Busy Busy

After the First Meeting And as Predicted…

Busy Busy

So between cutting up the last of the wood in my yard, and chopping into smaller pieces I have been fulfilling my duties to my publisher.

I’m answering questions ranging from story arc, to subtext, to character development. It isn’t easy. The questions really make you look at your story in a different light.

Perhaps the worst is the ‘What are the weakness with …’ questions.

I worked hard and long on ‘Tomorrow Wendell’. I sent it to my personal editor after I had edited it myself. I took her suggestions and comments and reworked the story. Then I sent it to beta-readers for their thoughts and opinions and edited again.

I even made changes suggested by the first publishing house to look at it.

What I am basically saying, is that before I submitted it to Xchyler, I tried to make it the best damn novel it could be. I submitted a finished product.

But really no. I knew that going in. It isn’t perfect, it isn’t ‘finished’.

But of course to my mind there are no ‘weaknesses’ because if I had known about weaknesses I would have cut them, changed them, improved them. Right?

So is my publisher trying to undermine my confidence before getting to edits? Are they just cruel and mischievous?

What I found after working this sheet for the short story was that the answer was – none of the above.

Yes, looking for flaws and admitting they are there ( or even half lying about supposed flaws) helps ready you to accept things are not perfect. It also makes you study the work from as many different angles as possible.

Easy it ain’t – I’ll tell you that. But it does serve a good purpose for me.

It also helps the team see the novel through my eyes. They get a sense of what I hope for from the telling of this tale. The understand the way I look at it, and know where I will need direction.

I’m just glad I don’t have to have it ready by tomorrow.