Today is my deadline for the second Memphis Barbeque book. I’m emailing it to my editor this morning.
I’m getting better with deadlines. I’ve always met them, but I’ve felt very reticent about the manuscript in the past. I think I’ve usually turned it in a little apologetically: “Here it is. For what it’s worth…”
Then, of course, there were the times I’d send a revised manuscript with an email. “I thought of something else I wanted to include in the book! (Or..I’ve found something wrong and corrected it.) Could you read this version of the manuscript instead?”
I’d keep picking at it, thinking about it. It’s just like pushing a child out of the nest…or not pushing the child out at all, in which case the child never grows up to accomplish its true purpose.
But I’m better now.
Here’s how I’ve learned to let go and let my manuscript leave the nest:
I’ve made sure that there aren’t any glaring errors by a careful proofread. After I’ve completed my careful proofread, I have my first reader and my agent read the manuscript to see if they find any glaring errors.
Then I remind myself that there weren’t any big mistakes in the manuscript.
I make a revision pass through the manuscript for pace and plot believability. And one for character and setting descriptions.
I remind myself that I’ve made it the best I could—but there will still be errors in the document. They won’t be huge errors, though, and the publishers have copyeditors to eliminate the ones I’ve missed.
I move on to the next project until my revision requests come in.
The combination of knowing I’ve carefully proofed, giving it to others to read, reminding myself that it’s been edited, and knowing that small errors aren’t the end of the world, has made it easier for me to loosen up about my deadlines.
How do you determine your manuscript is ready to submit or is ready for deadline? When is it ‘good enough’?
If you have time to pop over, I’m at author Susan Whitfield’s blog today for an interview.
Elizabeth – I know exactly how you feel about revisions and sending manuscripts off! I’m the same way. I always want to go back and tinker with things. I’m that way about my blog posts, too, actually. At some poine, I think, you have to stop yourself and move on. I do it by trying hard to plunge into the next chapter/project/etc.. That’s easier to say than do, of course ; ).
Congratulations on getting to this wonderful point in time.
I hope I get to experience the same feelings and concerns some day. :)
Congrats on getting that baby out of the nest!
Here’s one way I know I’m done:
I’ve changed the main character’s name from Ryan to Bryan to Brian to Brianna to Elvis to ZXVLYT#&GR to King Machinar III to Fluffy and back to Ryan. Twice.
I’m a tinkerer – always thinking about something else to fix. Gotta get past that someday :)
I know it’ll never be good enough. But when changes make it different instead of better, it’s time to let go. Of course, as soon as I do, I’ll find more glitches, but I pray that whoever is reading it will overlook them or fix them, depending on what phase the project is in.
Congratulations, Elizabeth.
I do hope that someday, I get to a point where everything you say sounds familiar.
~ Rayna
The path of submitting my ms to agents was a twisted one with a couple of false starts. But now that ms is on submission via my agent and I’m working on another book, I have to come up with a process for when I think it will be ready to share. Thanks for your thoughts.
Great post. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on letting go. I usually let go by going through the manuscript one last time with a checklist of items… plot… characters…setting…point of view…etc. I look for all of it one more time, fix what I find and then let go.
Well, Heinlein’s rules of writing say to “refrain from rewriting except to editorial order.”
You method sounds like the best course. Make sure there is nothing glaring, and have trusted associates back you up, and then… let go.
I find setting dates helps too. If I don’t have an external deadline, I can set one for myself.
I am so with you on this one, Elizabeth. I thought I’d never reach the stage where I felt the manuscript was done. Now if I were to read it again, I’m sure I’d find things I want to change. You can always improve something, yes?
Knowing when to let go is so key, isn’t it?
Karen
Margot–I occasionally tinker with the blog post, too…as evidenced by some days where those who have a blog reader will see several different versions of the same blog post! Yes, it’s hard to let go, isn’t it?
Journaling Woman–You will! And congratulations on how productive you’ve been lately (I read your blog.) :)
Rayna–You’ll definitely get there!
Lou–That’s an organized approach! I’m thinking about developing an actual, physical checklist for myself…it might help keep me on track.
I guess when I am finally tired of messing with it! After a while, I feel as if I am making it worse, not better, and that’s when I know it’s time to stop.
Good for you on getting ANOTHER one out there! And I love seeing this end of the process. Hopefully some day soon I will see that end of the process, too, but it’s helpful to think of three versions of proofing… error, pace and character… And YAY for first readers! Will definitely help when I get there.
It’s hard to let go, but I’ve learned I can only do so much. As time goes on, I’m finding it easier to let my beasties leave the nest, knowing a neutral viewpoint is going to push them to the next stage.
Congrats on having another one done – that’s got to feel good.
You’re right – there will always be boo-boos!
Congrats on making your deadline!
Congrats on your deadline. Can’t wait to read your next book.
That sounds like a wonderful schedule. Right now, I’m setting my own schedule, though vigorous, for writing and editing. And, I’m trying to not get upset at myself when I can’t meet each and every deadline.
ann
Congrats, Elizabeth!
I’m that way with my blog posts, too. After it’s done I think about a couple little things I could change. But at some point I just have to let it be!
After my story or ms is done, I revise it at least once and set it aside for week or so. Then I take it out again for more revision. I finally consider it ready when I can read through it a couple times without making any major changes. Later down the road, after my pile of rejections, I find more to fix. But that’s all a part of the process!
