Today I have the immense pleasure of having one of my favorite historical romance authors on my blog–Joanne Bischof! (Insert wild applause here). Not only is Joanne a phenomenal writer, she’s also one of the sweetest people I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. Read along with us today as we share how our novels evolved throughout the editing process.
Take it away Joanne…
Katie Ganshert and I have something in common. We’re both blonde and skinny. Ok, totally joking. I’m not blonde nor all that skinny. BUT what we do have in common is that we are both published with the same publishing house which means we work with the same group of editors on our books.
I’ve read both Katie’s books and she’s a phenomenal writer (oh now, Joanne, you’re making me blush) and one of the joys of this writing journey is getting to encourage and be encouraged by writing friends during the publishing process. Katie and I have both had the privilege of working with Shannon Marchese and the editing team at WaterBrook Multnbomah. Now, I’ll tell you, they’re quite a team. They challenge us as writers in ways that at times feel impossible, but it never is impossible and always, the stories on the other end are remarkably stronger than they were to begin with.
Katie and I got to meet up in St. Louis for coffee in June (along with the SWEET Dani Pettry!) as we were gearing up for the Christys that night. While there, Katie and I swapped notes on the editing process. She shared with me some of the changes she’d made to Wildflowers from Winter and Wishing on Willows and I got to tell her all the things I’d done to the books in the Cadence of Grace series, particularly Be Still My Soul, to try and make it a better book. So below, just for fun, we’re going to share a few of those changes that—thanks to the editing process—really did make these books stronger.
Be Still My Soul
1. Gideon wasn’t quite as naughty in the early drafts as he was in the book that landed on shelves. I know! His character wasn’t as well defined as it could have been, so I actually got to ogre-fy him a bit more, which made working with him quite challenging, but also super fun. And it paved the way for the rest of the series, as he now had a whole lot of growing up to do.
2. A few characters ended up being deleted throughout the story. Lonnie had a best friend in the first scene of the book and having her in on the opening conversation just made it all too crowded. So off she went. Sorry, Lonnie. No best friend for you.
3. One of my editors told me, “You do realize there are three Henry’s in this book.” Seriously!? Yikes. I need to get more creative with names. One of those Henry’s got a name change to Hollis, Gideon’s ornery friend who’s the son of a moonshiner. I always enjoy looking for names that are both old-fashioned and also from the Appalachian region, so when I stumbled upon Hollis, I knew it was the perfect name. And a great way to have one less Henry!
4. One of the areas I struggled with early on was having good character motivations. Part of that was the evidence for why Lonnie’s Pa was just so bad. Thanks to my editor’s advice, I wove in a bit of his backstory that gave his character more depth, and hinted at the reasoning’s as to why he’d be the one wielding the shotgun when it came to Lonnie and Gideon’s unwanted marriage.
5. Another thing my editors pointed out was the need to have hints as to what was to come in Though My Heart is Torn. Readers will recognize a familiar character in the first chapter of Be Still My Soul. She wasn’t there in the early manuscript and my editors wanted her present in a few places, so reader’s would have the chance to meet her before the big uh-oh in book 2.
Katie here.
I don’t know about you, but I find it fascinating to hear how a book changes from its original form to the completed, printed version (maybe it’s the weird writer in me). Like Joanne, my books have undergone a lot of changes–both big and small. Here are just a few.
Wildflowers from Winter & Wishing on Willows
1. In the original version of Wildflowers from Winter, there was only one first-person point-of-view scene told from Bethany’s perspective, and that was the prologue. My editors noted that the prologue, while strong, felt orphaned. Shannon came up with the brilliant idea of adding 6-7 additional first-person Bethany scenes throughout the novel. Which not only served to make the prologue less orphaned, but my main character, Bethany, more sympathetic.
2. In Wishing on Willows, there were zero first-person point-of-view scenes. But since they were so well-received by readers, we decided to add them in, prologue and all!
3. In Wildflowers from Winter, the hero, Evan Price, was much more antagonistic toward Bethany, which made their romance a bit on the unbelievable side. My editor suggested I tone him down and add in some sweet Bethany-Evan scenes (as opposed to all the high-conflict ones). This resulted in the addition of my two all-time favorite scenes in the novel–the snowy-nighttime-creek scene and the swing-dance scene.
