Smoothing Out the Writing

A librarian, who doesn't usually like historical or inspirational fiction read Cleared for Planting, and left the following review on amazon:

Let me start by saying I am not a fan of historicals or inspirational fiction but.... This was one of the best books I have read in a very long time. The writing in this book was so smooth... I actually felt that I was there when I was reading the story. I can hardly wait for book 2, If you love historicals and inspirationals this is the book for you....you will be hooked and like me patiently waiting for #2. Thank you Janice for a heartfelt wonderful story very well written.

This got me to thinking. What had I done to make this reviewer feel it was one of the best books she'd read in a very long time? As you can see, she went on to say the writing was so smooth that she actually felt she was in the story. This was music to my ears. As I tell everyone, I'm too close to my books to have any perspective, so I have no idea how to rate them. I depend on my readers for that.

The things mentioned in this review are ones all good writers strive for. I've thought about this for several days, and this is what I came up with. First, I keep rereading and editing a manuscript time and time again. I look for awkward, stilted, or hard to understand sentences, and I change each one I find. I want readers to get lost in the story, and they can't do that if they have to pause to figure out something. If they start paying too much attention to the writing itself, then they're yanked out of living with the characters. I didn't keep count, but I know I must have read and reworked Cleared for Planting at least 20 - 30 times. Persistence and tenaciousness are important writing skills, and hard work can rectify many faults. Some of the self-published books I've read have been released before they were ready, and I don't want to make that mistake.

It's also important to find the right balance between descriptions, details, dialogue, and what the characters are thinking. When a writer gets this right, the reader is pulled into the story and cares deeply about the main characters. That's when a book becomes special; that's what I try to achieve. Only my readers can tell me if I succeed.

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