'Tis me, the Queen of Rewriting. Wouldn't you know it -- yesterday, just as I was making the final adjustments on my rewrite of Junkyard Dog (due out next fall with Orca Book Publishers), I got an e-mail from Sarah Harvey (my other editor at Orca) saying that though she likes what I've done with my manuscript The Middle of Everywhere (also due out next fall), she thinks the relationshipbetween two of the main characters still needs some work.
When I mentioned this to a friend, she said, "You must be discouraged." To which I replied, "Not really. I want this to be the best manuscript possible, and I'm willing to do whatever I have to to get it there."
The funny thing is this morning I was working with students in my Stuff of Nonsense class at Marianopolis College and one admitted she was a little discouraged when I made a lot of suggestions for improving her essay. Before she left my office, I explained that as a writer, I am going through a similar process. The trick is not to waste energy being discouraged, but to harness that energy and put it into whatever we are working on. So take it from me, the Queen of Rewriting, rewriting is worth the trouble. The more time and energy we spend on our writing, the better it gets. So get to work -- and let me know how your rewriting goes. Royally yours...
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