When I was in the hospital, I had a lot of time to think. It’s either that or watch a ton of FRIENDS reruns.
Before going to the Galapagos, I’d sent a manuscript to my agent to read. When I hit the send button, I thought it was a pretty good story. But as I said, while recuperating, I had a chance to think about it and knew that I was wrong.
I could make that sucker better.
I needed to let the manuscript rest first, and then go back and look at it, rewrite it…reedit it.
What do I mean when I say, “Let it rest?” I mean put that story in a drawer and leave it alone for a few weeks or even longer. Take some time to read books, visit friends, travel, or maybe even start a new project.
Then revisit your Work in Progress. You’ll see it with fresh eyes, getting a new perspective. You’ll be better able to spot plot holes, character inconsistencies, and other issues you may have missed. You’ll come back to your manuscript with a more objective and critical mindset.
It’ll help you gain clarity on both your story and your characters. It may help you find new ideas or answers to problems that you couldn’t see before.
Coming back to your Work in Progress will help you polish your manuscript. It’ll also give you a chance to renew your creative juices.
Guaranteed, it will help you catch a ton of typos.
As luck would have it, my agent hadn’t had a chance to read the manuscript, and I asked her not to. Not until I had a chance to take another look at it.
By spending time reediting the work, I’m able to put more “flesh on the bones’ of the characters I’ve written. You want them to be as three dimensional as you can possibly make them.
I hope to be finished with the edits before the end of the month and get the manuscript back into my agent’s hands by the first of the year. I think it will be a much better product. I've even retitled it. Fingers crossed, we can find it a home.
