Almost Ready for the Big Test

After one year, I’m exhausted yet satisfied that I’ve given my best effort before handing over my fiction manuscript to a professional editor. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve read my work but the number of major revisions now stands at ten.

Looking back, each revision had a very specific focus. I spent hundreds of hours reading books between revisions -- classics, contemporary fiction and non-fiction books about writing -- each time collecting a new perspective that helped me to identify areas for improvement. I found reading to be a comfort at the end of a marathon editing session -- sometimes going back through the manuscript multiple times. At the end of each session, I struggled with the urge to continue my work despite my mental exhaustion. Reading books helped me to focus my mind on something other than my story, allowing time to recharge while considering the wisdom and advice of those who have far greater experience.

Now, I believe I’ve done all that I can do without outside help. I’ll try to rest while my mind paces like an expectant father, knowing the result will only require more work. By that time, I hope to have a fresh perspective and a willingness to accept the broader suggestions of a seasoned professional.

Another step closer, yet still so far away

Alternating between reading and editing, I have now completed Revision Eight of my fiction manuscript, Box of Dreams. It is not really a unique part of my process to continuously rewrite sections. Ernest Hemingway rewrote sections of his stories many times before allowing anyone to read them. I know first hand the embarrassment of presenting a piece before it is time. A writer should accept the editing stage as an opportunity to work through every angle, sometimes reading stories hundreds of times before declaring it suitable for public scrutiny.

As a former project manager, I see parallels to the planning and execution stages. Creating architectural drawings is perfectly analogous to the process of creating an outline for a story. This is the stage in which principles are applied to ensure the pieces will go together to produce something aesthetically pleasing, yet functional. To me, writing the first draft is like erecting the steel framework for a building, it defines the outer parameters but the work is far from over. Bar joists and decking are laid between the structural members and concrete floors are poured before ducting and metal stud walls are installed. The list of details continues until the project is complete.

Similarly, creating a story begins with nothing more than a few ideas. As the ideas are further developed, changes are necessary to maintain consistency. The basics of writing help to establish a story that is hopefully plausible and intriguing. Yet, the writer continues to define each part of a story in sufficient detail to satisfy the reader. It continues until the story jumps from the page into the mind of the reader without drawing attention to the fundamental parts. It is like looking at a beautiful building without regard for the steel that is hidden beneath. We can hopefully appreciate it as a whole when it is done.

I have reached a point of saturation in which I can no longer see potential issues. This is not new. I have experienced it seven times previously. Each edit requires time to relax, separating myself from the work so that I may look at it with a fresh perspective, perhaps weeks from now. However, this time, I will seek the advice of an editor to help me understand how the story is perceived. It is also an opportunity to improve on style.

Luckily, I have short stories that must be edited before the submission deadline of April 15th. It will keep me busy for a few weeks and then I will go back and make any necessary changes to my manuscript before approaching agents and publishers with the best that I have to offer and hopefully move to the next phase, marketing, with a whole new list of issues with which to contend.