An interesting thing happened to me?writing-wise?and it?s been one of those really unexpected blessings that came in disguise.
As I wrote about recently, I had a fairly prominent literary agency respond to my new query letter, requesting–pretty energetically–to read the first 50 pages of Finders Keepers. Naturally, I was pretty jazzed up about it. So I went back to my manuscript and gave it a thoroughly read-through, and to my surprise?and delight?I was able to snip and prune those pages An interesting thing happened to me?writing-wise?and it?s been one of those really unexpected blessings that came in disguise.
As I wrote about recently, I had a fairly prominent literary agency respond to my new query letter, requesting–pretty energetically–to read the first 50 pages of Finders Keepers. Naturally, I was pretty jazzed up about it. So I went back to my manuscript and gave it a thoroughly read-through, and to my surprise?and delight?I was able to snip and prune those pages so that they were tighter and cleaner than ever.
I haven?t spent much time on my manuscript in about six months, so I?ve got a little more perspective now. Fresh eyes. Even though the agency ultimately passed on my manuscript ($%#@!), it motivated me to read not just the first 50 pages, but the entire book.
So for the last two weeks I?ve been reading and re-reading pages, making mostly minor edits, just giving Finders Keepers a nice polish.
And then it happened.
After zinging along as a reader, I started to notice that there were some scenes?while I felt well written and accomplishing what I initially intended?were redundant. It?s like a movie director looking at the entire film, sitting in the editing room, and saying?you know what? As much as it kills me to do it, I think we can cut this scene.
I?m still editing, and probably will be for about another two weeks, but I?m finding a chapter here, a chapter there, that can probably go. It?s allowing me to trim the manuscript down so that it?s really tight and clean, which is always the goal. It also helps with pacing, keeping the plot moving along.
So once again, something really positive comes out of a seeming setback. And Finders Keepers is better for it.
