finish my novel

Well, #2 Beta Reader LOVED it. She is my “unconditional approval” reader so the value of that is debatable, but the enthusiasm in her voice was not really fakeable (she’s SO not a good liar!) so I’m taking it. :-)

She is EXACTLY my target audience too. Romantic fantasy is right down her alley, and if it sings to her, then I am confident it would sing to my target audience, IF I can manage to make it sing to an editor. So a little more tinkering with the beginning, a couple of discrepancies to fix, and it’s out to my #3 Beta Reader, my “total stranger who will hopefully be completely honest but not brutal because she doesn’t have to worry about my feelings but also doesn’t have any personal axes to grind, plus she’s a writer so she knows what’s what” reader. :-)

That will, I think, be the TRUE test.

Literally. I have to rewrite the opening, it just sucks. Not only do I hate it, but my First Reader is less than thrilled with it as well. And we all know that the first paragraph really has to sell it, so back to the drawing board.

I have a really super idea as to how to do it, though, thanks to a lunchtime brainstorming session. I think, if I do it right, it could really change the tone of the book for the better. Plus it will be intriguing, and completely different. I am really eager to get started.

And other than that, there were only some minor inconsistency-type changes that he felt I should make. Oh, yeah, and that Tourette’s scene about halfway through that just makes no freakin’ sense…I really have to redo that. But we are DEFINITELY making progress!

I am SO psyched! I have completely finished my Version Two rewrite, down to the “thats”. (Long story.) It is polished and ready for beta readers, one of whom is getting it today. The other will not be ready for it until probably the end of May, but that’s okay. I will work on Sunshadow and Publicity Stunt while I wait. I have been putting off working on those because I felt too guilty devoting time to them that should have been used to finish rewriting Moonshadow. So now I’m free to create again!

I also got a timeline done, which was really critical as time is such a factor and has been so confusing, with the different rates of time passage in the two different realms. So I did that yesterday and as I was doing it, cleaned up all the inconsistencies and outright mistakes. So I feel really good about this!

Goal is to have this out by my birthday in September. What a great birthday present that would be!

Okay, I am feeling good about the direction this is taking. I have had the feeling that it was all tightening up, coming together in the shape it is supposed to have…and my First Reader has confirmed that for me. It is looking and sounding much better and there are only a few little inconsistencies that I need to tighten up.

The problem is making the time to do this. I am stretched so far already that I am just not sure where I will put this in. I suppose I am going to have to do the same thing I have done with my exercise and just carve out a block of time every day when this is what I do and I am not to be interrupted.

I have been very hesitant to do that because this dream is just not supported by my family. They are going to resent the hell out of any time I devote to this and I just can’t afford to give up any more sleep. So it’s going to be rough…I’m going to have to just suck it up and do it. And bear the consequences.

...but not much. I have done some revision, much of it while trundling away on my TREADMILL, which I love. Am meeting with my First (and most patient) Reader Wed. to go over these revisions and the new direction the book is taking. I feel really good about; have a market in mind and just need to get it finished so I can submit it.

Not there yet, but getting there.

Okay, the book is done in the sense that there’s a beginning, a middle, and an end. Revision, however, is turning out to be something that I think I could spend the rest of my life doing.

I know it will never be perfect, but at what point is it “good enough” and how do you know when you’re there? I know I could spend the next ten years revising and still think of things to change.

My target audience has changed a little, so there is some alteration to do there, and there are a few inconsistencies I need to iron out (thank GOD for my AWESOME first reader!) and then I think it will be done. As done as I can get it anyway.

So this year, it will be done and sent out. I WILL finish this last revision before summer, and that’s it. I will send it out and if I get no bites, that’s it. It’s going in the trunk, and on to the next one. I have got to keep swimming or I’ll drown in all the ideas…