Recognizing The One

Lucy asked in yesterday's comments how one knows if a manuscript is The One, worthy of a lasting relationship and the commitment of the writer. This is such an excellent question, and the answer is so convoluted*, I decided to use it as a blog post.**

One of the simplest but least reliable ways to tell is our passion and interest level for a project. If we wake up every day thinking about it, and can't wait to work on it, then clearly, it's The One. If it haunts us, invades our dreams, or see...