Thursday, April 1, 2010

Almost there


I have a chapter-and-a-half left and my massive manuscript revision is done. While I need to balance a couple of personal things tomorrow, it's entirely possible I will be done by this time tomorrow night.

This is the seventh complete rewrite, and by far the most comprehensive. This one, you might recall, comes after book editor Staley spent weeks going through the manuscript and made copious notes and suggestions. Her work was excellent and her suggestions spot on. I am very, very happy with where the book is, although I'm a bit nervous about tackling the ending.

I'm most happy that, after all of this editing and rewriting and revising, the book is still my book. It's still the story I envisioned when I sat down at the computer (not even this one, but a previous one) and began banging out a crude first draft. It's still my idea, my plot, my characters. I was terrified that someone would take me aside and tell me: Dude, this sucks. You need to completely rethink this.

But they didn't. And I'm happy. And relieved. I swear I'm not going to work for a week or so once it's done and off to the final beta readers. Okay, I guess I need to spend some time polishing the query letter. Again. But mainly, next week is reserved for baseball. It is opening week, you know.

So that's where I am tonight. Tired but happy that The Devil You Don't Know is almost ready to start shopping around.

Oh, and keep the roller derby nicknames coming. We are loving them! Gina, yours were particularly well received.

Oh, my newest nickname idea? Lois Pain. Get it? She's a reporter. Lois Lane?

8 comments:

  1. I can feel your enthusiasm for, The Devil You Don't Know, simply bubbling through my computer screen!

    It appears you're nearly there, Terry.

    Delighted for you :)

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  2. I feel the excitement for you! This is so effin cool.

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  3. Yay!! Go you!! Pre-congrats. I remember you posting the query on TPQSP and thought it was a pretty good story. I'm so glad it's almost ready.

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  4. The light at the end of the tunnel approaches! If you need help with the query letter, email me if you like. My email's in my profile on blogger.

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  5. That's got to be a great feeling, congrats!

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  6. Hi Terry, congratulations!

    Lame roller derby nicknames: Princess Laser (Leia) or Queen Ima Smash Ya (Amidala)

    Shameless promotion:

    Please visit my blog and comment today. I have a post by guest blogger Justine Dell where she shares an ACTUAL query letter of hers that found success.

    She is a wonderfully lady, always willing to help another writer and I would really like her to get the recognition she deserves.

    Thanks!

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  7. Congratulations Terry, you're almost there! And I love the Lois Pane name! I vote for that!

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  8. WAY TO GO TERRY!!!

    *Snoopy dance*

    Now... just don't get so excited that you're almost done, that you rush that last chapter and a 1/2. ;-)

    If your wife's a reporter, she could go by "Deadline".

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