What Comes Next?

So, I finished my Novel...well, not quite.  I finished my 1st Draft, so what comes next?  Although, I took a day or two to relish my accomplishment, I didn't stop there.  There is still work to be done and that starts with Self-Editing.  "What is that?" you may say.  That is where I go back through my work, maybe many times and look for mistakes, inconsistencies, or just maybe see if the story flows and reads well.  So, all of that takes time, but I have gone through Chapters 1-4 already at least once and hope to get 5 and maybe 6 done today.

There is much help out there for a newbie like me.  YouTube is filled with Writers and Authors giving advice on Self-Editing and the Web has many great places to get advice on how to make my writing the best it can be.  Just this morning, I read an article in The Writer magazine called The top 10 golden rules of self-editing by Ryan G. Van Cleave, a writing teacher and Author.  If it weren't for helpful information like this, I would be a little lost in how to go about this rather overwhelming endeavor.  Not quite as overwhelming as writing my novel in the first place, but pretty close.  Why does it matter?  Well, it matters, because I want my work to be the best it can be.  Several people have asked to read my novel NOW ha ha, but it is my work of art.  Would a painter allow you to hang up their painting, before they got it just the way they wanted it?  Probably not...to me letting someone read my work, before I get it the best I can get it seems...a little like walking around with a hospital gown on...it just shows a few more flaws than we would want anyone to see.

Why didn't I do it right the first time? During the creative process of writing, getting the story down on paper or typing it on the computer, is more important than getting it completely right.  If the story is flowing through my mind to my finger tips, I don't want to quench my flow of creativity by worrying about whether my grammar is just right or if I am contradicting myself.  Those errors can be fixed later, when I am not in the middle of writing down my story as I see it happening in my mind.

I hope to get through this process quickly, but I don't want to rush too much and miss something.  I am already in contact with a professional editor, who actually contacted me first and I am gathering information there.  I hope to compare a few editors, before I take that step.  I have a little time, before I make that decision.  My goal though, is to keep moving forward and making progress, because nobody want to see this through to publication and beyond more than me.  I am continuing to pray for guidance and I hope you will pray for me, too.  

In Christ,

Sandy Kay Slawson