Today I welcome LGBT author L.A. Ashton to the blog to talking about the editing process.
1) Tell us a bit about you and your writing
I’m a queer adventure enby and I write queer adventure stories! I loved reading from a very young age, and writing my own stories was the next natural step. I was always working on fantasy plots and characters in my head.
I self-pubbed my novel Echoes first, but then found a home at a small press. They’re publishing Echoes as well as two novellas. The start to this journey is terrifying, but exciting!
2) What do you enjoy most about the editing process?
Polishing that baby until it shines. Editing is a labor of love, and it always makes me feel like I’m forcing my piece to new heights. I want my work to be the best it can be, and dedicated editing is the only way to make that happen.
3) What do you find hardest about the editing process?
Walking away. There’s definitely such a thing as over-editing, and I’ve been known to do it. At some point, you just have to realize you’ve done the best you can with the brain you have. There will always be things you can tweak and pick at for eternity, but you’ll lose your sanity in the process.
4) What are your general thoughts on editing as part of the overall publishing process?
It’s painful, but it needs to happen. Over, and over, and over again.
5) What are your top editing-related tips for authors?
You have to be willing to make changes. Step away from that first draft for a little bit—let yourself become less attached to every single word and scene. The distance will help you see things more clearly. While the manuscript sits, the story can percolate in the back of your mind. What might work better for that one scene? Is there an element missing? After some time has passed, go tear that manuscript apart.
About the Author
L. A. Ashton is an LGBT+ author writing LGBT+ fiction. They were born and raised between neat grids of corn and soybean fields. They enjoy rock music, traveling, and anything else that adds color to their daydreams. They believe in the healing properties of art and of having a cat firmly stationed on one's lap.