Victory! Editing is done!
That’s how I feel right now. Victorious. As of approximately 2 hours ago, I’m completely done with all of the editing that came back on the 3rd.
I have to say, the entire editing process was extremely daunting. I had no idea when I started this thing that it’d be such a chore to read through redline edits and re-incorporate them into my story. But here we are, approximately 49 weeks after I wrote the first words on March 5th of last year — done.
Well, not fully done. Done editing. I have seven chapters that I’m going to rework and add to over the weekend. Not major edits, but sprucing up a few of the bits within the scenes of those chapters.
If you’ve been following along on my blog here, you know what a monumental day this is for me. Over the last five or six months I’ve felt somewhat defeated, I ever considered not finishing the book. But I pressed through, showed patience, and continued to push myself mentally to make sure I finished this thing.
It doesn’t seem like a big deal if you’ve never written a book before, but I can assure you that it’s quite an intense process. If you’re a ready, I’d suggest thanking your favorite authors — keep buying their books, keep supporting what they love to do.
I thought, a year ago when I started, it’d be so easy to do this. Just jot some words down on a few pages, click a few buttons, add in some cover art, and call it a day.
If it were that easy, I’d have finished so long ago.
I think, on some level, I actually enjoyed the feedback I got from people about the book — not just my friends and family that read it, but from my editor(s), too. The hardest bits of constructive criticism to swallow, for me, is trying to figure out why someone doesn’t like one of your characters or plot points.
After spending hours contemplating something so simple — such as the mannerisms of one of your characters — to then have someone tell you that they hate that trait you specifically wrote out in that manner? That’s heartbreaking. But it’s a good heartbreak. It makes you think of how you could do something better and how you can make that character jump off the page more than he or she already did.
There’s still a long road ahead with this whole thing, but I’m excited to get back on the road. I don’t anticipate selling millions of copies (heck, I’d be happy selling a hundred). I don’t expect to be on Ellen talking about the book, or have Oprah pick it for book club. I don’t expect a film to be made. I guess I don’t have any expectations, which means that whatever happens from this point on will have to be viewed in a positive light.
If you’ve been following along here — thanks for coming on this journey with me. Even though you’ve done nothing but read a blog, it means a lot to me. Now if I can squeeze a couple of bucks out of you when the book comes out, I’ll be a happy guy.
Stay tuned — we’re almost there!