How many of you have had a long enough time between a finished manuscript and your first edits to forget parts of your story? I'm not saying you're no longer familiar with your characters. They're like old friends, although I had forgotten the color of my heroine's eyes and realized I'd given her blue eyes in one scene and green in another. Oddly enough, I didn't pick it up when it was fresh in my mind. I was too close.
Sometimes revisiting an old manuscript as if it's a new book you're reading for pleasure is extremely helpful. My edits just came back for book 1 in my new Flirting with Fangs series. The editor did a great job and came up with some terrific questions and suggestions. Still, I caught a couple more inconsistencies on my own. Weird, huh?
It's not all bad when you're looking at your writing with fresh eyes. I caught myself smiling in a few places and thinking, Heh heh...that was pretty good. However, I rarely go back and read any of my finished books that have been published. I'm not talking about the galley or arc! I go over that puppy with a fine-tooth comb--pardon the cliches. But once it's too late to change anything, I'm almost afraid to look.
Recently I went back and reread a book I co-wrote with another author. Our voices and styles are similar and I wound up complimenting her on a particularly good line. She said, "You wrote that." I really didn't remember writing it and questioned my sanity--although, my sanity is often in question. (embarrassed grin) Perhaps I'm meant to do this odd job after all.
It's summer and light summer reads are part of the fun. I might just face my fear of imperfection and try reading some of my own light paranormal romances. I can imagine finding missed opportunities for humor or words and phrases I overuse, but it's all good. What's the worst that can happen? Will I be so hard on myself I offer to give back my advance and royalty checks? As if!
Sometimes revisiting an old manuscript as if it's a new book you're reading for pleasure is extremely helpful. My edits just came back for book 1 in my new Flirting with Fangs series. The editor did a great job and came up with some terrific questions and suggestions. Still, I caught a couple more inconsistencies on my own. Weird, huh?
It's not all bad when you're looking at your writing with fresh eyes. I caught myself smiling in a few places and thinking, Heh heh...that was pretty good. However, I rarely go back and read any of my finished books that have been published. I'm not talking about the galley or arc! I go over that puppy with a fine-tooth comb--pardon the cliches. But once it's too late to change anything, I'm almost afraid to look.
Recently I went back and reread a book I co-wrote with another author. Our voices and styles are similar and I wound up complimenting her on a particularly good line. She said, "You wrote that." I really didn't remember writing it and questioned my sanity--although, my sanity is often in question. (embarrassed grin) Perhaps I'm meant to do this odd job after all.
It's summer and light summer reads are part of the fun. I might just face my fear of imperfection and try reading some of my own light paranormal romances. I can imagine finding missed opportunities for humor or words and phrases I overuse, but it's all good. What's the worst that can happen? Will I be so hard on myself I offer to give back my advance and royalty checks? As if!
Great post, Ash! I edit all the time as I'm writing because I found I was writing WAY too long if I wrote the story, then added setting, people descriptions, more emotions, etc. But when I'm adding in new stuff, and it hasn't been reread 50 times or more, I'll come across it and think, oh, gee, this is neat. When did I come up with that? But it's only because I haven't already read it so many times before!
ReplyDeleteI do, Ashlyn. I wait a good while, though. I also reread my keepers from other author, too.
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