Just a quick update: the rearranging of my study is temporarily on hold (things still sit in laundry baskets and all around me is still a HUGE mess) as I work on the revision of my novel like someone who has no other life. My third to last packet is due Friday, and I want to make it count.
What prompted me to stop in the middle of a page to check in here was that in the last few days of revising, more than once and again just now, I’ve deleted parts of the story that I really liked because a new opportunity has arisen. Each time, as I hesitated before changing, one of the five orange sticky notes on the front of the notebook containing my manuscript has popped into my head like one of those conversation bubbles. I don’t know where the words came from, but here they are:
Everything about a manuscript is in flux all the way through the process.
Back to work…
Good for you! More than once I’ve gone through client’s manuscripts and said “There’s an opportunity here. This could take your story to a whole new level.” I expect to hear “No, I don’t like that idea” or “No, I don’t think that will work”. But what I usually hear is something like, “Wow, yeah, but that would take so much work!” And they don’t want to do it. That’s when I have to throw up my hands and step back. Can’t do anything about it if they don’t want to do the work to make the manuscript better.
Sophfronia, nice to see you here and thanks for your comment. I’m loving every minute of writing this novel and all the surprises along the way. Sorry to be so long in responding. Was working on packet #3 until Friday evening and then took a break from my computer yesterday.
So true, Sophfronia. When I send anything to my beloved first reader, I roll up my sleeves and brew a pot of tea before I even open his e-mail.
A lovely ritual!
Just have to say good luck good luck good luck!
thank you thank you thank you!
You’re in the zone, obviously. Do not hurry; do not rest . . .
Ah, Goethe…Just saying those words to myself seems to slow me down. Nice reminder, Richard.
It’s funny that you write this. I remember working on my final packets the last year of my MFA. I freaked my mentor out because I decided to write a character completely out of my novel not long before the entire thing was due. She brought that whole scenario up at my graduate reading. Ugh. Novels.
Cristina! Great to hear from you. You know, if a character has got to go, a character has got to go. Three weeks until my last packet. Woohoo!!!