4. Originally in Wishing on Willows, Ian McKay’s father was the third point-of-view character. My editor pointed out that this made the book very Ian-heavy. And since the majority of readers would be picking up the book to read Robin’s story, this had to change. So bye-bye Ian’s dad and hello Amanda Price, Robin’s sister-in-law. Every scene from her point-of-view was added in during the editing process.
5. I first wrote Wishing on Willows many years ago, when my son was an itty-bitty baby. I didn’t know what almost-four-year old boys were like. One of my editorial notes had to do with Caleb, Robin Price’s almost-four-year old son. To put it plainly, he lacked a personality. I needed to bring him to life. Thankfully, my itty-bitty baby was now an almost-four-year old boy himself. So I basically wrote Brogan’s personality into the book. If you’ve met Caleb in Wishing on Willows, you’ve essentially met my B-man.
Have you ever wondered what the editing process is like? Or if you’re a writer, what part of the editing process has surprised you?
Thanks for visiting us on the “A Book For Every Reader” blog tour! Leave a comment below to be entered to win not one but TWO books! One of Joanne’s and one of mine. Also, to enter in the grand giveaway prize which includes some country goodies and an e-reader, simply hop on over and fill out the entry form.
You’ll also find the official details. Winners will be drawn on September 28th and contacted via email. Thank you for joining us!
Christy Award-finalist and author of The Cadence of Grace series, Joanne Bischof has a deep passion for Appalachian culture and writing stories that shine light on God’s grace and goodness. She lives in the mountains of Southern California with her husband and their three children. When she’s not weaving Appalachian romance, she’s blogging about faith, folk music, and the adventures of country living that bring her stories to life.
I enjoyed reading about the edits you ladies have made; it’s interesting to think of how a story evolves.
I’ve read Wildflowers from Winter and Wishing on Willows — loved them both! I haven’t read Joanne’s books, but I plan to change that very soon! Thanks for the chance to win. 🙂
I always knew there was more to writing a book then just sitting down and writing one. Guess that may be one of the easier steps 😉
Fun to hear how a lot of changes come about. Thanks for sharing.
Great interview!!! Thanks for sharing your insights.Thank you for the opportunity to win.
I love to read and don’t have any talent to write!! Thank you for explaining how much work goes into the editing process. It sounds like you have to really enjoy the process both the good & bad. I really look forward to reading your books they will be on my to read list. Thanks!
No, I’ve not given much thought to the writing /editing process because I don’t intend to be a writer…I do love reading though.
Thanks so much for this amazing giveaway!
I haven’t read any of your books Katie, but I would love too. They sound very interesting. I also love blog hops.
Would love to win one of Joanne’s books. I haven’t had the chance to read her’s yet. I have read Wild Flowers in Winter and Wishing on Willows. Absolutely loved them!
I need to add your books to my wishlist. They sound like great reads! I really appreciate all of the time you guys put into writing these wonderful books. I am not creative in my writing but sure do enjoy reading.
I’ve always that I’d be a good editor because I love to read so much. Thanks for filling in the details. Would love to read these books.
There is soooo much involved in the putting together of a great book! Thanks for opening our eyes!
Hi Katie and Joanne, I really enjoyed reading what you two wrote re editing etc. ! I was LOL all the time! I think you two were having fun writing that! :)Wow, it would be hard to throw out a character you had feelings for! i guess what the editor says you do! LOL I love this enter to win with all different authors because you can meet the diffrent authors and you get to know their type of writing ,buy their books and become a blog member and and a newsletter member besides a reader! I love that part now i know four more authors to get to know and buy their books!I love Christian books especially with a God’s message! I can’t wait to read both your books! have a great day and it has been a pleasure meeting you two!I am a book freak and more importantly a Jesus Lover so i can’t wait to read your books! I love both of your websites and the covers of your books! see I use Love like Joanne used Henry’s name! I just noticed that! see your writing has already helped me! LOL Have a great night, I guess it’s getting later!it’s been a pleasure! Peace be with You!
