Becca Leigh - Book Coach & Developmental Editor

Yesterday I wandered a cherry blossom dream, had the most delicious cardamom chai and mushroom biscuits and gravy, and finally got to see the Suzallo Library Reading Room in all its majesty. 🌸☕📚

I'm back! 😄 I'm slowly getting back into the swing of things after a much-needed winter break.

I spent this last weekend showing a dear friend around more of the Seattle area. It was so wonderful to be with her and my other close friends and to visit the beach multiple times. 💜

How did you spend these last couple weeks?

How will readers experience your story?

We’re often too close to our own work to know how readers may experience it. It’s part of the curse of knowledge, but! Getting a second set of eyes on your work can help break that curse. 🪄

It’s an honor to be an outside perspective for authors, and I loved getting to work on Geneva’s book! 😄 Like she says in her testimonial, I’m all about making your work the best it can be! 🌟

And it’s so awesome to see the confidence and excitement in my authors’ eyes as we chat about their revision ideas on our coaching call at the end of a developmental edit! 😍 Direction and confidence are the end goals.

If you have a book ready for story-level revisions and you’d love supportive, constructive feedback, you should get on my calendar! 😄 Visit this link to apply for a developmental edit or manuscript evaluation: https://beccaleighauthor.com/editing-services/

Which one makes you want to keep reading?

"He smiled."

"His smile turns the ground into waves beneath her. 'Keep your wits, Dinatris.' If anyone's knees should be going weak, they're his, dash it." (Nightbirds by Kate J. Armstrong)

This is an excellent example of how you can pack so much meaning into something like a description of a smile.

✍️ We see how his smile affects her both physically and emotionally (interiority).

✍️ We imagine how charming his smile must be (description).

✍️ We see her belief about herself (characterization).

This isn’t something you need to worry about doing all the time when you’re writing your first draft. (Note: And I’m not saying to make every “he smiled” fancy. Sometimes it can just be “he smiled.”)

But when you’re doing story edits, it’s the perfect time to weave in these details that bring more meaning and nuance. 📚✨ These are the details that bring a story and characters to life for readers.

I highlight these opportunities for my authors when doing a developmental edit on their books. 🌟 I like to ask questions and offer suggestions that spark ideas for them!

That’s often all it takes for them to find a way to enrich their story. 😄💡

Ready to have my eyes on your book? 👀 Message me!

Testimonials like this make my day! 🥹🥰⁠
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I love hearing that I've helped authors find ways to remedy plot holes, make their story flow, and strengthen character arcs. And to know that my authors have gained clarity and encouragement makes me even happier! 😄⁠
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This is why I do what I do. 💜 This is what makes being a developmental editor so fun and rewarding!⁠
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If you want to work with an editor who will ⁠care deeply about your story and characters and whose goal is to help you take your book to a new level, let's talk about working together! 😄 Fill out the form at this link to book a free video chat to see if we're a great fit: https://portal.beccajohnsoncreative.com/public/form/view/620711df66fb6fe10c0f34a9

Do readers misunderstand your story’s main character?⁠
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A big part of making your readers relate with your main character is helping them understand them.⁠ 🌟 How do they feel about a plot development? What do they want and why? How do they relate with the other characters?⁠
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While there are many elements that come together to help your readers understand and relate with your character, let’s focus on one here.⁠ 🕵️‍♀️⁠
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Including one physical reaction or internal sensation may not make things clear enough.⁠ For example, a smile can mean a lot of things.⁠ 🙂⁠
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They could be smiling because they’re happy, wistful, angry, amused, smug, or something else.⁠
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To make things clear so the reader can understand them, consider what other signals pair with the smile.⁠ ✨ What else can the character feel, do, say, or think to clarify what emotion they’re feeling?⁠
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If you weave these signals throughout the story and pair them well, your character’s experience will become so compelling. 😍 Your reader will relate with them.⁠
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Want a developmental editor to help make sure your character isn’t misunderstood?⁠ 📚✨ Fill out the form at this link for a free coffee chat to see if we’re a great fit: https://portal.beccajohnsoncreative.com/public/form/view/620711df66fb6fe10c0f34a9

A main character's arc of change is truly the core of a story.⁠
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If they don't change, if they don't make choices, if there aren't consequences to their choices, is it even a story? Or is it just a list of things that happened?⁠ 📃⁠
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I believe that a character's change (for better or worse) is what speaks to us. 💜 It's the part that really sticks with us long after we've forgotten the details of the plot.⁠
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I just finished a book that shows four different ways to shape and show a main character's arc of change. 🌊 It's The Isles of the Gods by Amie Kaufman, and it had some powerful moments where each character's change made a huge impact on themselves, each other, and their world. ⚡⁠
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And what's even cooler is that it's the first in a duology. Sometimes authors worry that if they let their MC change too much in the first book, there will be nowhere for them to go in the next book. But there is! 😄⁠
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There's always room for your character to grow and change more in subsequent stories. 🌿 I would argue it adds extra layers and depth to the sequel. 😍⁠
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So, there's your assigned reading from me. 😜 Read this book to study how the author writes believable, compelling arcs of change for their characters.⁠
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Have you read a book you recommend people study in order to pull this off?⁠ 📚⁠ Share in the comments!