Thoughtful Thursdays: Note to Self

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This Thursday, I’m doing something a little different. My thoughts on my own writing, you might say.

I’ve been reading through my main manuscript this week and, since I haven’t touched it all summer, I’m kind of detached from it. In some ways, it’s almost like reading someone else’s work: I see it with new eyes, and these new eyes find numerous new problems. While it is horrifying to see all the stupid mistakes that slipped past my radar, it’s also kind of funny, mostly because I write little notes to myself as I edit.

Fun fact: I can be painfully sarcastic. While I’d never make these comments about anyone else’s writing, I’m free to be mean to myself because I’m the only one to hate me for it. Besides, it makes editing fun. Someday soon, when I am no longer detached, completely attached, and yet utterly loathe anything to do with the words Sketchy Moments (current title of my manuscript), I’ll read the notes, and they’ll make me smile. These good-natured ribs from my past self will help me endure the editing when I’d rather pick a callus than peek at another paragraph.

So for the actual “thoughts” part of my Thoughtful Thursday, I thought I’d share a few of my thoughts on my writing with you guys; let you in on the inside jokes before I dive into editing for real:

Beside some painfully awkward passages: “Cheese. So much cheese.” and “... really?”

I don’t even like batman, but I thought this one up anyway: “Why so cliché?”

Beside paragraphs where I told more than I showed: “Well, OBVIOUSLY. Be less tell-y about it, will you?,” “Telling again, *judgmental eyebrow*” and “TELL LESS YOU DUNCEBUCKET. JUST SHOW HIM DOING IT AND THE READER WILL FIGURE IT OUT.”

And this one requires no explanation: “Your people do a lot of winking. Is there something in their eyes?”

Of course, I’ll eventually have to fix all these problems...

Oh well. Do you guys make funny comments like this during your editing process?