Perspective

So, while my sister was here I managed to finish a major rewrite on my "second" novel. Yay me! I'm pretty pleased (in concept) with the changes, but I knew when I rewrote it it would need more polish.

Right now, I'm going through my "reading it out loud to my co-author" phase, where some of the more glaring typo/grammar/awkward sentences will hopefully be caught and little quirky ideas and details are conceived/remembered and implemented. Like remembering the shipcats were venomous or coming up with a special power for our paternal twins, Lin and Kim, adjusting Danai's kittens because my own personal princess, Roxy, has learned out to pull stuff off my desk and throw it away (she loves to throw stuff away, but when she runs out of trash, whats a baby to do?), so she tossed my notes on the kittens.

The problem is, though, that it's so fresh, when I'm reading it, all I can hear is what's wrong with it. Everything sounds stilted and broken and amateurish (which, of course, it could be, but let's hope not). It's always a problem with I work on something right after a rewrite. Perspective.

Sometimes, as I finish a scene I loved writing, I read it thinking it's perfect and wonderful and fabulous. Sometimes, all I read sounds like garbage and it's easy to get discouraged. I've had both reactions on the same book and it's more a reflection of the kind of work I've been doing (slogging revision or inspired writing) before the review than a reflection of my work (or at least I hope so).

In order to get a feel for how I really feel for it, I'll have to put it away right after this read-through and let it sit at least two weeks so I can regain my perspective. And, then, I'll read it again. I might let a few trusted friends take a look while I'm waiting in case they have some polishing suggestions.

One piece of advice I'd give to any would-be author. Always give it a rest period from when you think you're done and when you want to send it out. And read it again with eyes as fresh as you can make them.