Tag Archives: partner

Rekindling the Fire Inside an Older Manuscript

Posted on July 11, 2016 | 3 comments

In February, 2016, I handed in first round developmental edits for book three in the FIRE IN THE WOODS series.

I figured I didn’t have much time until I saw the manuscript again, so I picked up and older 52,000 word first draft I’d finished nearly two years before and gave it a read. It was pretty good, but I knew it needed “something”. I just wasn’t sure what. So, out to the beta readers it went.

Within a few reads, I’d learned that it was solid, but I needed a few things:

A new beginning.
A best friend character so my MC wasn’t always alone.
I needed to severely slow down the pacing

With this information in hand, I attacked with reckless abandon. By the time I’d finished the 12^th draft in June, 2016, I had added 46,000 words, nearly doubling the manuscript to 98,000 words of alien-filled goodness.

I just rounded up five more beta readers to look over this draft, and as I read through the manuscript from start to finish, I find myself grinning.

Yup, I’m pretty darn happy with what this story has become.

But, of course, I will wait for five more opinions, and edit the poop out of the story five more times. I hope that the beta readers love it as much as I do. Hopefully, I will be shopping this new novel to publishers in September.

Have you ever picked up an old , dusty story, cleaned it up, and found a little gem?

You can find the Fire in the Woods series at all these awesome bookish places!

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Posted in Author Advice

Tagged beta reader, critique, draft, editing, fire in the woods, invaded, jennifer eaton, jennifer M. Eaton, Manuscript, partner, revising, what is a beta reader, why do I need a beta reader

Write a Story with Me Part 22 — Taking a closer look with Elin Gregory

Posted on November 27, 2012 | 6 comments

Some great setting scoped out here by Elin Gregory. Ooooooo I feel a battle brewing!

22-Elin Gregory

“Protector Sumner?” there was a tone in the watchman’s voice that suggested that he had spoken more than once.

Yoran didn’t take his eyes off the viewing panel. In this place he could not afford to do so for an instant. The combinations of wind, updrafts from the tide and topography that made the approach so difficult demanded his full attention. He altered their course by half a point, less, adjusted the power to the starboard thrusters and waited for the ship to settle, bucking on a new gust of wind. The troops below would be having a rough time. He didn’t envy the men he would assign to cleaning out the jump bays.

“What is it Philpott?” he asked.

The young officer gestured to his own view panel. “I’m picking up an anomaly, sir. A couple of points to starboard there’s a patch – a – I don’t know what to call it sir. It looks like all the rest of the rock face but this new gadget, sir, the heat sensor – it says that it’s warmer. Look, see the yellow?”

Yoran bit back a sharp reply. “I don’t doubt your word, Philpott, but I cannot leave my station. Two points, you say? I think we must take a closer look.”

Philpott sighed and returned his attention to his controls. The Protector was old school with little time for modern gadgets. Philpott decided that news of the other two anomalies that appeared to be accompanying them towards the precipice could wait.

Write a Story with Me is a group endeavor just for the fun of it. A different writer adds a new 250 words each week. It is the ultimate Flash Fiction Challenge!

If you’d like to sign up, come on over. There’s always room for more!

Part One – Jennifer M. Eaton