- Joined
- Feb 12, 2005
- Messages
- 7,705
- Reaction score
- 1,336
- Location
- Where the Wild Things Are
- Website
- www.christine-norris.com
I'm feeling like the Queen of the Writers! Tuesday, I got a 'rejection' letter from a small publisher. It wasn't bad, though...
Ok, so I went and tore into it. I cut 1K from the FIRST CHAPTER. Yeah, I had all kinds of junk that was just sucking up space. Then I went and condensed a bit more, but added the characterization she asked for, mostly at the end.
It wound up being about the same length, and I was still feeling the story wasn't taking off as quick as it could.
Then it hit me... combine the front half of the book into one continuous storyline! There's no need for the hidden diary to be in the drawer, when later the MC and her friends are going to find something else hidden later. Why can't the diary be hidden with the other stuff? I can delete what amounted to a whole chapter! I rearranged, I reshuffled, I cut and pasted for hours.
And now I feel like the Empress of Revision. What an even better book this is!
Whew. I'm still not done, I have to do a final cleanup to make sure everything fits with the new storyline. But man, what a cool thing to do!
While I loved the premise of your story, there are a few issues preventing me from offering a contract at this time. If you're willing to address these issues, I would be happy to review the revised manuscript.
My first concern is where your story begins. There are a few scenes at the beginning that don't feel necessary. As you read through the first half of your manuscript, ask yourself if each scene is absolutely integral for the plot. Can you condense any of it? Can you combine certain scenes? Consider opening your story closer to the point where your main plot begins.
Ok, so I went and tore into it. I cut 1K from the FIRST CHAPTER. Yeah, I had all kinds of junk that was just sucking up space. Then I went and condensed a bit more, but added the characterization she asked for, mostly at the end.
It wound up being about the same length, and I was still feeling the story wasn't taking off as quick as it could.
Then it hit me... combine the front half of the book into one continuous storyline! There's no need for the hidden diary to be in the drawer, when later the MC and her friends are going to find something else hidden later. Why can't the diary be hidden with the other stuff? I can delete what amounted to a whole chapter! I rearranged, I reshuffled, I cut and pasted for hours.
And now I feel like the Empress of Revision. What an even better book this is!
Whew. I'm still not done, I have to do a final cleanup to make sure everything fits with the new storyline. But man, what a cool thing to do!