I had big plans for yesterday. Before I settled down to continue working on writing the sequel to Mayhem at the Happy Valley Motor Inn and Resort, I was going to tidy up the most recent edits for chapters 21-30 in that original manuscript.
It had taken me two painstaking days to get the chapters fleshed out and whittled down and, in some cases, exorcised, and I planned to spend some time looking at spacing between paragraphs and sentences. Making sure there were no orphans or widows lurking about—even though those really won’t be a concern until it’s time to publish.
It wouldn’t take me long, I thought, and soon I could be delving into the continued stories of my characters in and around Happy Valley.
But, if you read the title you’ll understand that instead of tidying up, I was redoing all the editing I’d already done because I didn’t save any of it! Grrr. Thankfully, it went faster this time. I remembered most of the changes I’d made using my editor’s guidelines. And now it’s triple saved, just in case.
Some days I think I’ve wasted too much time on this novel writing enterprise. What if my debut novel is awful and nobody wants to read it? That’s a looming possibility. But then I think, “Goofball, what else would you have done with your life these past few months?” and I shrug and keep working,
Peace, people!
Praying for Eyebrowz 
Oh everyone has these thoughts Leslie re their work. You keep at it y’hear. x
LikeLiked by 2 people
The editing process is making me crazy.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Listen..forget Dante’s idea of hell, t is the 7 stages of suck. you finish you think WOW>.. Did I write this?? By the real finish you have gone through thinking did I write this (as in seriouslY…….) To how could I write this? Then comes along the little voice sto say no-one will buy that. No-one will read that. Just tell them to button it okay. It is the daily battle so many of us fight.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! The pit of despair seems to have brightened a bit.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The bottom line??? you got the clay there. Seriously hold to that.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I will! Thank you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I fully believe that the editing process was harder and more painful than the actual writing process. That feeling that “this is awful and nobody is going to read it” kind of doesn’t even go away once you’ve gotten readers and feedback that people are really enjoying it (if you are as neurotic as I am anyway). Of all the things I’ve done and created over the years, writing an publishing a book was the most vulnerable and self conscious I’ve ever felt when presenting something I’ve made to the world. There is so much more you put of yourself into a book than most anything else.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s good to hear I’m not the only one. What’s been hard is not hearing a word from two of my readers. I keep thinking that’s a bad sign even though others have read it and liked it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ugh! I’m SO sorry! This was something that I dealt with and it was awful! A couple of people that I really trusted agreed to read for me and I never heard a word. My book has been out for almost a year and a half and I STILL haven’t heard a single word from them about it. I get it, stuff comes up and things change, but SAY that! I was so hurt and offended because I trusted these people to do what they said. It is so hard when people you count on don’t follow through.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s exactly what I’m experiencing. Even if they weren’t crazy about it, let me know why! Maybe it’s something I could improve upon,
LikeLiked by 1 person
I had asked my cousin also and she was very upfront that she may not be able to do it as she struggled to focus long enough to read much, but she wanted to try. When she couldn’t, she up front told me she couldn’t, and felt awful for it. I have so much appreciation for her because of her ability to actually admit she couldn’t. This process really showed the true colors of some people.
If you find you need another reader, I’d be willing to try. I’m not certain you are in a genre I typically read, but I’ll still try. AND I’ll let you know if I can’t! I really hate that you are experiencing this, too!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I really appreciate that. I might take you up on it once it’s all edited.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Darn it
LikeLiked by 1 person
My epithet was a bit stronger.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Understood
LikeLiked by 1 person