No writer wants to do revisions, right? Well, right. I’d much rather not. But in some ways, maybe I’m the odd duck. (Hey, I heard that!) Now, of course, every book I turn in is a masterpiece of absolute perfection, come on! But, the reality is, that if you are really passionate about your story, your characters, there are times when you get so close to the story that you can’t be completely objective about it. You think you are, and you hope you’ve pulled off the exact tone you were reaching for, created the right amount of sizzle, kept the pacing tight and given the reader the biggest bang for her (or his) buck, but…sometimes there are bits here and there that need tweaking, improving, finessing. Which is why there are editors. (I happen to have one of the true gems in Kate Duffy.)

Over the years and dozens of published books, I’ve always thought of my editor as my teammate. That one other person who is as invested in making my book the best it can be as I am, with only the best interests of the story at heart. With that critically objective eye, she can pinpoint the troublesome spots if they exist and help figure out how to get across the point you were trying to make, but perhaps missed. If you’re really lucky, you and your editor work together to find the perfect solutions. I happen to be very lucky.

Here is where the odd duck part kicks in. Sure, I love the “you rock, don’t change a word!” calls, which means I can keep my head in the current work in progress and not stop what I’m doing to revisit a story I thought I was done with. But when the occasion arises where the call is, “I love it, but we need to talk about a few parts,” well, once I get past mentally rejuggling my schedule to fit in the added work time, I find myself actually invigorated by the opportunity to dive back into a story and revisit my characters and, well, play with them some more. It’s almost…fun. See? Odd, I told you. But now the pressure isn’t the same, the story is told. All I’m doing is kind of re-writing history a little. Their history, anyway.

And I kind of like the challenge, the chance to go back and look over the work again. At that point some time has passed and I have a bit more objectivity. As my heart and soul are now deeply involved with a whole new host of characters, I can be somewhat more clear-eyed about the previous set. And I am also now looking at the telling of their story through a new set of eyes and a new reader’s interpretation of whether it worked the way I wanted it to, or not. The whole process and evolution is very interesting to me. I’m an inveterate tinkerer anyway, so this appeals to my revisionist heart.

Besides….it means I get to go back and play with Dylan Chisholm for a few days. All in all, not really a hardship when you think about it.

As I’ve said before, do I have the best job on the planet or what? (Don’t worry, Mac…I’ll be back to attend to your demands very soon.) And it appears Mr. MacLeod is going to be very…demanding. I know. Poor me.

Tags: Writing //