Writing Wednesday: Emotions

 

Writing Wednesday

Emotions

Forgive me if I have written about this before, but it is very on my mind for the last week. Yeah, emotions are a significant part of writing.

I am talking about writing, so your reader feels emotion and the writing business’s emotional side.

We all know the old adage, “No tears for the writer, No Tears for the reader.” When people read my book, I hope they get the same feelings I did when I wrote it. The best we can do is make sure these parts hit us, and they should hit the reader.

Since I began writing, there have been different emotions associated with it. Pride, excitement, nervousness, uncertainty, euphoria, anger, the list goes on.

The day I was told my edits would be done, I waited all day to receive them. Finally, there was an email from the edit team but no attachment. So, my excitement turned to uncertainty, then finally to anger. In the end, it was an accounting mistake, but they told me I still owed them and they would not release my edits until I paid.

About an hour later, the owner called me and told me things were straightened out, and he found the problem. I had sent them copies of my payments, so I was still good. We spoke for about an hour, and he told me the edits would be sent over shortly. Well, it was already 10:00 pm, so I went to bed.

I woke up at 2:30 or 3:00 am and decided to check my email; YES, my edits were there. I hopped out of bed and turned on my computer, so I could get going on them. I read the editor’s notes a couple of times, and my excitement went from the top of the world to sea level in a matter of seconds. Yeah, I was a little upset at what she had said. But, I put my ego in check and took her advice. We shall see if the readers like how I changed things.

That day was a Thursday, and by the time I clocked in at my day job, I had already had 5 cups of coffee and nothing to eat. Valerie got me to sneak off with her for breakfast, and I was soooo tired. I had already been up for like 6 hours. I had two more cups of coffee too.

My emotions were all over that day. But, I think the most significant part of that day was I put my ego away and listened. After my edits were done and the proofread was finished, the editor told me she was delighted I had listened to her advice. She said many authors ignore them and go with the flaws. I feel that is a major problem for some people. They think they have produced the next great genre-defining work, but they ignore the person who is the expert when they are told differently.

My roller coaster ride of emotions during the proofread was crazy. I heard very little from the editor while she double checked things. I did hear from her at Christmas, and she said it was going well. So, the whole time I was very anxious and curious. WTF is going on?

I read a post from a fellow Romance writer. She was talking about depression and writing. I can see how this can get to be an awful thing. There can be a good deal of waiting for your works to be reviewed and returned. Then you have the criticism of your work.

Don’t forget there are many of us out here who have gone through it, so talk to us. Don’t let yourself get troubled.

All of us, indie authors, are in this together. We can and will get past anything that bothers us!

Now back to our readers. Remember to shock them. Make them feel what is happening. If you can cry, or feel angry, or scared when write, the reader will too.