I wanted to share this post for anyone out there looking for an editor. Alison certainly knows what she’s talking about, and she delivers on every point. She really helped me with both the final edit of my novel and my social networking profile. She was also there when it all got too much, offering me support and words of encouragement.
Even though passing your work to an editor may seem daunting, it’s so rewarding when you see how much better your work can be.

I have to admit that I’m easily distracted from writing. Usually it’s editing, I just can’t let go. And then there’s the mundane tasks of everyday life – cooking and cleaning (well perhaps more thinking about doing these things rather than the actual execution of them). In the evening I can be tempted away from the laptop by the promise of an action packed film, and as the cold nights draw in I’m partial to a bath, a book and an ice cream.

Now I find myself with a whole new level of distraction. Poppy, the lunatic kitten has been with us 5 days and is taking over. As I type this she is stalking my fingers. And she keeps dashing across the keyboard so I constantly have to delete her additions to my work. This kitten needs a time out or a naughty step.

The final part of proofreading my novel has also been given the Poppy treatment – she’s either attacking the pages or stealing my pen. Maybe she thinks she can do a better job!

At least the proofing is finally done; the read through part anyway. It turned into a bit of an editing exercise, I just can’t help myself.

When I next get the chance, I shall make the final few changes to the novel. The word count will go down by at least a few hundred. It’s amazing how many small changes can be made, even after extensive editing by myself, beta reads by writing friends and professional editing.

Now is the point where I have to call it a day. To finish it, before it finishes me. This novel has been a bit like a naughty child or kitten. It’s given me years of grief and sleepless nights, but it’s grown into something I’m proud of and I can’t wait to share it with the world, though I’m sure a lot more sleepless nights are still to follow.

Poppy is finally asleep, so I guess it’s time to start tackling those changes.

Since I started proofreading my novel last week, I’ve managed to finish editing a short story so it’s ready to send to competitions, edit a flash fiction piece which is also ready to submit when I’ve found the right title, and write two new flash fiction pieces. I’ve also got plans to revisit two short stories that received very helpful critiques from Writer’s Forum. Finally, it gave me the idea for this short blog, so I really think I should proofread more often.