When Are You Done Editing a Manuscript...?
Where Fleur puts a fork in a manuscript and fosters the floofs.
It’s been a busy May here at Casa Fleur, though it’s hard to tell sometimes what I actually accomplished… I wrote some, edited some, and took care of all sorts of random appointments and things. For whatever reason, May is a busy bee of a month. It should calm down a little…
The good busy part is that my garden is in full bloom, and the birdies are nesting in every corner. New life is nice after the winter. I’m also busy planting new stuff before it gets too warm. Seems like I’m always in a hurry to beat the next season.
On the writing side, I’ve been putting a spit-shine on a YA crime novel I wrote some time ago. My new agent will be taking it out on submission soon; that means it will be landing on the desks of various editors out there. I’ve been making edits based on my agent’s feedback and generally giving this manuscript I hadn’t looked at in a while another pass.
Other than some copyedits, it was in great shape (a relief, honestly). And it was good to look at this book with fresh eyes, and then call it done. For me, that means I’ve made it the best I can make it at that particular time—my best effort. How do you know you're done? People have asked me this, and it took me a few books to figure it out.
I know I’m done editing when I think of adding something (a sentence, a cool plot element) and I realize that I already did that very thing on the next page.
It’s a strange conversation with yourself, novel revision. But kinda nice too. I’m decent conversation, if I do say so myself. And I do say so myself, to myself.
You can roll your eyes now, I deserve it.
What I’m Writing
After working on this novel revision, I plan to get back to the YA mystery I was writing a rough draft of. I’m about three-quarters of the way through, and hope to finish the draft in June. I changed my mind on who the killer is (a common thing for me) about halfway through, but I’m having fun playing whodunit again with a familiar cast of characters.
I’m also revising a short story and my non-fiction writing craft book that still needs a better title. Stay tuned.
Where I’m Going
I’ll be speaking at my local SCBWI chapter on creating a speaker profile on June 8th, here in Colorado Springs. Register and come join us!
I’m doing that same-ish talk for Pikes Peak Writers on June 17th, so we’re about to grow some good speakers here.
Looking forward to sharing my knowledge and helping fellow writers.
What I’m Reading
I wish I could remember where I got the book recommendation, but I’m really enjoying I Need You to Read This by Jessa Maxwell.
It’s the story of a young woman who takes over a long-running Dear Abby type newspaper column after the writer is murdered. Good classic mystery vibes with perhaps a hint of unreliable narrator (I won’t know until I’m done). Recommended.
What I’m Watching
Natasha Lyonne is killing it again in the new season of Poker Face, on Peacock here in the US. Also recommended. I’ll watch anything with Natasha Lyonne in it.
Fosterfloofs
The fosterfloofs are almost fully cooked, but still need to stay another week to make weight. I’ll take one for the team. Foster kitten Mulder (grey) is already spoken for, but sister Scully (calico) still needs a home, for my local friends. She’s very curious, sweet, and playful.
Thank you so much for this post. I agree that knowing when to stop editing and truly be done is so hard, and I really liked that you mentioned taking it as far as you can. I also loved your comment about how if you have a cool idea and you want to implement it but then realize it's already there, you might be done. That happens to me all the time.
I've often wondered if my ideas will ever stop whilst editing a book and sometimes it seems like they never will, but I think where I struggle most is knowing if it's done on a sentence by sentence basis. Sometimes I get under my own skin and worry that my sentences are too clunky or that they haven't earned their right on the page. Do you have any tips for this problem? Reading out loud helps, but I'm always game for more writing tips!
Thanks for the great post!