Thursday, January 24, 2008

The End!

I can finally type those two words at the bottom of a manuscript.

Can't Help But Love You is finally, albeit imperfectly, complete. My moment of relief and joy is tempered by the knowledge that it needs a lot of tweaking before I feel it's ready to go out to publishers. Oh, don't get me wrong! I'm not going to hold on to it and labor over it forever. Just until I'm happy with its theme, its premise, its characters and its plot. All of those items have to gel in order for it to work for me. Already, I have new ideas about my secondary characters and their overall usefulness in putting Paxton and Kelis' romance on the right track.

I've received advice to put it aside for a week then get right to work. Well a week has gone by and life has intruded in the form of a laid-up child, whose calls of "mommy" are echoing in my dreams. I guess edits and re-tooling will have to start in another week or two. (sigh!)

AJ

4 comments:

Chicki Brown said...

Sorry the "baby" is sick, but the more time you have away from the story, the better.

When you go back to do revisions, you'll be able to see what needs to be done more clearly.

I'm trying to wind up my WIP, but I think I'll have to increase my target word count.

Chelle Sandell said...

Woo-hoo! You typed the end...congrats on such a major accomplishment. You go girl!

A break is definitely good for perspective. But I can't wait to get caught up to where I can read your chapters and find out what happens! I think the last I read was a bedroom scene. Oh-la-la!

Bella said...

I hope your baby feels better soon. I envy you the completed manuscript. I'm back writing and blogging, and at least two-thirds through my WIP. Can't wait to finish it.

Take care of yourself as well as your baby.

Shelley Munro said...

Congratulations on writing the end. I love that stage because it means I can finally let loose all the characters inside my head who are demanding their story be told. They always talk so loudly when I'm trying to concentrate on my current WIP :)