The idea for today’s post came from Robin Bielman’s blog. She’s going to be in L.A. Mitchell’s blog carnival on Wednesday. The theme is time, and Robin asked for ideas. I started to comment and as I finished the third paragraph, I realized I had my blog for today. This was something I’d been thinking about even before reading Robin’s blog. Below are the first three paragraphs I pulled from Robin’s comments. Anything after that, I’m winging it.
Time to send or time to wait or time to pet the cat. No, no, not the last one, though she’s crawling all over me. (Five minutes later, the cat is gone. So, it was time to pet the cat after all.)
My manuscript is finished. I revised it twice — plus revisions as I wrote it — before sending to CPs and a beta reader. I got it back from one CP and changed per her suggestions. My other CP finished the first hundred pages. Same thing. I have the beta reader’s critique and need to go through it. But when I’m done, I still won’t be ready to query. I’ll print it out and give it one last read-through to make sure the corrections didn’t cause more problems, even though everything in me is clamoring to send it NOW.
Plus, I have the characters from my next book whispering in my mind. They want their story told. I know once you’ve sold and have a deadline, it’s different. You send it in to make the deadline, and editors don’t expect it to be perfect — though I’m sure they’d love it. But if you haven’t sold yet, I think it’s best to iron out possible problems before sending it out. I’m not talking about perfect grammar or a few awkward sentences, but hitches that might make the agent or editor stop reading, with puzzled frowns on their faces as they wonder if that would really happen. Since I’m writing a paranormal, I have some weird stuff going on and I don’t want anyone stopping.
So, I’m practicing the one thing I hate most about this business. Patience.
I know some writers who read their book aloud. I can’t do that. It would take too long, and I don’t have that much patience. Others just read dialogue out loud. I don’t do that, either, though I do hear the voices in my head. Some writers read the book backwards to catch problems. I’m sure that would work, but the idea of doing that gives me same feeling as doing my taxes.
What do you do when you reach this stage? Send it out or do the extra read like I’m doing? Or do you do even more reads?
Hmm, I’m not sure. I do edit my books a lot, but I also am very impatient and send it out as soon as I can. The best thing for me to do is set something aside, work on something new, and then go back to the old with new eyes. But yeah, I’m usually too impatient for that. I’d say compared to my friends I usually send mine first. Maybe that’s my problem. lol.
I hate sending anything out that isn’t as good as it can be. So I keep working at it until I feel comfortable sending it. It is that hard to pin down, and that simple.
I hate sending my “ready-to-go” ms out the door. I liken it to sending my first born son into the trenches in a war as gruesome as WWI. (yeah, ancient today but trench fighting was horrid).
Only the prodding of friends and family get me out of mother mode with my ms. Who said writers are neurotic???
I hear voices in my head too, Edie.
(Do not be afraid…)
My husband is my audience. Whenever I’ve finished a rough draft of anything, it gets read to him. Why? Because he WILL NOT READ. Anyway, he’s a great listener and always catches the glitches, etc. And usually he doesn’t have to tell me what’s wrong. I see it on his face.
And then I re-read, re-read, re-read, both before and after comments by others (hubby and my work-shop mate). Torture, yes, but worth it. Time consuming for sure, though, and that at times really bothers me. You know what “they” say: the older you get the fast time slips away.
Lori, I’m not good at setting things aside, though I know that’s the best way to do it. When I finish the first draft, I try to let a week go by before diving into the revisions.
Michelle, you’re my inspiration the way you rewrite scenes until you’re happy with them.
Mary Jo, we differ that way, but it’s all good. You must have a lot more patience than I do.
Kath, so true about time slipping away. Wow, you must have a patient husband. I can’t imagine mine sitting through an entire read. I can imagine myself reading and about the second chapter I’ll hear snoring.
Great post, Edie! Patience is never an easy thing. I’ve only recently learned how very important revising, and more revising, and maybe more revising is, and that takes *time*. But it’s time well spent, right? Because then you can feel confident about sending your ms out into the world. You’re lucky to have writing pals around to help you with the time it takes, and I’ve no doubt your paranormal is going to wow whoever reads it!
