If you can hear that, it’s me, mentally drumming my fingers. On December 28, I finished the first draft of my current WIP and now seek patience while I listen to the experts. Jodie Renner, an editor I discovered through The Blood Red Pencil recently offered a detailed list on her blog called How to Revise and Polish a Novel.
Knowing I was going to get to that stage soon, I bookmarked her page. She offers a wealth of process thoughts, as well links to posts on point of view, dialogue and style. As per her instructions, I have put my draft away “for at least two weeks.” Technically, two weeks is up on Wednesday, but I'll go longer to ensure when I open the file again, it is reads fresh and new.
This is hard though, since I’m eager to get back at it…to revisit this thing I started writing last winter. Other than presenting early chapters to my writing group, I have not allowed myself to go back and read, for fear of drowning in necessary changes and sputtering to a halt before completing the story at all. And although Jodie says right now I should send it to Beta readers while I’m waiting, I’m not there yet. I know how scattered my writing can be. It wouldn't be fair to do that to anyone. Instead, I'll go through one revision before letting anyone read it…with the exception of the aforementioned writers’ group, whose members have patiently been commenting chapter by chapter. As I complete this first revision, I’ll incorporate their comments.
So in the meantime, the clock ticks slowly and I wait, trying hard not to bite my nails. The upside? I’ve got more time to write blog posts. And, I’m spending my middle-aged, sleepless nights, deciding if I have an idea for the next WIP.
