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January 20, 2010

Why I Dearly Love Revisions

Yes, I know, isn’t it easy to say when after the fact? Well, yes, it is. Hindsight, after all, is a brilliant and wonderful thing.

Ahem. My lovely, gorgeous, lovely editor who I LOVE emailed me today, and yay, she liked what I did with my partial.

And here I was, only a few weeks ago, righteously bummed over the massive amount of work those revisions represented. Yet again though, my editor was so right and she brought out the best in me by challenging me. So I’ll say it again, revisions are a beautiful thing. When you really have to sit and question what you did, why you did it, and why things don’t work, it forces you to find ways around your normal way of thinking and that just opens all kinds of possibilities up. I’ve learned that I limit myself in a way, and when I get new insight from my editor I have to find a way to break through those self-imposed barriers.

An editor points out your weaknesses, but whether they point them out to you or not, they exist. And you may not be able to see them, but, oh, your readers would SO be able to. I am thankful for this because, yet again, my editor really forced me to dig deeper. She not only pointed out my weaknesses, she made me dig deeper and find some new strengths. The result is a much better MS that I am much prouder of, and that I think readers will connect with on a deeper level.

So, hats off to my editor, and yay for revisions.


Comments

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  1. Great news. Hoping I’ll feel the same after my mammoth revs. I emailed the ed I’m working with and warned her to expect multiple emails once I start going through them. Thanks for the inpiration.

  2. They really don’t mind helping out. 🙂 They aren’t trying to confuse us, I promise! Once you get stuck into it you’ll start to feel more positive. Well, that’s always how it is for me. Mild to major initial ‘I can’t do it!’ panic attack, and then back to work. 🙂

  3. Hmm, I hate revising my ms–even when I know it’s really needed.

    I really hope, one day, to learn to love revisions. I’ve noticed every single author says they love them and they make their work stronger.

    Hope your ed likes the rest of your book just as much 🙂

  4. Well, we still hate them too in the sense that you just wish you’d have gotten it right in the first place, but once you’ve had the experience of having your work rewarded, you know how worth it it is!

  5. I love your attitude, Maisey:)
    Well done on receiving the green light for the revisions of the partial.

  6. Angie, that really means a lot to me. 🙂

  7. Maisey, I am proud of your attitude on revisions too. After your initial feeling of overwhelming failer (that may be a little dramatic),your able to, take a breath and see it for the constructive critique that it is meant to be. Very inspiring!

    I am so happy that your editor approved of and enjoyed your revisions.

  8. Thanks, mom. I get my attitude from you. 🙂 (especially when it’s sassy!)

  9. So far I love the (self-imposed) editing process. First draft writing is the hardest part for me. But you hit on something that’s so true: we can’t always see the weak areas in our own stories/writing, even though we sense they are there. Although I know it’ll be challenging (it always is to change one’s way of thinking!) but I look forward to the day I get my first editorial letter on a manuscript. I admire your attitude, Maisey, and hope to have one just like it on that (possible) day.

  10. Thanks you, Lori! I had to learn to love them, because heaven knows, I get plenty. But I’ve found that it’s been the thing that’s strengthened my writing more than just about anything else. I think that’s because it does make you change your thinking, and that really stretches you!

    Best of luck on the MS you have out!

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