A. Consider hiring a developmental editor. They can guide you in eliminating extraneous scenes and adding missing scenes. They can provide solutions to scenes that don’t work, narrative digressions, and excess exposition.
MANUSCRIPT MOMENT What Kind of Editor Do I Need? This is the editor you need when your novel is twice as long as it should be
From developmental editor Rachelle Ramirez:
Q. What should I do if my novel is twice as long as it should be, and I don’t know what to cut?
Listen on your favorite podcast platform or watch on YouTube at www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6oM...
Write Anyway Podcast Writers and AI: Ethical Use, Experimentation, and Staying Human with Eli Potter
In this episode of the Write Anyway Podcast, Sue chats with Eli Potter about how writers can ethically use AI. Learn why being rude to AI will sabotage your results, why writer's block is no longer an excuse, and how writers actually have a _massive advantage_ in an AI-saturated world.
A. Yes. Most developmental editors can help you structure your story and your time. They can help you determine what needs to be done, how, and set reasonable deadlines to complete the work.
MANUSCRIPT MOMENT What Kind of Editor Do I Need? Who to call when you need help structuring your time as well as your story
From developmental editor Rachelle Ramirez:
Q. Is there a type of editor who could function as an accountability coach to help me get the words on the page in an organized manner?
They’ll help you improve scene structure, pacing, character arcs, story congruence, and narrative drive.
A. It’s time to consult a developmental editor at any point, in any draft, when you’re not sure how to proceed with the content. They’ll help you meet reader expectations for your genre and Story Type to create a strong beginning hook, middle-build, and ending pay-off.
MANUSCRIPT MOMENT What Kind of Editor Do I Need? Help! I'm stuck with my storyline and character arc!
From developmental editor Rachelle Ramirez:
Q. What type of editor can help me when I feel stuck with my storyline and character arc?
You’ll learn story-based mindset tools that will help you neutralize your inner saboteur so you can finish your book and build an audience for it.
And you’ll make progress on your work-in-progress each day.
Sign up for this FREE challenge here: www.pagesandplatforms.com/mom-challenge
The reason I LOVE coaching writers is because I get to help people out of this vicious cycle. That’s exactly what we’ll be doing in the Mind Over Manuscript Challenge May 11-15.
Self-sabotage is the biggest obstacle you face to realizing your writing dreams. Join our free 5-day writing challenge! Mind Over Manuscript Challenge pagesandplatforms.com/mom
That little voice of self-sabotage that sits on your shoulder hissing poison in your ear is by far the biggest obstacle to achieving your creative goals. Our number-one job is to deploy any and every tool at our disposal to overcome this debilitating force.
A. You’re ready for a developmental editor, also known as a substantive or structural editor. This is your first-stage editor, who’ll help you create a page-turning story.
MANUSCRIPT MOMENT What Kind of Editor Do I Need? I've finished my first draft and need to take it to the next level.
From developmental editor Rachelle Ramirez:
Q. I’ve completed a first draft and want specific actionable advice for improving my novel and taking it to the next level. Which type of editor should I hire when I know my story structure still needs work?
"I'm much more willing to tackle tasks I didn't want to do... because I understand their value and I have achievable goals to drive me." — Kagan Tumer
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Now you can make a more informed decision about whether to stay or go.
Finally, evaluate your results and refine. Then decide whether or not to quit. Maybe you got better outcomes thanks to your experiment so you’re motivated to keep going. Or maybe you got better results but it’s not worth the effort for you. Or maybe it didn’t move the needle at all.
Do a quick study of what tends to work on your chosen platform. AI can assist you with this. Ask Claude to clue you in to what works on TikTok, Instagram or Substack and then make an effort to do that more often.
Then create content that aligns with those reasons. For example, if your main reason for being on social is to connect with other authors, start posting reviews of their books and tagging them, and/or commenting on their posts.
Here are some steps you can follow to up your game a bit before you decide to quit.
Start by knowing your reasons for being on social, like the ones I listed above.
But if you’ve been on social media for awhile and you’re frustrated that you’re not reaching readers, I want you to try harder first before you give up. Set a period of time you’re willing to run an experiment to see if you can get better results.
✅ You can easily connect with other authors.
✅ You can test messaging for your book (it’s often better to do this with a small ad budget than organically).
✅ You can develop a comfort level with being in public.
✅ Readers can get a sense of the person behind the book on a platform they are used to.
That said, most authors feel like they need to be on at least one social media platform. There are good things that can come with being on social:
So unless being a social media influencer is desirable to you, you’re better off putting most of your marketing energy into building an email list rather than a social following.
I’m never going to be the coach who tells you that you have to build a huge following on social media. It’s a rigged system that mostly benefits the platform itself.
Get it on your favorite podcast platform or watch on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-Nl...
Improve Your Prose Fast: A Rewrite Exercise to Find Your Author Voice Don Elliott Write Anyway Podcast
There's a new episode of the Write Anyway podcast! Listen in as Anne Hawley chats with fantasy author Don Elliott about his technique for rapidly improving his prose and strengthening his author voice.
Make at least ONE tweak today to improve your writing life based on your answers.
Now use your answers to design a wonderfully average day in your writing life:
• What time are you waking up and going to bed?
• When are you writing?
• When are you marketing?
• How are you refilling your creative cup?
• What have you stopped doing because your creativity is more important?
Question 5: What are you doing right now that’s NOT working?
Question 6: When is the best time of day for you to do your creative work, in terms of your own creativity and energy level?
Question 7: How can you make your audience building (aka marketing) as creatively fulfilling as possible?