Guest Post and Giveaway: Rogue Magic by Kit Brisby

Please join us in welcoming author Kit Brisby to TNA today, on the tour for her new novel, Rogue Magic. Kit’s here to talk about the revision and editing process, and is also offering a great giveaway, so be sure to check out the details below.

Welcome, Kit!

Editing and Revising Tips

When I was a wee baby aspiring author many years ago, I thought revising meant having someone spell-check your work. Really. I can’t think of much as utterly cringeworthy as that now that I understand what goes into writing a book.

It isn’t just the author’s time. Every book has a tremendous support system around it. The people in the author’s life who make room and space for them to work and vent and cry and create. The professionals who edit and market and plan and proof. The artist who distills a story into a beautiful work of art for the cover. The peers who critique and read and bounce ideas. Every book has an ecosystem around it.

Pretty amazing, right?

None of that can happen without dedication on the author’s part. A commitment. A willingness to pursue the craft of writing far beyond exorcising that first draft that demands to be flung onto the page. That part is about determination. Hitting a word count consistently. Refusing to give in to the lizard brain voice that says the draft is garbage…

After all of that, once an author has a blob of words on paper, the hard work comes in. Editing and revising.

Everyone has a different method, but you need to find the right people to support you. Most people lean on a team. For you, that might be a trusted CP or a whole stable of readers. It might be outlining or using post-it notes. You might follow a general structure or line up your story on a beat sheet. There’s no wrong or right way as long as you find a path that gives you space to pick apart your story and refine it.

For many, a cooling off period is necessary. Others want to dive into revisions the day after finishing a first draft. Follow your gut. (I recommend cooling off a bit and reading your draft on a Kindle or tablet.) 

Give yourself a deadline. If you don’t, it’s too easy to focus your efforts elsewhere. And sure, your house needs to be cleaned and you need to eat, but without a pressing deadline, you could shift the balance of your determination to something other than the beast of a book that needs to be tamed. Your deadline doesn’t need to require you to sacrifice every ounce of free time, but it should keep you on your toes. 

Don’t be afraid to cut huge swaths of your story. It hurts. It hurts a lot. But if your gut says cut, you need to trim that gristle and reveal the true meat. You can always build your wordcount back up. And now that you have a better handle on your characters and theme, what you add will be much more solid. 

Watch your crutch words. My top crutch word is just, but I have plenty more. Run a find all, highlight them, and go through your manuscript and annihilate them. An editor can help you find your repetitive crutch words, but there are others that almost everyone uses. Do some research and eliminate that filler from your manuscript. 

Reward yourself! This is work no matter how much you may enjoy it at times. Allow yourself time to despair and give yourself a concrete reward when you make progress. Comfort yourself in knowing every book you’ve ever loved has caused the author some level of absolute agony. Eventually you’ll get to the brilliant part where it’s the best book it can be.

About the Book

While trapped in a stalled subway train on his morning commute, PR rep Byron Cole flirts with Levi, a young waiter with adorable curls. But Byron’s hopes for romance crash and burn when Levi saves him from a brutal explosion—with outlawed magic.

When Levi is imprisoned, Byron begins to question everything he’s ever believed. How can magic be evil when Levi used it to save dozens of lives? So Byron hatches a plan to save Levi that will cost him his job and probably his life. If he doesn’t pull it off, Levi will be put to death.

Byron discovers that he isn’t the only one questioning America’s stance on magic. And he learns that Levi is stubborn, angry, and utterly enchanting. Time is running out, though. Byron must convince Levi to trust him, to trust his own magic, and to fight against the hatred that’s forced him to hide his true nature his entire life. The more Levi opens up, the harder Byron falls. And the more they have to lose.

Now available from Riptide Publishing

About the Author

Kit Brisby lives in Tampa Bay, Florida, with her two young sons and two rescue dogs. A graduate of the University of Florida, she’s been writing professionally since 2002. Her career has taken her from writing think pieces on breastfeeding to writing erotica for the adult industry—and nearly everything in between. She works in digital marketing and helps businesses find and tell their stories.

Kit is always trying to find balance between working full-time, revisiting or writing books every night, and modeling badass behavior to her two boys. Sometimes the lure of Tumblr interferes with all of that balancing. She’s just old enough to still be utterly enchanted by animated gifs.

A single mom and aspiring yogi, Kit is open about her struggles with anxiety and the importance of self-care. She also advocates for neurodiversity and acceptance of those on the autism spectrum. Few things get her as riled up as bisexual erasure.

Though she lives in the South, Kit is a NYC girl at heart, and makes a point of traveling to the city as often as she can to catch a few shows and eat as much ramen as humanly possible.

She reads avidly, and gravitates toward historical queer romance and young adult fantasy, especially when the stakes are high. She’s a fan of awkward first dates unless she’s participating in them, and is outspoken about embracing kink and sex positivity.

Connect with Kit: Website || Twitter @kitbrisby

The Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Rogue Magic, one lucky winner will receive a yoga mat from Kit and a $15 Riptide credit! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on February 4, 2017. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!