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| Mayburgh Henge |
If you remember, gentle reader, that last time we spoke my
NWS manuscript, The Stone Voice, had been put forward for a second read
Since then things have moved on.
This week my manuscript came home to me. And it came home
with two reader reports. Now I thought I would be upset that the manuscript
wasn’t being sent on to agents or publishers but I knew the manuscript wasn’t
ready. It was part way through an edit.
So it was with regret but no surprise that I read the
reports. Well I couldn’t be happier. My first reader loved it! Which you would
expect as she passed it on for the second read. My second reader report was
amazing. Eight pages of gold dust. They have gone chapter by chapter working
asking questions and teasing out theme and motivation so I can make it
stronger. And the comment which made me happy…
“When a story is so close to
being spot-on it can often be difficult to work out why some bits of the story
aren’t hanging together…”
WOW!
So I have taken suggestion from my fellow Heroine Addicts
and will be copying said reports. I will keep a copy untouched. I will take a
copy and highlight all the positive points (for bad days). And with the other I
will highlight in one colour those I agree with and in another colour those
comments I don’t necessarily agree with. Then I have been told to do nothing
for a month.
I can do nothing for a month. I think. I do have my new
story to work on. In November I’ll be
back in the editing chair.
I can’t wait!
Come back on Sunday to hear from Susanna
I can tell you are set to take off... It's such a gift when you are given advice that you can work with!
ReplyDeletelx
Exactly! The comments are something tangible I can tackle.
ReplyDeleteBx
Fantastic! *wild applause* So glad you've got gold dust to work with!
ReplyDeleteAnd that's a fabulous pic of Mayburgh. :-)
Anna Louise Lucia
Well done! I'm on the NWS too but have never had a second read. It's a huge achievement and you can be very proud. Heartening for the rest of us too. Good luck with the revisions.
ReplyDeleteJohanna.
That sounds wonderful and it's brilliant that you're so close! Keeping everything crossed for you when you do that final revision and then send it off!
ReplyDeleteAnna - Thank you! And yes a fabulous photo of Mayburgh to inspire me.
ReplyDeleteJohanna - Thank you! I'm glad it is heartening for you but I must say that not having a second read doesn't mean you won't sell. Julie, Anna and Liz never had second reads and see how well they did!
ReplyDeleteThanks Pia! Lots more work but I have hope.
ReplyDeleteIt's important, as you say, to keep a sense of what you don't agree with in the comments, too, and not just change things to please someone else.
ReplyDeleteGood advice can be wonderful, but one thing I've learnt is that if I feel very strongly about a plot point or a character, it's perfectly all right for me to keep that bit the way it is, no matter how I'm counselled to do otherwise.
You have to take advice, but you also have to listen to your instinct.
So excited that you're at this stage!