Most modern homes have an office space or a study—a place for the owner to sit awhile and work. Our “model” home is no different. Imagine an exquisite office with built-in shelves lining one wall. The mahogany desk glistens. A stack of paper, white and empty, beckons. Pencils sit nearby, sharpened and ready.
Now think about your WIP as if you’ve just entered the “study” phase of your writing. Have you done all of your research before committing your work to paper? Are you writing a piece based on facts? If so, then you’d better have those facts right (particularly if you’re working on a historical).
There is nothing worse than finding out too late that you were mistaken about something relevant. It can be extremely embarrassing, and oftentimes rather risky, from a legal point of view. Do you belong to a critique group? Does someone you trust look over your words before you send them off to that editor?
Always seek to know more about your craft. Join a local writing group. Take an online class and continue to stay on a learning curve.
- Things to Consider:
- Researching is an animal all its own and can become consuming. Approach it wisely.
- Committing falsehood (poor historical facts, etc.) to paper can certainly diminish your credibility.
- Having an established writer look over your piece might be embarrassing if you’re a “young” author (or even an established one) but it’s far more embarrassing to have your piece rejected by an editor due to grammatical or spelling errors. More embarrassing still – having a poorly written book published for all the world to see. Take the time to make sure you’ve done your very best.
