A couple of years ago, when I set aside my YA manuscript, Synapse, a Novel in Three Voices, I thought it was finished. It wasn’t the first time I’d thought that, but this time it really was. This novel was the best I could make it, and it was good! Or so I believed.
Now, two years later, I’ve made yet another editing pass and found more things to tweak. Not big things, just some places where I’d said too much, and other places where I’d left too much out. There were spots that looked a little rough, so I tried to make them flow more smoothly. One of the characters has a very distinctive way of speaking, and I tried to make her easier to read.
I suppose as long as you keep growing as a writer, you’ll find fault with your old work. So it’s a good thing I’m still striving for something better, right? And I think I’m even achieving.
But how do you know your flower has hit full bloom? How do you know when to stop begging your critique partners to take another look? There's certainly a point of diminishing returns, or worse yet, a point where you're doing more harm than good. But how do you recognize it?
Well, maybe just one more pass.
Now, two years later, I’ve made yet another editing pass and found more things to tweak. Not big things, just some places where I’d said too much, and other places where I’d left too much out. There were spots that looked a little rough, so I tried to make them flow more smoothly. One of the characters has a very distinctive way of speaking, and I tried to make her easier to read.
I suppose as long as you keep growing as a writer, you’ll find fault with your old work. So it’s a good thing I’m still striving for something better, right? And I think I’m even achieving.
But how do you know your flower has hit full bloom? How do you know when to stop begging your critique partners to take another look? There's certainly a point of diminishing returns, or worse yet, a point where you're doing more harm than good. But how do you recognize it?
Well, maybe just one more pass.
