Humility vs Perfection and the sweet space in between

Humble is a good place to live, right?

I’ve had an interesting week. Shackles, the first novel that I wrote (over a decade over *cough*) never found an official publishing home. It did get my foot in the door with my current publishing house though, so I’m grateful for that.

A few years back, I read Shackles again and I still loved the characters and the plot. At that point I decided to put it out as a ‘warts-and-all’ freebie to give readers the opportunity of checking out my writing. Bait, if you will. I even wrote a ‘warts-and-all’ disclaimer in the preface because I just wasn’t going to re-edit the whole thing again. (Besides, I’d checked it twenty-trillion-times and had some others look over it for errors too and we were all happy that it was fine.) I knew I’d have to re-edit at some point, but with new books to be written, that never really loomed large on my horizon.

Fast forward a few years to this week.

Out of the blue, four new reviews arrived. Check them out here. All of them positive – some so lovely that I wanted to cry and hug my dog. Considering my allergies, that is quite something.

BUT…

A significant number of these reviews commented on a few grammar and typo issues.

*DIES* but (even bigger BUT…)

Here’s the weird thing, they loved the book anyway.

My immediate reaction was to start re-editing. Sorry kids, make your own supper. But I’m also currently writing to deadline. So what is a girl to do? I feel like I’m parading Amazon in my ancient bikini, the one with the elastic that has given up on life.

It is humbling.

But it’s also beautiful because I know that what they are falling in love with is not my broken ability but they are seeing Jesus through the cracks of what I can produce and are loving Him in the midst of typos and dodgy grammar.

It just doesn’t get better than that.

So I do have a chapter-a-day-only-after-I’ve-met-my-word-count editing plan. But it will take time and in the meantime, I’ll be out there warts and all for the world to read. And strangely, I’m okay with that.

I’d love to hear from you. Perfectionist? Any humbling happening in your life right now? Please tell me I’m not alone in my ancient bikini.

(This blog first appeared on the International Christian Fiction Writers blog.)

 

Giveaway!!! Finding Mia

Hey guys,

Quick one as I’m supposed to be writing. If you want your own paperback copy of Finding Mia, now is your chance.

Toni Shiloh featured FM as her throwback novel and we are giving away one paperback copy to anyone who leaves a comment on the blog. The last time I checked, there was only 1 comment. 1! I kid you not.

The field is way open.

If you’re keen, go here and leave a comment. Ends on the the 7th, so do it now.

Lovies to you all!

 

Di

A Writer’s Life #3 – Of Germs and Catlaps

This week has been trying. Germs ganged up on me and I spent the week fighting the flu. It was also a week of ‘let’s have something extra on every.single.night. shall we?’ 

Well, after all that I’m pooped and decided to stay home from church and catch up with life and my bed and maybe *whispers so life doesn’t hear* write a bit. 

So I get all the kinders busy, plug in my laptop and BAM! Sleepy decides it’s the perfect time for some lap invasion tactics.

Do I fight it or surrender? 

My Top 3 Writing Apps

We are living in the days of an App for every occasion. I blogged on my top 3 apps for writer over here.

I also read about an awful app that would probably lead to some laptop smashing if I ever tried to use it. You can read about it here.

Your turn. What apps have you found useful?

A Writer’s Life #2 Poolside Plotting

9 yo has been nagging to go swim so today we are doing that. It works for me too as I brought along this…

It’s ugly, but it works. #amplotting now is good for #amwriting just now. 

How’s your Saturday treating you?

A Writers Life #1

Living as a writer. That’s the dream. A book or two out there being read by real people, a multi-book contract with a real publisher. It all sounds so exotic, surreal. To die for, daahling.

Here’s the thing… I’m living the dream but my life somehow missed the memo. Or maybe it didn’t. Maybe it read it, had a good chuckle, scrunched it up and aimed at the bin. And missed. 

So my plan is to throw back the curtains on just what an average #writerslife looks like. Here’s #1.

Slept 5 hours last night. Chasing words, you ask? Er, no. Gluing sequins and bathing in glitter to make a mask for my 15yo’s school dance tonight. My hands won’t come clean. Look-

You should see my lounge. Kiddo is happy, so it’s all good.

Finding Mia Book Trailer

Hello!

I’ve always said that trying to write a synopsis (or Heaven forbid.. a BACK PAGE BLURB) is much like squeezing the entire contents of your house into the post box. I’ve also discovered that making a book trailer is just as impossible hard.

So I know it is probably too long, but here you go… the book trailer for Finding Mia…

FINDING MIA BOOK TRAILER

I’d love to hear your thoughts.