Love, Your sister in Christ,
Darlene Lindstrom
I love learning about the editing process for books. It’s always made my stronger. Funny how I can think I’ve written the best book I can and then my editor will push to make it better yet.
This was a blast! I love reading about the editing process and the whole before/after! Plus, I just love you guys!
This was so fun to read! As an aspiring author, it was also helpful in giving a peek at the editing process. Thanks for sharing, ladies! 🙂
How fun to see some of the editing process. I would love to have the opportunity t win these books. Thanks for sharing and keep writing great stories for us, your readers!
Vicki
Thanks for drawing back the veil and letting us see a little of the behind the scenes of the creative process. I helps me to enjoy the end results even more. Three characters named Henry? Might have made for an interesting time for readers trying to keep tract of who was who.
Thanks for the opportunity for the great giveaway.
I find it so fascinating to get the back story on an author’s writing process, especially when it includes a “what-if” type scenario or explores further with a character. But I prefer to have read the book first so I don’t get any accidental spoilers.
Thanks for the chance to win!
Beth
Thank you for sharing the process you are going through.
Hey, Katie and Joanne,
Finally getting over here to say how MUCH I loved this blog post — SOOO fun to get a glimpse at the before and after of a book!!
And, Joanne, THREE HENRY’S???? I don’t know which is worse — that or giving one character three different names throughout the course of the book, which I actually did!! Fortunately for me, I have an excellent copy editor … 😉
And Joanne — “the big uh-oh in book 2,” indeed!! The one that sent me to the medicine cabinet for sleep aids!! My Hope is Found is burning a hole in my TBR, and it’s up next — cannot wait!! Oh, and I’ll be sure to be stocked up on sleep aids … 😉
Katie, I LOVED Wishing on Willows as you know, so how fun to see the edits you made, my friend, making an already fabulous book the very best it can be!!
Hugs,
Julie
I not only wonder about the editing process but about what all goes into writing a book period. I know it’s a lot of work and it takes a real talent and passion. That’s why I am always quick to show my appreciation to authors. They give to me so generously in the stories I love so I give back by letting the world know how much I love them. This is such a generous giveaway and I thank you so much for it!
Blessings,
Wanda
Katie, your books sound wonderful. I’m looking forward to reading about B-Man!! Wow, as a reader I had no idea what the editing process is like!
I would be delighted to win one of your books as well as one of Joanne’s.
Blessings!
Judy B
Yes, I HAVE wondered what was involved in the editing process, & I found it all very fascinating! I’m also wondering – are the editors authors, themselves, or is their input strictly learned from classes/books?
I would LOVE to read both of these books – thanks Joanne, & Katie, for the chance to win a copy of your book!
bonnieroof60(at)yahoo(dot)com
P.S. Another question: with all the changes made in the editing process, are you ever disappointed – or think that the book has been changed so much that it seems foreign & doesn’t say what you originally meant for it to say, to the reader?
bonnieroof60(at)yahoo(dot)com
great question Bonnie. So far I haven’t run into that. But I do laugh at myself because as I read the final drafts, I think “who put that in my manuscript!?” and I’ll go back and check my original version and realize that I did! I guess we writers forget sometimes what we were trying to say. 😉
I would love to learn more about editing. Writing s on my list to do. Would love to read your book and thank you for being part of an awesome hi giveaway.
Linda Finn
Good gravy this was fun! I just LOVED reading all the comments!
Thanks for sharing the process. It was exciting to read about the changes and how it enriched the story afterwards. This will be an exciting week.
Katie and Joanne,
I would like to replace my ARC copy of each of your last novel with a signed final copy! Yes indeedy. Blessings on you two special people as you prepare the next novels of yours I will be reading. Enjoyed reading you both together here! Kathleen ~ Lane Hill House
Thank you ladies for sharing and this opportunity!
It was interesting to see how your books changed. Thanks for sharing that with us and also for giving away copies of your books.
I would love to win the books
Loved reading how the books have changed from the original to published. I love hearing the behind the scene stories.
Thank you for sharing.
I am such a book junkie!
It is my favorite thing to do.
