Editing

How Acorns Investing App Helps Freelance Editors Plan for the Future

As a freelance novel editor, I know the importance of focusing on the finer details. Whether it’s a character arc or ensuring continuity across multiple chapters, every small effort builds toward the larger goal: a polished, compelling novel. In a similar way, small, consistent actions can have a big impact on personal finances. Enter the Acorns investing app—a tool designed for those of us who might not have a finance degree but want to secure a more stable financial future.

What is Acorns?

Acorns is a micro-investing app that allows you to invest spare change by rounding up everyday purchases to the nearest dollar. Imagine paying $2.50 for your coffee, and Acorns takes the extra $0.50, investing it into a diversified portfolio on your behalf. It’s effortless, automated, and beginner-friendly—perfect for busy freelancers like me.

How Editing and Investing Are Alike

The similarities between editing and investing through Acorns are surprising. Here are a few ways that both my work and Acorns follow the same principles:

1. Small Changes Make a Big Difference

When editing a novel, it’s the subtle shifts in tone, the slight tweaks to dialogue, and the adjustment of pacing that can turn a good story into a great one. Similarly, with Acorns, those tiny spare-change roundups—insignificant on their own—grow over time into something substantial. Consistency is key. In editing, just like in investing, it’s about focusing on the long-term result.

2. Automated Processes Save Time

Just like a well-organized editorial schedule saves me time and energy, Acorns’ automation does the same for investing. The app handles everything, from pulling funds to choosing a portfolio, allowing me to focus on what I love—helping authors perfect their stories—while my money grows quietly in the background.

3. Investing in the Future

Editing a manuscript is an investment of time and effort that ultimately pays off when the novel is ready for publication. Similarly, using Acorns is an investment in my financial future. I might not always have the stability of a 9-to-5 job or a steady paycheck as a freelancer, but with tools like Acorns, I’m creating a safety net that grows as I continue to work and grow my business.

Why Freelancers Should Consider Acorns

Freelancing comes with many uncertainties, and for many of us, retirement planning is a distant afterthought. Acorns makes it easy to invest without requiring large sums of money upfront. For someone like me who juggles multiple projects, clients, and deadlines, the app simplifies investing in a way that fits naturally into my work life.

By making small, consistent investments, freelancers can build financial security over time—just like crafting the perfect plot or helping characters come to life. Acorns is more than an app; it’s a tool that empowers freelancers to focus on their work while planning for the future.

Final Thoughts

If you’re a freelance editor, writer, or creative professional, managing both your work and finances can be a challenge. The Acorns app offers a practical, low-maintenance solution to grow your investments. Just like editing, it’s a process of refinement and small, deliberate improvements that lead to long-term rewards. It’s time to invest not only in the stories we help create, but in our own futures as well.


Cheers!

Cayla!

Editing

Polishing Your Fiction: How to Strengthen Your Plot for Maximum Impact

As a writer, you may have a cast of characters who feel authentic and real, but without a strong plot to back them up, their story can fall flat. Just like a house needs a solid foundation, your narrative needs a sturdy plot to keep your readers hooked from beginning to end. Here are some tips to strengthen your plot and elevate your story to the next level.

1. Understand the Core Conflict

At the heart of every engaging story is a central conflict. Whether it’s a struggle between good and evil, internal doubt, or a complicated relationship, this conflict drives the story forward. Make sure your main characters have something to fight for or against, and don’t be afraid to raise the stakes. Readers need a reason to root for your characters, and conflict gives them that reason.

2. Check for Plot Holes

A plot hole is any inconsistency or gap in your story that makes the reader question its believability. As you revise, carefully examine your storyline to ensure that every event makes sense within the world you’ve created. Are there any unexplained events? Does everything tie together logically? A good editor can help you spot these gaps and offer suggestions to patch them up seamlessly.

3. Pacing Matters

A well-paced plot keeps readers engaged without overwhelming them with too much action or bogging them down with too much description. Ensure that your story has a natural ebb and flow. Scenes of action or tension should be followed by moments of reflection or calm to give readers a breather. Keep an eye on sections that feel too slow—tightening those can improve your narrative’s rhythm.

4. Character Motivation Drives Plot

Your characters shouldn’t just react to the plot; their desires, fears, and goals should drive it. If your protagonist wants to achieve something, the obstacles they face will shape the plot. Ask yourself, “What do my characters want?” and “What’s stopping them from getting it?” The answers will help you fine-tune the events and twists in your story.

5. Subplots Should Support the Main Story

While subplots can add depth to your story, they should never overshadow or derail the main plot. If you have side stories that don’t enhance the central conflict or character development, consider cutting them. However, well-placed subplots can add layers to your narrative, making it richer and more complex.

6. Surprises and Twists

Predictability can kill a reader’s interest, so keep them on their toes by incorporating unexpected twists. However, make sure that these surprises are earned. A twist should feel shocking but inevitable in hindsight, not random. When done right, these moments can leave a lasting impact and make your plot memorable.

7. The Resolution Should Feel Satisfying

Once you’ve built up the tension throughout your story, it’s important to deliver a resolution that feels satisfying. That doesn’t always mean a happy ending, but it should feel fitting for the characters and the journey they’ve been on. Loose ends can frustrate readers, so make sure everything is wrapped up—or at least addressed—by the conclusion.

Final Thoughts

Creating a strong plot takes time and careful consideration, but with these tips in mind, you can shape a story that grips readers from start to finish. Remember, a solid plot enhances the depth of your characters and keeps the narrative on track. And, of course, having a skilled editor to review your work can help identify the elements that will truly make your story shine.

If you’re working on a manuscript and want feedback on how to strengthen your plot or characters, feel free to reach out to me for professional copyediting services. Together, we can bring your story to life in the most compelling way possible!

Cheers!

General Bookish

Blind Dating Adventure: Lucy and Knox Series

New chapters of Lucy and Knox’s wild, blind dating adventure are up! The first 10 chapters are always free to read!

Ever been signed up for a dating app that is actually a TV show for your college by your best friend, only to find out that it’s actually a bunch of literal blind dates where you can’t see your partner? No? Just me? I’m in my senior year of my athletic training program, doing my level-best to avoid any compromising positions with any athletes, but the world is bound and determined to push me toward the man I told my heart drop three years ago. Can I manage to protect my heart and graduate?

Tropes found:
– football romance
– Athletic trainer FMC
– Blind dating
– Sexy texting banter
– Riot of a best friend

You can find it here! Popping over and giving it a follow help small authors like me and is always appreciated!

Cheers!

Book Reviews, General Bookish

Kindle Vella

The first 11 episodes of my story are up for viewing with more on the way if anyone is interested!

As a friendly reminder, it’s a college, sports romance between a football player playboy and the true crime loving athletic training student. They both sign up for the schools dating app turned tv show, only to match despite it being forbidden by the school for them to be together.

It’s spicy. It’s a little angsty. It’s giggle inducing.

You can try it out here!