Ask a Published Author: "How do you know when your story is finished?"

Susan Dennard  is a writer turned marine biologist turned writer again.  Something Strange and Deadly  is the first in a Gothic trilogy, and the sequel,  A Darkness Strange and Lovely ,  has just released. She shares with her heroine Eleanor a healthy appetite for baked goods.

How do you know when a piece of writing is finished? — Steam-pug

That’s a tricky question because most authors will tweak their work for all eternity. In fact, I actually prefer to use the word “ready” because I will never deem a book “finished.” ;)

Ultimately, what dictates “ready” is when I’ve made the manuscript the best I can make it on my own. Then it’s “ready for my critique partners.” Once I’ve worked with them and likely revised some more, the manuscript is next “ready to give to my editor”—or, in someone else’s case, perhaps “ready to query to agents.”

As Neil Gaiman said, “Remember that, sooner or later, before it ever reaches perfection, you will have to let it go and move on and start to write the next thing. Perfection is like chasing the horizon. Keep moving.” And so, whenever you feel the manuscript is “ready for [insert your specific goal here]", then move it on and start working on your next project! 

Happy last day of Camp NaNoWriMo! Wishing you a draft that’s “ready to be completed by July 31" today. — Camp HQ