I read for hours in the evening once the kids are in bed. Nothing else to do with my husband working such long hours.
Give me a book anyday over a T.V.
My only fear is if someone looks at my non-English words and gets all “this is weird?” what is this???
But, I’m looking forward to the challenge. 😀
Very interesting. Love to hear more.
What a wonderful blog – I have read both the books you were talking about so it was fun to see how they changed during the editing process. It also shows me (a plain old reader) how hard it really is to write a book. So, I thank you both tremendously for working so hard for my reading pleasure!
So interesting to see the development of your novels, since I’ve read at least one from both of you (others tbr very soon) AND since we work with the same editing team. I underscore all you said about Shannon’s Serious Ninja Editing Skills.
It is always fun to learn more about authors and their books. Thank you for the chance to win one.
Wow!! That was a great read. I had no idea so many changes could be made to your original manuscript. Loved hearing how you both worked to mold and shape some of the characters, plots, etc.. more. Can’t wait to read each entry everyday!! Thanks ladies and thanks for this opportunity to win more great reads.
God bless,
Kristie
Thanks Katie. It was enjoyable to see a glimpse of your editing process that leads to such wonderful reading.
Hi Katie and Joanne!
Loved this post! It’s so neat to see what types of changes occur in the editing process! It encourages me!
I’m currently in a major edit/rewrite of my first novel. The hardest part for me has been in keeping straight what I’ve taken out, put in and have forgotten to write in. lol.
It’s all in my head, so it’s hard to know what’s actually made it on the page. I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in this.
Thanks for sharing! 🙂
You definitely aren’t alone! A novel can start to feel awfully unwieldy in the midst of the editorial process, that is for sure!
I always enjoy reading behind the scenes of other authors. Looking forward to reading books by both of you!
From one Katie to another, I ope you enjoy them!
Loved hearing the inside scoop from both of you! Thanks so much for sharing:)
Thanks for sharing. I am at the very beginning of just trying to write!
Julia
Such an interesting post. Really neat to see how much a book changes from the beginning to the end. Thank you so much for sharing!
I’m enjoying reading all these comments too! Thanks everyone!! Katie, thanks so much for having me and for sharing your five tidbits. They were so fun to read. 🙂
Thanks for the chance to win!
I love these contests that Julie Lessman and friends have !! It gives me the opportunity to be introduced to inspirational authors that I otherwise would not be aware of. I always check out their websites and their books.
Thanks so much !!
Love reading all the comments, ladies! So glad you’ve enjoyed seeing a glimpse into our editorial notes!
Would love to win – thanks!
Thank you for the opportunity. I will be adding both of you to my reading list. Julie Lessman was my first venture into this genre and it keeps growing.
I also enjoy about hearing the different areas the book could have gone, it is so like make choices in life and the outcomes could be different.
I sure hope you enjoy our novels, Renae! Julie Lessman is FABULOUS!
How fun to hear! Thanks for sharing, Katie and Joanne!
Thanks for being here, Julie!
That was very enjoyable. I’m not a writer :), I say that with a big grin because not only do I talk in circles, I write in circles; grocery lists, to do lists, everything!
Thank you ladies for always sharing and giving us a glimpse of “behind the scenes”.
Melody, thanks for your sweet comment! Even though you’re not a writer, you are a very valued READER!! 🙂
Great post. Really interesting reading how these books came to be. Would really love to win one of your books Katie. And I really want a copy of My Hope is Found, since I am giving away my ARC copy on my blog. 🙂
God bless, ladies!
debsbunch5[at]jesusanswers[dot]com
Debbie, so great to see you here!
Editing is hard because it means you have to let go of some of your words, and for a writer, words are precious. Loving the opportunity to win some reading material for the forecasted long winter!
YES! I’m in the throes of editing my third novel now and already have lost 5K words. It’s a little hard to watch the word count go down….but I keep reminding myself that it makes for a tighter read.
Oh I agree. Letting go of those words can be hard! Thanks for visiting with us, Michelle!
