A Dash of Words with Loleta Abi Romance Author

Three Links 8/21/2020

Loleta Abi

Writing:

1. https://nailyournovel.wordpress.com/2020/08/16/your-first-pages-5-more-novel-openings-critiqued-by-a-literary-agent-and-me-at-litopia-2/ “The format is simple. Five manuscripts, each with a short blurb. We hear the opening pages, then discuss how they’re working – exactly as agents would consider a manuscript that arrived in their inbox.

As always, the submissions had many strengths. Issues we discussed included an appealing comedic voice but a scene that was spinning its wheels, subject matter that made the agent nervous, a blurb that didn’t do justice to the originality of the opening scene, a few beginnings that dragged their feet for some of us but kept others gripped. We don’t always agree! And we had a glorious techfutz behind the scenes when Peter’s sound card self-destructed in the heat, which meant we had to start recording all over again. You won’t see that bit, but you might notice the beads of perspiration on our working, worried brows.”

2. https://annerallen.com/2020/08/how-to-use-simple-psychology-and-basic-common-sense-to-sell-more-books/ “

3. https://stevelaube.com/what-i-learned-from-editors/ “I’ve been writing for publication since my teen years, when the world was young and the Garden of Eden’s discount fruit stand was still in business. As you might imagine, I’ve worked with more than a few editors over the years (and even been an editor myself). Though some writers see editors as “the enemy” (or perhaps the stumbling blocks in their paths), I’ve always had great relationships with my editors and have even learned a thing or two from them. Here are three things I learned from editors:

“You can never finish a piece of writing.”

One of my early editors was fond of saying—well, a lot of things, and some even made sense, but just one I’ll mention here—“You can never finish a piece of writing; you must abandon it.” That nugget of wisdom may not have been his creation, but it stuck with me. It’s saved me from my Type A/OCD tendency to overthink and endlessly revise something I’ve written. Whether I’m writing a devotion, a feature article, a blog post, or a book, there comes a point after numerous critiques, edits, and revisions, when I abandon my “little darlings” to the editor and the reading public. I often see, after publication, something I could’ve done better, but I’ve learned not to make perfection my goal; excellent, effective, and timely communication is.” I have a problem with this, seeking perfection in my stories. However, this is good advice. I heard the same from Neil Gaiman in his Masterclass. He said we have to finish our work and then let it go. We’ll never get it to the perfection we want. We must move on.

Research & Fun Bits:

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Some Things More Serious:

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Teaser Fiction & Poetry:

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Book Reviews, Cover Reveals, & Author Interviews:

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