In January of 2013, I started a new novel, working on it for eighteen months like a woman possessed. In September of last year, when I said it was ready, my agent sent it to just a few editors. While it was out, I took a four-month break. The novel didn’t sell and thank heavens. When I read it over in January of this year, I could see how to make it so much better.
New rule for myself: before I call a novel finished, I have to put it away for a serious amount of time and then read it again.
I can pull something positive out of just about any situation.
edited
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365 true things about me
why this daily practice
Something like 15 years or so ago, Pat and I had a long talk about how negative we can be. Somehow, without talking to each other about it, we had both begun to notice this habit we had, of always pointing out what was wrong, never what was right, in movies, books, a conversation with friends, a recipe, a new pair of shoes. We decided to help each other look for a positive every time we expressed a negative. It took a lot of practice, but soon we were just jumping past the negative, not bothering to express it, and focusing only on the positive. Of course I’m talking about the really little things that were never so negative in the first place–you don’t jump past the negative if a new pair of shoes clearly don’t fit and need to be returned. Anyway, through the years we’ve continued to keep up that practice by periodically reminding each other that this is something we want to be intentional about. B/c it was so obvious how much a day improves when you expect to be pleased by whatever happens.
That’s an amazing change the two of you managed to make. Wow.
Cynthia… that is certainly true… of my experience of you… 🙂
Thanks, Helena : )
Good advice!
Thank you, Sheila! But not so much advice as the way I am : )
It’s amazing how a stretch of time makes SUCH a difference with our work! We read it with a fresh eye, leaning more toward the “I can’t remember what I wrote” phase 🙂
But I’m so impatient! I guess that’s a whole other post : )
It IS hard to wait, and who’s to judge how long is long enough *sigh* lol