How many revisions are enough?

I’m almost done!

I have said this before.

Twice.

I finished the first draft of my novel on May 30th and have been actively editing and polishing ever since. I have read about writers who will rewrite their manuscripts up to twenty times before submitting them to editors. That seems excessive to me. I know we all want our work to be as good as possible, but there is also a point where we can be over-critical.

I am about to finish my third pass and have learned a lot about my writing. My first three chapters were a labor to write and it shows (just like my blog posts). I chalk this up to just getting started and learning on the job. It took three or four chapters to find my voice. Once I got into a rhythm, my writing was much more clear. Next, I tend to over-use “that” and “some.” I found one paragraph where I used the word “some” four times–and I didn’t catch it during the first two passes while I was editing. Ouch. Finally, I’m happy to say that I still like the story. I get insecure talking about it to other writers, but am usually pleased when I read a chapter that I haven’t read in a while, and it’s better than I remember.

Going back to my original question on how many revisions I should do, I know the obvious answer is: as many as it takes. My problem is I know I will find something every time I read it. I don’t want to get caught up in the process of editing and polishing to the point where I never finish the book. I have done that while recording music and it weighs on me that I have unfinished material sitting in my computer’s hard drive. I will not let that happen to this book.

I will have a better idea as to where I stand in the next month. I’m attending the Colorado Gold Conference in a few weeks and am scheduled to have an agent critique where the agent tells me if my first few pages are any good. At the end of September, I have a writing intensive workshop in Orlando that will really give me an idea as to how close my novel is to being ready for the masses.

I am excited to share what the book is about and get people to start reading it. Some of you have already found the Washington’s Providence Facebook page. There is a version of the “back of the book” copy in the About section. Check it out!