learning to revise

In 1999, I got a call from an agent. A good agent. Who had actually read all of my book. And wanted me to revise it.

So excited I could hardly stand up straight, I sat and wrote notes about her questions. And then spent the next six weeks in a fever of revision, changing every single word except the title of that book. And sent it off to the agent.

Bad, bad move.

The agent called again to tell me what I already knew, that I had changed it too much, past recognition, and that the new manuscr...