Kicking Your Inner Editor to the Curb by Erin Howard

Everyone approaches writing differently. Whether you plot every detail out or you write as it comes to you, you still have one thing in common. The pesky internal editor. When I first started writing, I didn’t realize this was something I needed to watch out for. I didn’t know that it likes to wait for the right opportunity and rear its ugly head. If I was having a rough day, then all of a sudden, I could only see all the parts of the story I didn’t like. No word count was added, no new words on the page, but I altered and changed everything about the scene and guess what? The next day was the same, and the next. I wasn’t getting anywhere in my story. I was frustrated and took a big break from writing.

One day, I heard another author talking about this very issue, except they said they never edit as they write the rough draft. Whatever comes out in that writing session stays in the document until the whole story is finished. I decided to give it a whirl. I still had half of a novel to finish. At first, it was difficult, almost torture, to tell my perfectionist self not to edit. It was so hard to keep plowing through the story and let myself off the hook.

It got more comfortable over time, and I realized it didn’t matter if it was awful. It didn’t matter if I stumbled around the scene and didn’t quite show enough emotions or use all the senses at that moment. All that mattered was getting the words down on the screen and completing the book.

When I finished the rough draft, I think I actually cried. I did it. I finished a novel! After I celebrated, I got started on the next phase. Editing. I love this phase of writing. I love the quote from Jodi Picoult, “You might not write well every day, but you can always edit a bad page. You can’t edit a blank page.” Get the story down. Lay the foundation, and then get to work making it shine. It doesn’t have to be perfect the first go around. Let yourself off the hook and write.

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Erin R. Howard is a developmental editor, fantasy author of The Kalila Chronicles, and has earned a Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing/English from Southern New Hampshire University. When she's not writing, Erin enjoys spending time with her family, fueling her craft addictions, and teaching writing workshops. Erin is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and the KenTen Writers Group. She resides in Western Kentucky with her husband and three children.

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The Soul Searcher (The Kalila Chronicles, #2) - Release Date: 2/19/19

Elnora’s parents gave her one rule:

Stay hidden away at all costs.

Elnora Scott is used to her survival depending on the decisions of others. Locked away in her safe house, it is easy to follow her parents’ dying wishes until an angel, demon, and seer show up on her doorstep. Now, waking up in a dirty cell, she wishes she would have gone with them when she had the chance, because the very ones who unknowingly ushered the kidnapper to her location may be the only ones who can save her.

When Thea learns that Elnora may be in danger, she doesn’t hesitate to go find her. Thea thought stepping through the portal would be her greatest obstacle, but it only reveals a more sinister threat.