"Success is a finished book, a stack of pages each of which is filled with words. If you reach that point, you have won a victory over yourself no less impressive than sailing single-handed around the world."
--Tom Clancy
Victory!
Seven Circles is complete and I am pausing for a brief moment to bask in the warmth of my accomplishment. It feels so good.
Okay, enough of that non-sense. Time to get moving on the next one. I am already hammering out the skeleton and picking out the clothing it will eventually donn. (The outline is written and the details of the plot line are being defined.)
Completing Seven Circles was a huge endeavor, and I'm pleased with the final MS. It took another pass to get there, but it was worth the agony. Now I must usher it out on it's own and move on to the next one. I am a writer, that's what I do.
'Editors also know that the people who are really readers want to read. They hunger to read. They will forgive a vast number of clumsinesses and scamped work of every sort if the author will delight them just enough to keep them able to continue.'
-William Sloane
We all labor over our manuscripts with great care and diligence. We become captivated by our charactors and creatures; the tale we have conceived and given birth to; the story we have nurtured and developed and poured countless hours of our lives into. When it's finally done, and we have shed our tears of joy and sadness, we prepare to send it out into the world. But before we reach for that envelope - or in todays world, the submit button - we should all take a moment to stop and be sure we have done all we can to give our work the best possible chance of success when it must ultimately stand on its own.
I think we all fear that moment when our work leaves our hands, venturing out to find out if it can stand alone or not. In completing the manuscript, we complete a chapter of our writing lives.
Seven Circles is complete - almost. While it is for all practical purposes done, I can't help but feel it's just not finished. I can't put my finger on just what it is about the manuscript that is bothering me, I also can't get over the feeling that something about it is not quite right.
I wonder if it's just pre-submittal butterflies, or something real and substantial. While I dread doing yet another editing pass, I'm not comfortable submitting something that is sub-par in quality. It's the perfectionist curse I carry around within me. Or maybe it's just the writer in me fearing the possible rejection letter. Either way I'm in a vicious avoidance circle with my inner writer. It's frustrating as hell and I have got to break it soon.
So will I break down and send it out, or will I give in and open it back up?
Your guess is as good as mine at this point. I'll keep you updated.
“Insanity is relative. It depends on who has who locked in what cage. ”
― Ray Bradbury
It’s been a while since I posted anything and I had a bit of time tonight, so here I am. Posting.
Insanity. I think many writers face it from time to time. I know I do. Life in general drives a person to it. It my case family contributes, along with my personal muse: Chaos.
I’ve been away for awhile doing edits on “Seven Circles”. My Beta Readers or Designated Readers, have all chimed in and I’ve collected all of their comments. A HUGE thank you! To those who have helped – you know who you are. I couldn’t have done it without you! I’ve been doing some re-writes -clarifying plot points, character motives and setting details. It’s been time consuming and attention consuming. Staying focused has been important. I’m just about done now and the results are a story I’m extremely proud of.
So with the near completion of edits, I’ve begun the search for an agent, and started working on my query letter. After all the time I’ve put into writing the novel and polishing it, I’m not taking any chances with this aspect of the process. I’ve been doing my research and a good bit of reading to be sure the agents I select are appropriate and that I tailor my queries to the
right people.
What else am I up to? Well, I have plans to attend a writing conference in August, and I’m looking into some online workshops. Anything that will help me improve my craft. I’ve been holed up writing for almost two months now and I’m looking forward to the next step. Insanity is an adventure. This one promises to be an exciting one.
Books aren't written, they're rewritten. Including your own. It is one of the hardest things to accept, especially after the seventh rewrite hasn't quite done it...
- Michael Crichton
I have gotten the first set of notes from my first designated reader. Not nearly as bad as I thought it would be; not nearly as bad as it probably should have been either. This reader is a family member. I asked for brutal honesty and I got a very mild version. I didn't really expect too much though, and the comments were in fact very helpful. He caught some grammatical errors and a few typos that I'd missed on my numerous previous passes.
I've begun the work of incorporating some of the comments I received into the manuscript. I thought about waiting until I received a few more critiques, but decided that I should really get though what I have now. The more I fix now the less I will encounter once the group digs into it. The difficult part is facing another rewrite. I know it's not going to be on the scale of previous ones, but the work ahead is daunting.
I want to be done because I have another story that I'm eager to write.
It's like having a stack of gifts in the middle of my desk, all with my name on them, and not being allowed to open any of them until all of my chores are done. I want to finish my chores, but that pile of presents is just sitting there, waiting. They keep calling out to me to come open them; to discover what all the pretty wrapping is concealing.
For me, a new story is one of the most exciting journeys to embark upon. Everything is new and the adventure can go anywhere; kind of like riding a rollercoaster in the dark. There are new places to visit and people to meet. I’m giddy with anticipation of the great unknown that awaits me.
I just have to be a good little writer and finish my chores.
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