HELLO LIONS! HERE'S SOMETHING TO CHEW ON

Photo by Zoë Reeve on Unsplash

Despite my having a hissy fit about editing in my previous post (May 19^th) and possibly looking like a prima donna, I have decided to stick my head in the lion's jaws once again. Yes, I am signing up for a developmental edit.

I am at that unenviable stage where I have been over the same ground so many times, I can hardly see where anything fits any more.

So I am sending the “baby” off to an editor to turn it into something coherent. A few “nips and tucks”, a cosmetic surgery of words, so to speak. (Take out the sag!)

This is not the same thing as the nit-picky types of editing that irritates me. The type that goes over and over and over, wearing each word out. If it were fabric, they would wear a hole in it.

I know if an editor replaces something I've written, such as, “a colleague”, to “someone I worked with” they are not the editor for me. The difference in meaning escapes me, and are they not basically a different way of saying the same thing? Nit pick!

Despite my being both hopeful and fearful as to what the editor will find, I have to admit that it is time. Let them shape, polish and toss out what doesn't fit. I do hope I will agree and see the wisdom of their suggestions. My memoir has been mouldering in the closet for a shameful amount of time and not a word has changed. That would be due to my not looking at it for.... a shameful amount of time! I can't even bring myself to admit how long I've been sitting on this particular egg.

I have decided to include an introduction and an acknowledgements page, just like they do in traditional publishing. I don't know if other self-publishing authors do this. But I figure, why shouldn't I honour all those people who have listened bravely (and patiently) as I've whined and moaned and tried to give up?

So, in anticipation of the book being published (like, for real this time), here is the introduction page:

“They say that a memoir should be a story of transformation. I transformed from a naïve girl who had no interest in food into a voracious overeater, and back again to someone who ate normally and had a normal mindset.

This memoir is actually four stories in one: besides the story of being an overeater and my recovery from it, it is the story of a broken hearted romance of unrequited love, an adventure story and one of running away from home.

I hope you will come along with me for the ride, and enjoy the trip!”

As this memoir deals with my emotional overeating, it would be helpful for me if any of my readers know of anyone who might be interested in excerpts from the book, and/or receiving a Pdf version of the advance copies once the editing is done, and the book is well and truly almost launched.

Do you know of anyone who might want to give feedback from the unpublished version? Each excerpt should probably only be a couple thousand words, so not much more than reading an essay. I don't want to overburden anyone.

What I would you like to know is your viewpoint, especially if you have ever had “issues” with food. What would you like to change, to applaud? Presuming there is some applause that is. These comments will help me give readers the incentive to turn the pages and see what happens. And if they should happen to buy the book, so much the better!

But the actual physical book is still quite a long way off into the distance at this point.

Do let me know who the brave souls are.

Until next Monday,

Cheers,

Rose