The Last Word
Last week, I typed the last word on my 'first final draft' of SEAsoned, my second yachting memoir/cookbook. To say I was excited would be to put it mildly. It was a Wednesday night at 12:30 pm and I was pushing through to finish. When the last scene was finished I danced around the boat to the latest Jack Johnson song that played endlessly on my IPod as I typed.
The next morning, I immediately hit the print button and packaged the 239 pages for my three beta readers. I had been reading chapters with my critique group all along and felt confident that it was just that last scene that hadn't already been re-written and polished. On my way to work, I dropped three large envelopes in the mail, smiling to myself. I would have a few weeks of free time before I received the first copy back. I could let the manuscript simmer away in a file and have a look at it with fresh eyes in a couple of weeks. That is what all the advice I had read said to do. Great!
That night, I picked up a book to read. For the first time in months, I ignored my computer. I didn't even sit in my favorite writing chair. This was going to be a vacation. I started reading and there it was, on page two of someone else's book, the perfect scene. It was fuller and more complete than one particular scene I had struggled with. This author got it. My mind whirled. If I added just two more sentences to my scene it would read better. I could tweak it and round it out like this author had done.
I lay the book aside, moved back to the comfortable groove in my writing chair and opened my laptop. I typed for four hours straight, fixing not only the scene I had in mind, but two others that I didn't even realize needed work until I saw how much better the scene flowed once I added to it.
I looked at my watch. Twenty-one hours—that's how long my vacation from the manuscript had lasted. But, it also got me thinking, what if I have another breakthrough next week, or next month? At what point is a book finished?
I looked to some of my favorite authors for an answer.
"I know it's time to send the manuscript out when I've done all I can think to do and need new eyes to help me get perspective. I write a lot of drafts, so sending it out is more about getting feedback than getting published. I'm done revising when my editor says to stop. It takes a few months for my brain to stop coming up with new ideas, and after that, it's such a relief to have the book out of my hands that I immediately start a new manuscript to obsess over."
Marjetta Geerling, author of FANCY WHITE TRASH, a 2009 American Library Association's Best Book for Young Adults
www.marjettageerling.com
"I don't think the author ever has a good sense of when the project is ready…I always polish as much as I can and then share with a couple of trusted author friends whom I know will tell me the truth."
Joyce Sweeney, writing coach, manuscript critiquer and author of fourteen books, including THE GUARDIAN
Each segment of a book, no matter how you measure it (chapter, scene, time period) must do its job in creating the whole. But, then, you must start by torturing each sentence and paragraph, getting the most effective work out of your words. Then the scenes must create momentum. It's a seat-of-the-pants feel you gain by being your toughest-possible critic. Only after you've whipped all the segments into shape can you judge the manuscript. Will more work do more harm than good? Do you risk changing the nature of your tale? Do you kick it out the door because you love it or can't stand the sight of it? All a matter of being a good reader – and believing that it holds up to the standards of the nastiest twelfth-grade teacher in the world. Finally, have you told a good story?
Okay, then, cross your fingers and give it its own life.
Tom Corcoran, author of six ALEX RUTLEDGE MYSTERIES
With my first three manuscripts, I was like a not-very-confident baker with something in the oven: I'd peek, poke, and worry about when the book was "done." For my fourth mystery, the insistent buzz of the oven timer convinced me. Deadline was Sept. 15; I emailed the manuscript that day at 7 pm. Voila, done!
Deborah Sharp, author of three MACE BAUER MYSTERIES. The series' fourth installment is "Mama Sees Stars," out in October 2011 — if Deborah's oven timer was right about the book being "done."
And from literary agent, Sammie Justesen, author of SPEAKING OF DIALOGUE
Ten ways to know your book is finished:
1. You've used all the material you can think of (for nonfiction), or come to the end of a riveting plot (fiction).
2. Because you know what your readers are looking for, you've included exactly what they want. If not, revise the book.
3. You rewrote sections of the book as needed. Keep in mind that the first few chapters – before you hit your stride – are probably the weakest.
4. You edited the book yourself, then had it edited by a qualified person. I strongly recommend hiring an editor.
5. The manuscript is correctly formatted and free of errors.
6. You've had several objective people (besides family and friends) read and critique the book. This is when writing groups are invaluable.
7. After letting the book sit for a few weeks, you read it again and evaluated all aspects.
8. While writing, you've been thinking how to market this new book. As the manuscript ages like fine wine, you formalized the marketing plan. This is not a dream plan, but a plan you can actually follow.
9. Nonfiction writers who plan to query an agent or publisher are working on a book proposal. Even fiction writers can benefit from a proposal, because it organizes your plan for the book.
10. You've taken heed of the following advice: "I went for years not finishing anything. Because, of course, when you finish something you can be judged. I had pieces that were re-written so many times I suspect it was just a way of avoiding sending them out." – Erica Jong
What about you? How do you know when your current WIP is ready to be sent out?
