Putting down a manuscript and stepping away is one of the hardest things I ever have to do. I’m so excited by the story, so in love with the characters, so driven to get it out there that I never just leave it alone. At least not long enough to make a difference.

I did this with my first novel. I couldn’t understand why agents didn’t love it as much as I did. What the editor that gave me comments was talking about. It was too close, too soon, too real. Such a part of my heart I could not attain that distance.

Just recently I looked back at that first manuscript, let myself have a little chuckle and put it back in it’s safe place.  I still love the story, but now I see all the error. The glaring, horrific errors.  In truth, my muse (overbearing bitch that she is) – well she’s already planning alterations to the story. A way to bring it new life in the future. To gut out the heart of the story and rework into something actually usable.  That is a long way off. The story needs major overhaul and I may never touch it again – or it may be another few years if I do.  Distance gave me one hell of a perspective.

I did that with Changing Tracks too. While the structure is infinitely better, it still needed work. I thought that baby was shimmering when I sent it out into the world. In my eyes, it totally was.  Until two months later when I got notes from an editor on the partial. That was when the nagging voice of the muse started to creep up with thoughts on how to change it.

I ignored the voice.  Told the muse to shove it. I had partials and fulls out and I was not touching it. Period.

I moved on. Wrote another book or two.  The full manuscript was out in the WWW.  I was not going to touch it.

Well, as I said before the muse can be a demanding bitch.  After a year of hearing me say “no touchy” I got screamed at in a variety of languages to shut up and listen. The notes we’d received, and our own personal reflection showed us not only weak chapters, but weak characters and plot holes.

A major character without a spine was not going to get me anywhere. A scene with the main character weak and out of it when she’s supposed to be a strong, smart and capable woman would never fly. One minor character was in the entire wrong profession and personality.

Minor changes turned into overhauls.  Great lines remain, great scenes are untouched.  New chapters have appeared, and characters have evolved.

Unlike my first novel, this ms has hope. It’s strong, and getting stronger every day.

Now if I can just leave it alone (again) once I’m done with these edits (or find the cash to obtain an editor’s eye) to make sure I don’t jump the gun again.