It’s been a busy but fun season of going through The Lady and the Lionheart one final time before sending the book off for copy edits. Part of this process has been pulling out a few favorite research books for this story and doing some careful fact-checking. I have a short attention span (yes, I just confessed that 🙂 ) so often struggle through non-fiction books. In school, I was the kid daydreaming that the textbooks on my desk were a raft I could float away on instead of something that actually had to be studied. But now, and as most writers would agree, when we are immersed in a topic that fascinates us…the reading is really compelling! For me, there’s something about the themes of this story that has made the research magical.
Amid all this rereading, I also wanted to give the manuscript a careful fact-check and line edit before shipping it off to my copy editor. Last week, our family had a big vacation in the snowy mountains of Utah – and not wanting to be glued to the computer the whole time, it seemed best to print out the manuscript and bring it along as good old fashioned paper and ink. A colorful pack of Sharpies, and I was set.
During the evening while everyone was relaxing after a long day on the slopes, I pulled out the manuscript in it’s massive binder and got to work. As an artist-writer, free spirit type, I tend to see story in splashes of color, not black and white technicality, so the final polish is often a challenge for me. Because proofing has meant careful fine-tuning, the color coding process really helped make sense of what usually makes my mind spin in circles.
The steps have been quite simple. Basically, I just selected a top list of items to watch closely, including:
- Dress and physical appearance. If a character has green eyes or muddy shoes, I underlined the phrase with a teal marker.
- The circus or anything to do with the layout or culture gets underlined in red.
- If the text has to do with the lions (Sigh. How I love those lions.) that got marked in brown.
- For anything pertaining to the timeline of the story or character ages, that was marked in blue.
- Weather or anything to do with the climate – purple.
And so on…
I found the color coding process to be helpful for several reasons. Not only has it forced this impatient creative-type to read each page slowly and carefully, spending three to four times per page then I normally would, it’s allowed me to flip back and forth easily to fact check the different elements and cross-reference things. It allows me to make sure that if Ella is sitting on the back porch of Charlie’s caravan, that she had steps in place to climb up there. This story also has a hero who changes clothes more often than any other character in any book I’ve ever written in my entire life, so keeping his many ensembles straight was quite an adventure. 🙂
The easiest part about this proofing process? Reading a book that I absolutely love. Spending time with characters – both human and furry – that have become an important part of my writing life, and truly, my heart.
The hardest part? Organizing the layout and orchestration of an entire circus. What an adventure! It’s meant keeping track of laborers, performers, tents, wagons and animals, all mixed within a culture that is one of a kind.
Oh and keeping the lions straight! While each of Charlie’s lions has a distinctness about him, they’re all massive, maned and male and I wanted to make sure that I wasn’t mixing any of the big cats up during their scenes. Thus, much counting, labeling and brown marker. 🙂
So this is what I’ve been up to the past month and what I’ll be doing for a few weeks more! What do you think about the proofing process? Do you tend to read books with an eagle eye, catching mistakes, or do you mainly just focus on the story for story sake? As an author, we try to be ready for all kinds of readers and so if you hear the snapping sound of Sharpie caps coming from my house for a few more weeks… you’ll know why. 😉
Wow!! So creative and thorough, and I get chills just thinking of all the beauty that awaits readers in this story. Thank you for sharing your wonderful glimpses!!
Thank you so much, my friend! This process has been really fun and I get rather inspired by you and all your printing-out and organized skills! 🙂
I love your proofing technique, I love sharpies and use color coding all the time. So I totally get you in this! I tend to lean towards focusing on the story. However, I do seem to catch things that just don’t sound right but love to “highlight” parts I love and want to remember. Thanks for keeping us in the loop of this very anticipated story!! Can’t wait,
Aren’t Sharpies divine!!? I’ve done this in the past with colored pencils and don’t think I shall go back. 😉 I like the way you read, Renee! Highlighting parts that you love and want to remember? That’s so delightful! And thank you so much. I’m really excited to send this one your way.
I’ve created my own style sheet to use when copyediting books, because I couldn’t find anything out there that worked for the detailed notes I take while I’m reading. I’m working on a copyedit job right now, and this is the first one I’ve used this new style sheet for. It’s been such a big help! I’m twice as organized as usual, so things are easier to triple-check along the way.
Thanks for the interesting article, Joanne! It’s awesome to see a behind-the-scenes look at your editing process. Very colorful!
Happy editing!
Andrea
Andrea, that’s fascinating to know! You’re one of the best proofers I’ve worked with and your attention to detail really shows. I find that as I’m working, I can hear you in my head and I think “What would Andrea do?” She would have me capitalize that! And I was laughing when I wrote this blog post because I forgot to capitalize “Sharpie” and I thought WWAD? 🙂
You possess the proofing qualities I lack so having worked with you in the past has been a little boost of inspiration for me to try harder in this regard since, as you know, it’s not my strength. 😉
I hope your current copy editing job is going great!
Great glimpse of your current world, Joanne! And thanks for the link. 😉 Looking forward to reading this story.
My pleasure, Denise. Thanks for being such an awesome editor!!
Wow how organized you are, Joanne! Such fun! I applaud your investment into this story–even tho a part of me honestly just wants to read it already, I know it will shine all the brighter for how thoroughly you are polishing it. 🙂
Thanks so much, Rachelle! I’m honored by that. 🙂 It IS an investment which is one of the reasons why I’ve been so MIA! Organization is not my strong suit so it takes a little extra effort, lol.
Wow that is SUCH a neat process. Just may have to try that when I give my Civil War novel a thorough edit one of these days.
Meghan – I’m glad you think so! And yes! I could so see you doing this for your Civil War novel. I admire you history buffs and it’s been so neat to see the pictures from your Gettysburg trips!
Your patience and steadfastness (is that a word?) are kind of amazing! How you wrap your mind around it all, I’ll never know! I’m just like…”Angels!” Orr it’s a fantasy world and I can imagine up whatever I need. Plus, Eli. He keeps my babies all in line.
Anyway…praying you get these edits finished in record time! Sounds like a fun vacation! ❤️ Did you go sledding?
Thanks for those prayers! I actually DID go sledding. Just a tiny bit with the kiddos.
I wrap my brain around it all because I get to draw with pretty colors. Other than that, I’d be lost. 😉 And I giggle every time I get to the scene of Charlie working his way through the chest of costume accessories and remember your comment. “It’s like dress up!” 😀
And sigh. Eli. ELI!!
I’m not the most organized person in a lot of things, but have proofed for several authors and my OCD tendencies always take over during the process. I’m fully engrossed in the story as I read, until I notice an error – which tends to distract me, especially spelling errors.
I’m joyfully anticipating the pleasure of reading “The Lady and the Lionheart” – your writing always touches my heart and inspires, Joanne!!
Bonnie, I may need to hire you as a beta reader! 🙂 Us authors love having those errors caught.
Thanks so much for your kind words about The Lady and the Lionheart. I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited for a book to release before. Though I should also add that I’ve never been so nervous either! 😉 The two often seem to go hand in hand!
When will book #4 of The Cadence of Grace series be available?
Hi Tina! Only three books slated for the series but something tells me you’re thinking of Toby McKee. 🙂 I’m hoping one day to be able to write his story.