A Changing Experience

  I'm a writer. I'm also a novelist. Generally, I write novels, although I have also written plays and poems. I've been a writer for many years. In fact, I love to write. Writing is a stress relief for me. But more recently, I am something else. 

When approaching the first draft of my nineteenth-century novel, I was primarily a storyteller. A good book often begins with a strong plotline. But it does not end there. Almost always, a novel must be revised several times before reaching perfection. 

I am a writer, but increasingly, I am also an editor. Having written several drafts of a story set in nineteenth-century England, I am also the editor of my piece. In many ways, being an editor for one's work is very different than being a writer. I shouldn't just keep passages because I wrote them. Rather, I need to look at what is best for the book, the reader, and the publishing industry. 

Liberty University's creative writing classes along with Scott Amis's suggestions, have also helped improve my writing. Indeed, I am undergoing a changing experience. I don't just want to merely write good stories. I want to edit them until they read well. Although I've edited some of my novels in the past, I am learning more about the art of editing as well as the process of finding a literary agent, an editor, and getting a book published. 

Writers ought not to rely on the literary agent or professional editor to only edit. Before seeking publication, the writer should seek to perfect their work as much as possible.