Jelly Bellies and Hugs

I finally sent off my manuscript! It's been a long month, but I feel like I've really fine-tuned the writing. This second round of editing definitely paid off. Once the content is nailed down it is so much easier to hone in on specific details. I caught some things (with the help of friends and family) that clearly needed to be changed. They were mostly small details, but they made a world of difference.

(from here)

I really do have to thank my close friends and family for helping me through this process (although some of them just loved throwing that monkey wrench into my perfect plot). Editing isn't something that you can do on your own. You need to bounce ideas off of someone, get a second (and honest) opinion. You need the support and the affirmation that your changes are good and they work. You need someone to point out holes you may have missed. If you are writing or editing a book (or really anything) make sure you have people you love and trust to share your work with. For those of you who have helped me (you know who you are) THANK YOU! I'll find some way to repay you. It may be in the form of jelly bellies and hugs, but hey.



I'm sure the third round of editing will be just as productive. The next step is line editing. It's my publisher's turn to take a crack at it. I believe this is about the time they get out the elbow grease and start polishing. I can't wait to see what they send me. I've already started pacing...