There comes a point for me at which I am tired of proofreading and going back over my MS for line edits. This is often when I send it out, saying, “The hell with it.” Perhaps an agent or editor will help me struggle through that phase?
Congrats on making your deadline, good lady!
For me it is something about gathering the courage to send it off. I am not nearly as good at seeing the huge flaws as the tiny details so when I finally make up my mind to take the chance it is important to let go – otherwise I will change words back and forth forever, and I know very well that the publisher does not care about these minute details.
I remember a funny error, however. I had forgotten to remove a note to myself so in the middle of my manuscript I had written, “remember to write beautifully” LOL
I’m terrible at letting go too! Before I had a carefully crafted, four step editing system down I was always remembering things I wanted to change, after I’d sent my manuscript out into the world! I’m getting better now. You’re right, it’s all in the editing ;)
Happy deadline day, Elizabeth. Congratulations on yet another milestone. I’m headed over to your interview.
Best, Galen.
Kudos on meeting the deasline, and I can certainly realte to this post.
Before I became an editor I was more reticent about my capability of self-editing to the point of feeling the ms was good enough to submit. Even now, though, after my careful editing and rewriting (I do a similar look for all those things you mentioned, too) I don’t submit until I’ve gotten feedback from at least 2 DTR’s (Designated Trusted Readers) and after my VERY task-mastering, demanding the very best, and nit-picky editor tells me it’s ready.
Marvin D Wilson
Good for you. I don’t have any set rules. It’s usually when the last pass doesn’t result in anything but tweaks here and there. Of course in a month or two – or when I see it in print – I’ll think of ten things to change, but by then I’m working on something different.
Congrats, Elizabeth, and best of luck with the book when it finally sees the light of day.
Alex–I do the same thing–make changes that just sort of drain the life out of the scene…and that’s not good!
Alan–HA!!! Although I do kind of like Fluffy. Maybe change it back?
Hart–They do help…and I think they help us, mentally, too–we know that THEY didn’t catch any glaring errors, either!
Thanks, Diane! :)
Jemi–I’m the same way–it’s never as good as I think it SHOULD be…we’re too hard on ourselves!
Ann–I think…no, I KNOW, that we’re harder on ourselves than the editors are.
Terry–That’s well-put…when the changes are just making the ms *different* and not correcting errors, then we’re probably done.
Paul–And it always helps when you’ve got something you’ve got to work on after you submit…which all of us should have–the next project.
Laura–And there are *always* still going to be mistakes…or maybe just something they would like to change at the editor. But it’s hard, isn’t it, to accept?
Simon–Being sick of the WIP? Guilty as charged! There’s only so many times we can read the same book over and over again, right?
The Daring Novelist–Because, really, that’s the best we can do, isn’t it?
Karen–It’s hard to feel like the manuscript is good enough–an insecurity issue, I guess? I think it’s one that many of us share!
Heather–And reminding ourselves that we HAVE edited…which is something I always tend to forget!
Marvin–I’d think that editors would be the absolute WORST at nitpicking their work. If I’m *this* bad, I can only imagine how bad you, Helen, Crystal, and Ann must be!
Elspeth–They do seem like little beasties sometimes, don’t they? I guess we all go through periods where we actively dislike our WIPs. :)
Martin–Thanks! :) Which, as you know, can take a while. I’m thinking the book might be released 8 months from now?
Dorte–HA! I love that–“remember to write beautifully!” Ohh…we do the same thing, apparently–I left a highlighted section and notes to myself (basically fussing at myself to finish a scene) in a draft I sent to my agent. Sigh! Don’t know how I missed that…
Galen–And congratulations to you on your new release! The book looks fantastic. :)
Carol–Moving on to the next project helps, doesn’t it?
Congrats on meeting your deadline!
Having to send it out no matter what is the good thing about deadlines. Since I’m still learning, I can keep editing until my fingers break and fall off. I stop myself in much the same way as you: do a good proofread, get an outside proofread, do final polish and leave it.
I also tell myself that when I’m more skilled, I can always go back and rewrite, but I choose to push on to the next story and see what it will teach me.
Congrats on making the deadline, and being at peace with it.
I am struggling with this very issue. Not with blog posts, I’m sloppy with those. I have no pride, no shame, when it comes to blog posts, primarily because I know many of my readers and they ‘get me’. My blog posts are first draft, quickies.
Not so with my manuscripts. I won’t even allow my first reader to see it until I’m several drafts in, and feel it’s ‘okay’. It takes several more revision passes until I give it to my 3 beta readers. Even when they have little red ink, and they LOVE it, I still haven’t let one fly the coop.
Why? Because now I have to fester over a query letter!
I bet when I finally get that ‘just so’, I’ll want to take another pass at the ms.
It boils down to: I’m mental. I want it to be my best.
And it always seems like there is something else I could do, something more. A tweak here. Fester, fester, fester. I’m mental.
I think, perhaps, I need to read this post a few more times, and let sink in.
Great post. It makes me feel better.
Love,
Lola
Lola–Believe me–you’re not alone! It’s really like a mental block…we just KNOW we can improve it, even if we’ve BEEN improving it.
Before I was published, I was even worse. I think it was because I thought if I didn’t rewrite the whole thing 20 times then it didn’t deserve to be published. But…there’s definitely a time for the child to leave the nest! Good luck with this–it’s definitely tough.