Editing is going slow

I struggle through

I managed to get chapter four edited last week. Then I got chapter five over the weekend.

I have to make myself do these edits. But I’m hoping by the time I’m done with all fifty chapters it will become automatic and wont require so much editing later.

I’m attempting to show and not tell as much. Writing is like any other art; we learn skills as we go. I’m still in the 101 classes I fear. I may be creeping toward 200 level but I’m far from 400’s.

Sick babies, glasses & showing not telling

That sums up the last few days for me.

I haven’t slept more than a few hours at a time the past five night because my littlest is sick.  The doc can’t give her anything since it’s viral. Her fever bounces up and down like a yo-yo.  She’s better today.  I’m so glad.

I took my big girl to the eye doc yesterday and she needs glasses.  I suspected this.  She gets great grades but in these days of technology 2nd graders take most of their tests on computers and she can see those.  I’m sad she has to have glasses but glad we found out before it messes with her grades.

I asked a few helpful people to give me feedback on my first chapter I have posted here.  So far the feedback has been that I need more showing and less telling.

Google has been my friend. I’ve been searching and reading how to show and not tell.  I delved into Her Unexpected Life and began tearing it apart and rearranging it.  Then I picked it back up today and did the very same thing to it.

I think I have Chapter One memorized so I’m stepping away for a few days.  I like lists and point by point actions but that’s boring and nobody wants to read that. So with a scrambled brain I’m moving on to chapter two.  I’m not going to let the sting in my eyes betray me after I knock over the carafe full of dairy. (I’m not going to cry over spilled milk.)

See my brain likes the short one so much better.  That’s why I have to scramble and then retrain it.