How interesting! I’ve known the editing process was more than checking for spelling and grammatical errors but this was the first I’ve read such detail. Thanks for the insight. I’ll have to re-read one of the books now and think about what it would have been like in it’s original form. I can watch for these differences when I read the other two.
Thanks again.
So glad you enjoyed it Tammi! Yeah – it’s pretty crazy how a book evolves and ALWAYS (even when I want to pull out my hair) it’s better after editorial revisions!
Katie, I can relate to that!
Tammi, so glad you enjoyed the post!
Great interview!!! Loved it…you both are funny! I wish I was blond and skinny…well, not blond just skinny! Ummm, in my dreams! LOL…it is all the reading with chocolate that does it all the time! 🙂
Ah, yes…..CHOCOLATE is a must. It’s way better than being skinny. 🙂
YES! Reading and Chocolate are both musts!
Wow wish I was skinny and blonde! I would even get brown hair but be skinny. LOL. I loved this blog’
Diana
joeym11@frontier.com
LOL, Diana 🙂 🙂
Love this post! I wish more authors would share this process.
It also gives my inner Hermione Granger perfectionist hope that my books can be bought even if there are some changes like this!
Oh yes, for sure Laurie!! If you saw the difference between the Wishing on Willows I turned in to my editor and the one that hit shelves, you might not even recognize it!
So glad you enjoyed it, Laurie! As a writers it’s always fun to get those inside looks 🙂
I become friends with a lot author s on Facebook .l would like to get some more books to read
Good morning, Connie! Great to see you here.
I haven’t wondered about the editing process till i become friends with so authors on facebook, i see now it takes lots of time.I admire the ones doing it, and love the fact that soon a new book will be out.
I’m the same way, Shirley — love that it means those new books are coming out. 🙂
🙂
Hi Susan!
The only editing I’m familiar with is when I was an Office Manager for NASA and had to read everything that was written and was going out of the office. That meant that every “t” had to be properly crossed and every “i” dotted not the mention ensuring that dates, places, etc. were exact. However, I realize that editing a book is quite different and I must say that my hat is off to editors who have this job. It’s a lot of responsibility and I admire them.
Connie,
My hats off to you for that work! You must have had to be so diligent!
I loved reading what was brought in/taken out of the books! What a fun insight. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
lattebooks at hotmail dot com
So glad you enjoyed it, Susan! 🙂
Fascinating, ladies! Thanks for sharing this. As a writer, I’m loving the sneak peek inside the mind of an editor. 🙂
Sarah, I’m so glad! It was great to get to visit with you in Indy!
I’m not a writer, so I haven’t wondered to much about the editing process, but I would guess it’s a very large part of the process as a whole!
Thanks for sharing your insights with us the readers!
Patty, it truly is such a large part of the process. Editors are the key to a book being it’s best, I think. Thanks for visiting with Katie and I!
It’s so fun to get a glimpse into the editing process of other writers. Books do change from idea to rough draft and all along the rewriting process. And I love the input of others — my Preferred Readers, my husband, my mentors, my editors — because they see things I don’t. As I like to say, “The EYES have it.”
Well said Beth 🙂 The “Eyes” do have it! It’s invaluable, isn’t it? We can only see so much of our own stories and that second opinion is often just the thing a book needs.
I loved this behind-the-scence look at the editing process of these two wonderful books! Fascinating to read about the process and some of the changes that were made! You both have AMAZING talents for writing and I thank you for sharing those talents with the world.
texaggs2000 at gmail dot com
Glad you enjoyed it Brittany! Thanks so much for your sweet words!
Oooh, LOVED LOVED LOVED this post by you two skinny blondes! Grin. I am too, actually…NOT. Anyway. Really loved the behind-the-scenes and it truly goes to show that a good editor is worth his/her weight in GOLD. I have been SO impressed with all the Waterbrook books I’ve read…you know I am a fan (of both of you gals!).
Heather, You’re awesome. Editors really are worth their weight in Gold! Katie and I are so blessed to get to work with Shannon as she is phenomenal. I’ll be curious to learn about your own editing experience! God’s Daughter was so great!
You ladies ROCK!!! Thank you so much for sharing!!!
Thanks Robin! It was fun to do this with Katie! 🙂