literally watch any video you make on writing!
I totally agree. I'd much rather someone rip it apart so I can make it better!
Regarding dialog, it's easier to follow and more believable if the characters have distinct voices. This is especially true if the writer isn't specifying who's speaking. It's even more important if the writer and editor are not using traditional quotes (or get sloppy with them).
This was so helpful and informative! I’ve always had a problem balancing dialogue with descriptions, your color coding tip is genius!
Yay, I hope it's helpful! It was a game changer for me when I first started using it!
tell me why this made me want to start writing
I can tell this is super professional and your degree and experience really comes though. I’m not even a writer and I appreciate this video. Proud of u Katie.
aw thanks, Emma! Means a lot
This is an interesting perspective to hear from since I'm not really familiar with it, would definitely like to watch some more videos on editing :)
glad you enjoyed it! :)
I love the idea color 🖍️ highlighting. I'm a visual person especially with colors. That is an excellent thing for me. It will definitely have me gone in on what needs to be done Great advice 👍 Thank you. As a reader, for pacing. I like the rhythm of the story. I like for the writer to guide me with that rhythm of a story is going to be. When you read it you feel it. I know and have a sense of where that story is going. For me personally I think you get the sense of rhythm early on. Depending on the writer it can start out strong or taper off or or vice versa. I prefer a good sense of rhythm most of the book minding some scenes may go off path a little.
I'm a super visual person too, so color coding is always helpful!
I really enjoyed this video!! It makes me want to go back to my creative writing class I took in college! Although I am by no means a writer, I think these tips are helpful to readers too. I think it would be a fun way of looking at writing from an editor/beta reader perspective. You should do a writing series! I would be very interested.
Btw, in my creative writing class, having to read my work in front of everyone was soooo scary!!! I would much rather have someone write up a critique of my work rather than have to hear from the class to my face lol
my creative writing workshops had us do that too! Though often we'd pass out our work a week ahead of time to give people a chance to read it, then had to sit there for the next class while everyone gave their critiques to our faces haha definitely helps build a thick skin
THIS. This is what's helpful. Thank you!!
this was actually super helpful
I'm so glad!
This is super helpful, thank you!! It would be awesome to see one of these for poetry collections too :)
ooo I could definitely talk about poetry collections!
I’ve been brainstorming for a story and I’ve also been watching videos like these so I know what to try and avoid when I start writing. Your video helped! Thank you
I'm glad it was helpful! Good luck with your project!
Great stuff, already looking forward to the next editor talk instalment. I had the 1st one [01:30] during my November 2018 NaNoWriMo project. I think the issue was I was writing the middle book of what is currently a trilogy. Seeing the three stories within the AND, BUT THEREFORE framework illuminated what the 2nd & 1st stories needed.
In a way, it's sort of an exciting discovery when you realize your story is bigger than you originally thought!
@@Katesbookdate yes, that was the eureka moment. Sometimes figuring out you are in the middle of drafting your Empire Strikes Back, opens up so many possibilities for your universe. Glad you are sharing & igniting the discussion. Workshopping the process will make us all improved editing clients.
Yay I loved this video, it was so interesting! So excited for this new series. Love the hair too 😊
thank you!
Would definitely love more on the editing/writing process. Breaking down scenes :)
Very useful information.
I'm not a writer, but I enjoy hearing about your editing process!
More editing videos please!! This was very insightful and definitely helpful :)
This was so helpful!!!
I really liked this!
Thanks
As a writer, I have Beta readers of different ages and demographics with different reading backgrounds. Some love urban fantasy, some aren't used to it. This helps me see where I may be blind to ones lack of knowledge with folklore or blind to a certain demographic, and if more than 1-2 people complain about the same thing, the common denominator is the issue in your story, not those people who happen to both see the flaw that they are helping you to fix. It's all for the betterment of your story. I also sleep on things for about a week so not only do I have fresh eyes to the comments, but also to what I wrote; enough to be more objective and open to what others see. I actually really like critique, but I love laughing at my mistakes cause some of them seem so obvious after someone else points them out lol
Great information!
Oooo I can’t wait for more in this series!
yay, I'm glad!
I think you are right that people tend to feel that knee jerk reaction to get upset when they receive feedback on their work, but that is when it is important to remember that reading is subjective to a degree. This is why having a handful of beta readers that can be honest and give you different perspectives and feedback is most ideal. You made the point that people may choose not to change certain things a beta reader points out. This is completely true, but if one person had an issue with that specific part, I think it is important to ask yourself if other readers will have the same issue. It is our job as writers to appeal to the widest audience possible, which means sometimes setting aside hurt feelings/knee jerk reactions and really weighing what is being suggested to you. It is easy to get attached to your characters and stories and feel like you have to protect them from the evil beta reads and edits because hundreds of hours go into this kind of work, more if you are disabled like me and have to talk to text everything (which sucks editing wise). In the end, feedback is like a golden ticket because you get to see what a small subset of readers like and dislike about what you have created and from that, you can decide on what is worth changing and keeping. I really appreciate you sharing this information. We should all be willing to learn and grow.
I thought the thumbnail said Elton John. Made me chuckle
Do you think there's a time stamp on finishing a novel? I've been working on a project I'm really proud of for around four years and I'm always nervous people will think if it's taken so long it's clearly not going anywhere and I should just give up.
Blackheart Books if you’re still passionate about it - definitely not! Everyone has their own process and moves at their own pace. Just be careful not to fall into the trap of working on the same project forever, trying to make it perfect. One of the hardest things to learn is when to step away and move onto the next project if something just isn’t working
My problem is that I can't write a long book- only shorts. And sometimes I feel like I'm not detailed enough. Like, when I tried writing my first long book (never finished oof) I didn't have enough detail on what's happening
Any beta readers out there?