Comments on: Over and Over and Over, Again?

By: Melissa

Melissa — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 21:43:08 +0000

Ah! Revisions! This is where I can’t seem to find “the end.” LOL Just when I think I have the pages polished and ready to send, I make the mistake of reading over them one last time. I just can’t do that. There is always something I think needs to be changed and I find myself reworking everything. It’s so frustrating!

By: jamiecolette

jamiecolette — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 20:31:35 +0000

I have never had an editor or agent ask me to do revisions, but I know the time is coming soon. I have had to revise things in my story for my critique partners. When I changed it, it sounded much much better, but I know I am going to have to revise some more for my editor and agent. The way I see it- they know what would make my story better so I will have to change what they want me to change to get my book published.

By: Keri Ford

Keri Ford — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 00:08:16 +0000

bockbockbockbockbockbockbock……

By: Amy Talley

Amy Talley — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 21:32:23 +0000

Ha Ha! So right, Beppie. They do hold all the cards. You made me laugh and that’s been hard to do today. Everything seems to be going wrong.

By: beppieharrison

beppieharrison — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 21:25:36 +0000

Revisions. Oh my goodness. I have to go back to my nonfiction days, and the wonderful time when my editor wanted major changes on one chapter (it was a book on marriage; the chapter was on infidelity and to this day I’m certain that the subject was one on which the editor was particularly sensitive). After a somewhat heated discussion, I said in exasperation, “Well, you hold all the cards.” And my dear editor snapped back, “Damn right.”

Which of course is true, so we do them. LIKING doing them is something entirely different –

By: Amy Talley

Amy Talley — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 19:48:13 +0000

Oh, I so hope that works out for you, Vicki. Now I just feel like a big chicken. Or maybe just lazy.

I am going to get after it…as soon as I know what she wants me to do. I will look at the glass half full. Maybe my revision will turn out like yours and I will feel that it is much better.

By: Vicki

Vicki — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 18:06:40 +0000

Amy, I had ATB completely done, completely edited and was very happy with it. The word count was at the time not too high.

It had a partial request and I was very happy. Then I received an email from the editor and she liked it but said the word count was NOW too high for them with the economy they were cutting back on words.

So…IF I could cut it down to meet their word count, she wanted the full.

I had to cut very close to 20K words. Was it hard? Oh yeah, but I didn’t lose one scene. Things were tightened and now I love it even more. The editor has it and I’m keeping my fingers crossed to here something from her soon.

By: Amy Talley

Amy Talley — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:29:19 +0000

Good point, but I guess I am afraid of convoluting my GMC and losing sight of my characters. To me, it’s like trying to change who you are…or maybe trying to fit inside a size 6 when you are really a size 12.

I mean, I’m going to do the revisions. I don’t really have a choice with a category. But it’s a whole new ballgame for me.

By: Keri Ford

Keri Ford — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:52:12 +0000

The editing process is where my characters really come to life and I’m always excited to watch that take place.

So, because of that, I enjoy revisions. I’ve had a couple revision suggestions from editors/agents. I always dive in after them and get started—but keep my original. You never know when something just doesn’t work.

I’ve put myself in the mindset of, “if you don’t try it, how do you know it won’t be better?”