Passive Voice & Other Problems
The Wild Rose Press likes my chapters and wants to see the full manuscript after I edit out a ton of passive voice and make the hero more heroic.
Two things I learned at the conference last weekend are helping me deal with this good news in the most professional way possible. First, every editor and agent on the panel discussion, when asked “How soon should we send revisions back?” answered “A month or two. Even three. No more than three months.” Sending them back too soon shows a lack of professionalism. Like we aren’t able to take the time to really work on making the story better. Who knew???
So I am determined to find time these next several weeks to revise all that passive voice out and make my hero the most romantic man since Romeo (sans the double suicide…) despite the unnerving fact that I am so busy with my day job right now.
The second thing I learned at the conference that is helping me keep my cool right now is something Harlequin editor Charles Griemsman said. He reminded us that romance was not real life. Our heros can be more romantic than real men, in fact, they should be. So there you go. I was being way too realistic with my hero. Gotta kick his romance quotient up a notch.
What TWRP editor liked: my storyline, my heroine, and my sex scenes!! She said they were hot. I am not kidding. LOL. Who knew?
Big smile here at your news. This is so great!
A romantic hero that doesn’t have to be realitstic? Make him a good listener and a man who knows how to have a good conversation. My two cents….
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Love those suggestions Sharon. I can incorporate them right away, lol. In the very first scene the hero is not really listening to the heroine. Thanks!
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Ha! See you did have those sex scene writing talents in you after all. lol
Hope the edits go well.
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Yay! That’s so exciting! See? Your heroine rocks!!
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Funny how one editor hates her and the other loves her. It really is about finding an editor who loves your work.
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