Sheikh! (The Musical)
Okay, not really, but I thought since revisions got their own musical, the sheikh should too, since he was the star of that musical. Yes, I’m sleep deprived, why do you ask? Ahem.
So, my editor, who is apparently a genius and also some sort of Highlander, got back to me about my dear tortured sheikh today…and she was really pleased with what I’ve done! One tweak to do and he’s pretty much gold and THAT makes everything worth it. Why? Because it’s SO MUCH better now.
This story was always there, but it took digging to get there. I had the structure of it, I had the characters, but it took some serious work to really get there and really go as deep as I could with it. It was complicated, it was tricky, but it was doable. And while I didn’t see everything that I hadn’t done, and everything I could do, she did. Getting it there was still up to me, but it took that extra, very well-trained, pair of eyes to help me see it all.
Here’s what I really have to work on, what I still need to be mindful of: Don’t let the plot make the characters do things they wouldn’t. (it makes it much more interesting if they’re kicking and screaming to whole way anyway) Pacing. I tend to think of keeping the pace up as moving the characters from one place to the next. Like, really fast. This, however, hampers the character development, and the reader is left with lots of physical action, but nothing real of the characters to latch onto.
Above all, I have to remind myself it’s character, character, character. What the reader needs is to be able to really feel connected to those characters. As quickly as possible. I think a fabulous example of that is in Kathleen O’Reilly’s Sex, Straight Up. (don’t let the title fool you, this is a seriously well-written, deeply emotional book) The first two pages gives you so much of the hero, where he’s been, where he’s at now, where he’s going, and the struggle in him to stop the direction his life is taking. Two pages in, I’m shedding tears for this man I’ve just met, and THAT is an amazing skill. One that I’m still trying to really grasp onto.
So, yet again, I say, no matter how painful (and a 5 page, yeah, 5 page) revision letter is somewhat painful, no matter how hard, it’s worth it. I guess the moral of the story is, if you don’t suffer, how will you ever make your characters suffer enough? It’s the key to the HEA. Theirs and yours.
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So delighted for you Maisey. And so glad there’s another book out there on my ‘must read’ list! something to look forward to!
Awww…Sally that’s sweet! Thank you very much. I have to say, that was one big sigh of a relief…and a Snoopy dance…when I got that letter!
Great news Maisey! And a great post 😀 Thanks!
Yay, Maisey! Having seen the Sheikh progress, can I say how impressed I am with what you’ve managed to do. You’ve worked so hard on this and you have done SO well. You inspire me to tackle my revisions too! I hope I manage to do as well as you can! 🙂
You go girl!
Thank you and thank you, Lacey!
I’m really glad, Jackie. It was very timely in that sense! You got to see The Sheikh in all his incarnations, and then we got to find out that I did something right, which helps! LOL.
Congrats on breaking your sheikh duck successfully Maisey!
Thanks, Joanne! I’m very happy. 😀
Yeah! Maisey. Congratulations on making those revisions work. I can’t wait to read it.
Thanks Anne! I’m excited to get the title and all that fun stuff. 😉