It's Away!

I submitted Clockwork Dagger to my editor this week. I'm nervous, yes, but I also feel strangely good about the revisions I made. I feel better about them than I expected to, really. A few reasons for this:

- I hadn't read the manuscript in a year. My darlings weren't darlings anymore. I looked at everything with a more ruthless perspective. I'd also like to think I've become a better writer in that time, so maybe that played into things. Even with additions, the word count was cut by 10,000 words.

- My editor nailed it. That's not said for the sake of flattery or anything. I read the three pages of her editorial letter and nodded the whole time. I couldn't quibble with a single one of her points.

- I have a clearer vision of the sequel. Clockwork has a two book arc. As I worked on the edits from my agent last year, I worked in numerous plot elements that tie to the sequel, but I didn't do a full chapter outline for that book until earlier this year when we started getting offerings from publishers. Therefore, I was able to review the book and add in even more hints. I was even surprised by a few things I added, especially as I tweaked the ending. Yes, even at this late stage of the process, the book held surprises for me.

Which leads to the next cause of anxiety... the sequel.



I'm not planning to do the full NaNoWriMo thing, but I will need to start writing in November or December. I have to make sure Clockwork is approved first.

I have never written a sequel before.

I have never written anything under contract before.

Me, stressed?!