Ahh well. You know -- when I got my first round edits for Forbidden Love back from my editor, she didn't find a lot for me to fix. I reworked a few paragraphs, etc. This time, even though she approved my changes and found only a few more things to fix, as I read over my story I found some things I'd like to add or change myself. So I've been doing that. At first, I looked at the story and said, "Great! I'll have this back to her (my editor) in a flash." I even emailed her told her that, even though she always gives me several weeks.
Well, maybe not so fast. I wonder if I'll ever be satisfied with my work. I know other writers go through this too. In addition, this is the very reason I never rush publication or submission. As we become more and more published with our fiction, we have to learn to let go faster. The demand for our work is greater. Do our writing skills improve as well? Do we actually ever get that part down? I'm a firm believer in we never stop learning. If we do, or think we have nothing more to learn about our craft, then our writing could suffer. I've seen this happen with other authors. So I say all the time, we never stop learning and improving as writers. Yet, there is a time to draw the line, and just say-- okay, I'm finished with this one.
When do you decide enough is enough and say, this story is truly ready?
Kaye
Kaye
10 comments:
Hey Kaye,
I'm not sure (and this is only my opinion), but I don't think authors ever get to a point where they feel their work is everything it possibly could be. To compound matters, after you read a story numerous times, you're bound to question your structure, your wording, and possibly the sequence in which things occur. It's very draining, and is one of the reasons I cannot write while I'm undergoing edits.
Just keep this in mind -- you will write more, and can't devote too much time to one venture. You have an editor who will make your MS shine as much as possible, and oftentimes you simply have to let go and have faith.
And by the way, I'm with you -- we never stop learning. Not ever. And you know what? I wouldn't have it any other way. Excitement comes from discovery and invention.
You'll do great, kid!
Hugs,
Jaime
I never seem to know when my books are ready. Maybe they're not!
Good luck with the editing.
Good question, Kaye. I rely on my gut instinct to know when things are right. Like Jaime says if we're constantly rereading and trying to perfect our work, we're bound to start secondguessing ourselves.
And I have to agree about constantly learning. I'm still learning and take regular online classes in my pursuit of knowledge.
Hello, Kaye!!
Very interesting discussion. I've yet to finish my book and I think it's because of my overactive internal editor. We are our own worst critics at times. We just can't cut our legs out from underneath ourselves. lol
I also agree with the never stop learning concept. There is always room to strengthen your voice and craft. Perfect topic, Kaye! :)
Good luck with the edits, Kaye. I'm hopeless at letting go - I've been rewriting the same ms (in one guise or another) for years now.
X
Hey Kaye
Great post!
I think for me the hardest thing about writing is accepting that I’m never going to get it perfect – I’ll have different variations from constantly rewriting the same book but none will be as perfect as I want. Letting go is painful for me.
And I agree, if I stop learning, I might as well stop writing because therein lies the challenge, and as every writer knows if writing came easy to us, we’d not be writers – well, okay, that’s just my opinion at least : )
And so looking forward to reading your book, Kaye!!
Great question Kaye. I've always been a believer in the premise that you never stop learning - and not just with writing. The minute you think you know everything (and how could you really?), I think you end up stifling yourself. I also thought all writers had some level of angst about their work. Always. At least I do. I also struggle to know when something's done because I really could edit and edit and edit. It's never perfect enough! I don't have an editor yet so that plays into it. Perhaps it will change when I need to hand it over into someone else's hands. When you're submitting though you never feel it's good enough.
What great comments! I love all the different ideas on editing! And just as I thought-- you guys are together about learning.
Thanks everyone.
I always make my own changes during edits, lol. And after publication, I've been known to read my work and say, "I can't believe I did that!" No, it's never perfect. But you do have to put it to rest sometime.
My editor sent only light edits for my "Mistletoe Everywhere", but I went back and looked at the whole story again, mainly replacing ordinary words with more descriptive words. As I copy over the changes to the version I will send to the editor, I see some things I liked then, but don't like now. I've changed a few things, but in general, this is it.
Until it comes back again. *g*
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