Last Monday, the developmental edits for my second middle grade book, Flow, landed in my inbox. I had that flutter of nausea I get every time I’m faced with revisions. I am partly excited, partly anxious. I love revisions, but I can get easily overwhelmed with how much re-writing and fixing will have to be done. Once I’m in the weeds, though, the work feels good. I know this is a necessary step to making a novel better.
The email came earlier than I was expecting, with a very tight deadline. I was already reviewing and revising the second draft of my adult novel. I had just over 150 pages left to get through. I know myself well enough to recognize that when I am almost at the finish line, I can’t abandon the project. It will nag at me like a toddler, yelling in my head, “Mommy! MOMMMY! Look at me. LOOK. AT. ME. NOW!!!” I wouldn’t be able to focus on the middle grade book edits until I finished with the adult novel one.
I put my headphones on and got to work. I spent every bit of free time I had working on that until I finished. It's amazing what I can do when I focus. I cut more than 13,000 words. 84 pages gone.
Once my head was clear and that work was done, I gave myself the rest of the day off from literary endeavours. I baked. I read a book. I watched Succession. Checking out helps me clear my mind. I needed that break before I was ready to tackle the developmental edits for Flow.
Thursday morning, I poured myself a cup of coffee, pausing to consider whether or not to add a generous shot of Tambo Dulce de Leche liqueur. I chose to edit sober. I settled into my comfy spot on the sofa and downloaded the document. Blowing out a heavy breath, I opened her up. I was shocked. There were a total of 13 comments, only half of which were actionable items. This might not take long at all. For a brief moment, I feared that the final comment would be halfway through the manuscript with the note to re-write everything from that point forward. I was relieved that was not the case. The revisions might be light, but there was still the glossary and resource page to build.
I began reading the manuscript. It had been so long since I last put eyes on this book, that the words did not look familiar at all. I had to look at the latest saved draft to confirm I had sent the publisher the right version. I did.
I started a blank document where I would paste all the words I copied for the glossary, while also making notes about resources. It slowed me down, but I didn’t mind. Even with that extra work, I could finish with these revisions over the weekend. Friday morning, as I went to save the glossary page, my laptop let me know I already had a file titled Glossary in the folder.
Excuse me?
Yup. There was the glossary for this book. I spied another document titled Resources. I had done all the work two years ago. Of course I forgot I had done that. I struggle to remember what I had for lunch yesterday. But also, it was TWO YEARS AGO. I’ve written three books during that time.
This is one of the upsides to this long game of publishing. The waiting time allows me to read my manuscript with completely fresh eyes, which is important when it comes to revisions. I can clearly see where the issues are because the book feels new to me. I am embarrassed by the inconsistencies and bad or boring prose and impressed by the really good stuff.
This was a good reminder why we NEVER publish the first draft. The first of anything is never good. The first day of a new diet, the first day after quitting smoking, the first version of any software, the first time you have sex. My first podcast episode is an embarrassment. Everybody’s first everything sucks.
We need the time between the first and the latest to get better. I need the gap between submission and publication to improve my writing craft and get detached from the words I already wrote. I can read my own work like a reader meeting the characters and story for the first time. That’s how I make my novels more enjoyable.
I’m just about to finish the revisions on Flow. I will take a week off and then tackle draft #3 of my untitled adult novel. Draft 3 will go to my kids and husband to read (my in-house beta readers) and I’ll move on to the next project, another young adult novel.
Always writing, always improving.
Happy reading!
xo Dana
What I’m reading
Since I just finished editing my middle grade novel, I’m keeping my reading in the same genre. I’ve only just opened this book and already I am impressed with the blending of a very real struggle and magical realism. I feel Coyote Queen might have the same vibes for me as one my favourites, The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise (by Dan Gemeinhart).