I think you’ve tinkered enough. There comes a point where you dink with a manuscript so much that the words lose their magic.
Impatient puss that I am, I’d start querying. BUT when the requests start rolling in, I’d do another pass at it before sending the full out.
But it’s time well spent, right? Because then you can feel confident about sending your ms out into the world.
Robin, absolutely! I used to dislike revising, but now I love it . . . to an extent. It’s my time to make the pages shine until I fall in love with my own writing. lol If I don’t feel that way, no one else will.
Thanks for the nice words about my paranormal. I’m feeling good about it.
Margaret, I want my ms. to be ready to send when the requests roll in. (Trickle in? Whatever.)
So, Edie, you’re saying that you don’t even look at it once more before you send it to the E/A? What if three days, three months or nine months go by before a request? You would still send it without looking at it?
I couldn’t do that. Guess we’re wired differently.
For me, I found time away from the MS is my friend–I look at it with a more subjective eye.
Jus’ sayin’
Margaret, no, I don’t. I trust that I loved it, and then I pray a lot.
If I get something back with specifics that I agreed with, I do make changes. Otherwise, no.
Edie, my husband is the most patient person on the planet, imo. He has to be in order to stay with me.
Kath, that’s so sweet. He loves you!
Edie, great blog! Whether working with someone else, like CP’s, or going it alone the story has to feel right before I send out. Since I’ve been moving in a different direction with the POV thing in my work this last year, I liken the new phase as a “learning ground.”
Guess it boils down to when the writer feels the story is ready.
Love Margaret’s comment, “There comes a point where you dink with a manuscript so much that the words lose their magic.” Guess that’s the fine line I ride too.
LaD, that’s true. When I used to dislike revising, that point came much sooner. But now that point doesn’t come as soon. I haven’t reached it with the latest book yet.
Good luck with your new POV book. Liz is writing first person in her WIP, and it really suits her voice, too.
Lovely post, Edie! I was planning to read Robin’s and LA’s posts today, too
. As for revision, I’m very grateful for it. I read scenes in my head, some aloud, and I go over and over it until I know I’ve lost all perspective. They I thrust it on my CPs and hope they’ll be able to pinpoint whatever I missed. It’s always hard work, but I prefer it to the pressure of having to try to get it all right the first time. I like having the option of do-overs. Many, many do-overs!
I thrust it on my CPs and hope they’ll be able to pinpoint whatever I missed.
Marilyn, me, too! They catch obvious plot problems that were somehow not obvious to me. Thank God for them! It’s wonderful that do-overs are an option. Otherwise I’d hate to think what I’d put out there.
I’m sitting down to read the first half of my book out loud right now Edie. I actually enjoy this step. It’s like acting out a movie and gets my creative juices flowing. Once I feel the plot is laid out that’s when I read it out loud to stimulate ideas for making the book better!
Beth, maybe that’s the difference. If I loved it, I’d do it. Because reading takes longer, I read fast to hurry it up, and that’s not good.
I revise as I write, then I’ll give it another look through before I start subbing to you and Michelle. From there I’ll revise again and hope like hell everything’s been caught.
I guess you gotta get to the point where you have to let it go. You can revise the life out of a book if you sit on it too long.
Love the photo, by the way.
I’m not to that point yet, Edie, but I did decide to enter a contest before the book was finished. I thought long and hard about that and then decided to go for it. Mainly, I want the feedback, but I won’t lie…I’d like to win too!
I revise through the whole writing process, so hopefully by the time I get to the end it will be very, very close.
Liz, you’re the only one who mentioned the cat. Belle is sitting on the desk right now. She made me pet her again before I could answer. She thinks I’m her slave.
I agree that you can revise the life out of a book. Agents and editors say they can tell when a book has been through the contest circuit, and the author has revised to everyone’s taste. It ends up with the voice sucked out of it.
Elle, I’ve entered contests when my ms. wasn’t done for the same reason. Besides, it takes a few months before the winners are announced. I always figure I could finish by then.
I revise through the whole writing process, so hopefully by the time I get to the end it will be very, very close.
I hope so too!